Is Naivety a Virtue or a Vice?

[jammieg]

Being naive isn't fun, it's confusing and people laugh at gullible and naive people, but not children because they are supposed to be naive. One way to be naive is to pretend that someone is really smart or has a Ph.D in everything. Typically people do not, but typically to them they are quite sure, we are all quite sure we know what we are talking about, but I try pretending that I'm not and they happen to know it all and in doing so I get really confused. I guess in really taking in another person's views it makes one more confused, but if confusion is the starting point of learning then maybe it is good, and so maybe by being naive we become less naive? If you ask people philosphical questions and really listen I find that many people are very happy to tell you exactly how the world works, and the more naive or attentively listening you seem to be the more they want and like discussing it. On the other hand sometimes I've had enough of being naive and most situations in life don't require the questionings and uncertainties of philosophical mindedness but sureness and action are better. What are some other ways of being naive, and more importantly I wonder if this is really a good thing?

 

[Mentat]

Originally posted by jammieg
Being naive isn't fun, it's confusing and people laugh at gullible and naive people, but not children because they are supposed to be naive. One way to be naive is to pretend that someone is really smart or has a Ph.D in everything. Typically people do not, but typically to them they are quite sure, we are all quite sure we know what we are talking about, but I try pretending that I'm not and they happen to know it all and in doing so I get really confused. I guess in really taking in another person's views it makes one more confused, but if confusion is the starting point of learning then maybe it is good, and so maybe by being naive we become less naive? If you ask people philosphical questions and really listen I find that many people are very happy to tell you exactly how the world works, and the more naive or attentively listening you seem to be the more they want and like discussing it. On the other hand sometimes I've had enough of being naive and most situations in life don't require the questionings and uncertainties of philosophical mindedness but sureness and action are better. What are some other ways of being naive, and more importantly I wonder if this is really a good thing?

I think you are, through some of your post, confusing naivety for humility. After all, I listen to many people try to explain how the world (or a part of the world) works, but that doesn't (necessarily) mean that I don't know how the world works, it means that I'm humble (better word: modest) enough to recognize that they might know better than I do.

It's true that, often, one must feign naivety in order to learn from someone who believes him/herself to be more knowledgeable; but the ability to do this is a sign of true modesty.

 

[drag]

Originally posted by Mentat
I think you are, through some of your post, confusing
naivety for humility.

I partially agree.
Also, some people actually do know what they're talking
about, not a lot though...

 

[jammieg]

That's funny, I didn't intend to sound humble I mostly try to write as honest and objective as possible. That reminds me of high school how they say just be confident when you talk to girls that's what they like, but I could never quite pull it off, then just the other day I realized that it's all one big sham that girls are duped into attraction for confident guys becuase when a person accomplishes and overcomes things in their life they feel happier and more sure of themselves that they can get things done, and so we can see when people are confident but what we can't see is whether they are pretending or not, young naive girls will sometimes superficially reason or subconsciously reason that they are confident because they have earned it so they get a feeling about this guy or that when in fact they are just feigning the overt behavior of accomplishment and achievement. Being confident doesn't make a person achieve more, in the long run they just learn that pretending and lying to themselves solves all their wants and desires, it's just another form of lying to oneself and taking the easy way.