--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The thing that had fueled these utopian…" description: "\"The thing that had fueled these utopian communities was a literal belief, and not just a general sense of optimism, that the earth was about to become ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55f/christine-jennings-20527_belief_the-thing-that-had-fueled-these-utopian_948649.jpg" --- # The thing that had fueled these utopian communities was a… ![“The thing that had fueled these utopian communities was a literal belief, and not just a general sense of optimism, that the earth was about to become a paradise. That idea cannot hold water after the war.” quote by Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55f/christine-jennings-20527_belief_the-thing-that-had-fueled-these-utopian_948649.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55f/christine-jennings-20527_belief_the-thing-that-had-fueled-these-utopian_948649.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55f/christine-jennings-20527_belief_the-thing-that-had-fueled-these-utopian_948649.jpg) > “The thing that had fueled these utopian communities was a literal belief, and not just a general sense of optimism, that the earth was about to become a paradise. That idea cannot hold water after the war.” [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Optimism about a future paradise faded after war, revealing the fragility of utopian belief. **In simple terms:** Utopian hope collapsed after war. Key Takeaway Recognize that idealism must be grounded in reality. Themes utopianism war idealism Mood reflective critical Type philosophical historical When to use this quote - postwar reconstruction - community planning - political activism Key Concepts social engineering collective optimism Questions to Reflect On - How can societies balance hope with realism? - What safeguards protect against disillusionment? A Different Perspective Idealistic visions often ignore practical constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Optimism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optimism/) [Paradise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paradise/) [Utopian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/utopian/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) ## Related quotes > [The thought was, 'We're going to go to California, where the soil is black and ten feet deep, and there are no rocks, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/the-thought-was-we-re-going-to-go-to-california-where-the-soil-is/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [I'm interested in utopian communities of the past. Many of them didn't survive and I'm examining closely the reasons they failed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/i-m-interested-in-utopian-communities-of-the-past-many-of-them-didn-t/) [Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) > [“If we could sniff or swallow something that would, for five or six hours each day, abolish our solitude as individuals, atone us with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/if-we-could-sniff-or-swallow-something-that-would-for-five-or-six/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [The earth is not a lair, neither is it a prison. The earth is a Paradise, the only one we'll ever know. We will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/the-earth-is-not-a-lair-neither-is-it-a-prison-the-earth-is-a/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [“We live in a world of unimaginable surprises - from the fusion energy that lights the sun to the genetic and evolutionary consequences of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/we-live-in-a-world-of-unimaginable-surprises-from-the-fusion-energy/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [We have to change this whole earth into a tremendous festival, and it is possible because man brings all that is needed to transform…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/we-have-to-change-this-whole-earth-into-a-tremendous-festival-and-it/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [If everybody lives by the sweat of his brow, the earth will become a paradise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/if-everybody-lives-by-the-sweat-of-his-brow-the-earth-will-become-a/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Sacrificing the earth for paradise is giving up the substance for the shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/sacrificing-the-earth-for-paradise-is-giving-up-the-substance-for-the/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“A new feeling of dread for the world I live in formed in my stomach. I began to wish the ‘theory’ of Rutherford’s followers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-new-feeling-of-dread-for-the-world-i-live-in-formed-in-my-stomach-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If men would learn to pursue their own happiness rather than the misery of others, we can achieve a better life for everyone. Adopting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-men-would-learn-to-pursue-their-own-happiness-rather-than-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Utopian fiction is really boring. I had to read a lot of it, and it's not that much fun. But they're fascinating to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/utopian-fiction-is-really-boring-i-had-to-read-a-lot-of-it-and-it-s/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [Because the utopian's worldview was framed around moving toward this perfected future, it helped stimulate the private exertions that add up to social progress.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/because-the-utopian-s-worldview-was-framed-around-moving-toward-this/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [I was really interested in 20th century communalism and alternative communities, the boom of communes in the 60s and 70s. That led me back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/i-was-really-interested-in-20th-century-communalism-and-alternative/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [The fatal flaw of most utopian visions is that they're fundamentally static, and that's not a comfortable place for humans to live. Fourier was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/the-fatal-flaw-of-most-utopian-visions-is-that-they-re-fundamentally/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [ The vision shared by both \[French utopian\] Charles Fourier and Robert Owen was for an entire town to fit into one structure. Owen's design… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/the-vision-shared-by-both-french-utopian-charles-fourier-and-robert/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) ## More by Christine Jennings > [Utopian fiction is really boring. I had to read a lot of it, and it's not that much fun. But they're fascinating to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/utopian-fiction-is-really-boring-i-had-to-read-a-lot-of-it-and-it-s/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [The fatal flaw of most utopian visions is that they're fundamentally static, and that's not a comfortable place for humans to live. Fourier was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/the-fatal-flaw-of-most-utopian-visions-is-that-they-re-fundamentally/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [There are two instances I studied in which a community moved, amazingly, into an preexisting village built by other, earlier communalists. The Rappites were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/there-are-two-instances-i-studied-in-which-a-community-moved/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [The religious and irreligious are agreeing with each other almost all the time. Their rhetoric is the same, and their plans are the same.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/the-religious-and-irreligious-are-agreeing-with-each-other-almost-all/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [These weren't college kids on acid. 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That led me back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/i-was-really-interested-in-20th-century-communalism-and-alternative/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [Because the utopian's worldview was framed around moving toward this perfected future, it helped stimulate the private exertions that add up to social progress.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/because-the-utopian-s-worldview-was-framed-around-moving-toward-this/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [ They \[Oneida people\] didn't want to fix problems one at a time. If someone invited them to a feminist convention, their answer would have… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/they-oneida-people-didn-t-want-to-fix-problems-one-at-a-time-if/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [Utopians don't say, 'The world's corrupt, women make less money, people of color are oppressed at every turn.' You don't list the problems of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/utopians-don-t-say-the-world-s-corrupt-women-make-less-money-people/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [don't think I should be in the business of making big pronouncements about where we are now, but I would say that dissatisfaction is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/don-t-think-i-should-be-in-the-business-of-making-big-pronouncements/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [The secular utopians basically said the exact same thing, they just took the Bible out of the equation. 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Cine a surpat drumul spre viitor al celor din morminte?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ionel-teodoreanu/cine-a-ucis-stelele-cine-a-surpat-drumul-spre-viitor-al-celor-din/) [Ionel Teodoreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ionel-teodoreanu/) > [“MIND & GRIND Self-belief and hard work can propel you past more talented peers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamil-ali/mind-grind-self-belief-and-hard-work-can-propel-you-past-more/) [Kamil Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamil-ali/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. 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Or, rather, she didn't believe in a particular God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allegra-goodman/she-herself-vacillated-when-it-came-to-belief-she-did-not/) [Allegra Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allegra-goodman/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [“Rigid traditions capture souls prisons of spiritual thought man’s religion has captured a god grown too small and very weak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle/rigid-traditions-capture-souls-prisons-of-spiritual-thought-man-s/) [David W Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. 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