Is it foolish to continually believe the best of people, to trust them until given reason not to? To take their words at face value and leave it at that? Maybe I choose not to see things or assume things that may be obvious to others, but I don't think I'm naive, I really don't. I don't squeeze my eyes shut, clap my hands over my hears and yell "LA LA LA can't hear it, can't see it, so it's not happening." I won't go into denial or invent excuses so that I can carry on believing something isn't true. I know that people screw up, and even that they don't always have the best of intentions. But I don't want to start by assuming that this is the case.
So what do you do when you've seen something you'd rather not, or when someone lets you down or hurts you? Do you let it eat away at your faith in human nature? Do people have to work harder to earn your trust, do you become always on your guard? It would result in less heartache- after all, if you don't expect much from people then they can't disappoint you. And there's probably quite a bit of wisdom in erring on the side of caution.
But I don't want to become jaded, and I don't want to be cynical. Hey, I've been hurt and I've been disappointed. Sometimes I've been completely shocked by it and sometimes I haven't, but I've never expected it. I've always chosen to put it aside and continue being generous with my trust. And it's a deliberate choice that I've been proud of. But there's a little part of me that's wondering if it's just foolishness. It certainly almost got me into a compromising situation a couple months ago. I felt like a fool then, I admit. I should have
foreseen it & should have known better- perhaps I was naive.
So is the choice cynicism or
naivety? Is there an in between? Can I be trusting without being gullible? Or can I be cautious without feeling jaded?
