Word of the Day: Naive
Recently I was speaking with a friend who was unpacking feelings about a recent break up. She regretted certain decisions she made and expressed feeling naive. We noticed during the conversation that she was judging herself for being naive, labeling naivete as something “bad.”
This prompted me to look up the meaning of the word naive for insight. Let’s explore the definition and etymology of the word naive.
naive (adjective) :
too ready to believe someone or something, or to trust that someone’s intentions are good, especially because of lack of experience
(of a person or action) showing a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgment
The root of naive is the Latin word nativus meaning “native, natural” and “not artificial.” Nativus literally refers to something that is innate and natural. Other related roots are the French word naïve and Old French naif meaning “natural, genuine; just born; foolish, innocent; unspoiled, unworked.”
Naivete is often mentioned alongside innocence. Both of these words are sometimes used in reference to children and youth. This is in part because naivete is defined by a lack of experience.
As we can see through etymology, naivete is native and natural. We are all born naive and innocent. We believe in others and trust their intentions until we experience a breach of trust. A lack of trust is learned through experience. It is not innate or native.
We can also see from the definition of naive that this lack of experience is paired with a lack of wisdom or judgment. Wisdom is a combination of knowledge and experience. A phrase that comes to mind is “live and learn.” Without the learned experiences we gain over a lifetime, we don’t acquire wisdom.
There is nothing wrong with being naive. I find that trust and belief in others is admirable. If you feel that you’ve been naive in a situation and are upset about it, perhaps remember that naivete is natural and innate. It is a native trait in humans. Remember that this feeling of sadness or disappointment is occurring because you chose to see the best in someone and they’ve let you down.
Without experience we are naive. If you’ve been let down and had trust broken by another person, know that this is a part of the learning process. These experiences are how we become wise and how we learn good judgment or discernment. Naivete teaches us that it is natural to trust others and to believe in each other. Broken trust teaches us discernment, or where to effectively place that innate trust and belief. Experience leads to wisdom and we are all living and learning as we go.
