Robinson Crusoe takes an extremely pragmatic view of reality. One of his defining character traits is his ability to play the hand he has been dealt. He has moments of despair, but he is able to quickly rally himself and learn how to make the best of his situation.

This is a useful trait for Crusoe to have, as his life of adventure leads him into all sorts of adversity. For example, he has to make the best of being captured and enslaved by a Turkish man and to plot his escape. A man of action, he reflects very little on this experience: it does not lead him, for example, to consider slavery a terrible institution that should be abolished. Instead, he very pragmatically determines that in a world of masters and servants, he wants to be the master. He buys slaves in Brazil and is willing to enslave Friday.

Crusoe, left by himself on the island, engages in a bit more introspection, but in his typical way, he goes about it logically and pragmatically. He makes a list of all that is good and bad in his situation, landing on thanking God for sending the shipwrecked vessel so close to shore.

Once he gets over his initial distress, Crusoe is realistic in assessing what he needs to do to survive on the island and in going about doing it.