Naive & wicked
What is the difference between the naïve and the wicked?
Naive
Who is a naïve person?
Merriam Webster: “Marked by unaffected simplicity” and “Deficient in worldly wisdom or informed judgement”.
The naïve majorly have ideas in their heads about how the world or a specific circumstance should work, howbeit those ideas are not informed based on real world suffering or experience, rather they are informed by the private hopes of the naïve about how they want the world to work.
Wicked
Who is a wicked person?
Merriam Webster: “Causing or likely to cause harm, distress, or trouble”.
The wicked not only has ideas but is also aware of the real world consequences of those ideas, hence, the wicked might be incompetent (bad at execution) but hardly ever naïve.
Consequence
The consequence of the acts of the wicked is clear, for from defining a person as wicked, we inherently imply that that person actively seeks to cause harm or pain, directly or indirectly, to others. Hence the consequence of the acts of the wicked is mostly negative.
The consequence of the acts of the naïve is not so clear. For the naïve possess ideas in their heads that are mostly of their imaginations of how the world ought to be, and they seek to implement them in a world that does not live by human ideas but rather teaches us, through consequences, which ideas are viable in her and which are not. In simple circumstances, nature is generally benign, but in more complicated circumstances, she is less forgiving. So that we can use the complication of the circumstance to predict the consequence of the act of the naïve. The negative consequence of the acts of a naïve person is directly proportional to the complication of the circumstance in context and vice versa. Meaning the more complicated the circumstance, the more likely the naïve will cause harm.
Difference
“We judge ourselves by our intentions and others by their behaviour.” ― Stephen M.R. Covey.
What is the difference between the naïve and the wicked?
The standard excuse for why, despite his heinous sins, David is called the man after God’s heart, is the odd[1] Christian proclamation: “God looks at the heart”. Unfortunately, man is not God who lives forever and whose mercies are indefinite, we have one life, hence, can only judge people based on the consequence of their actions.
The naïve generally consider themselves good people but those who suffer from the consequences of their naïve acts would beg to differ. The wicked are under no delusions except when seeking to escape law enforcement.
So that by intent, the naive differs from the wicked, but by effect, they are both children of the same mother, hence, both the naïve and the wicked are no different.
What then?
Intent is good, but only for your conscience, others live by the consequences of your actions. Do not be naïve.
Thank you for reading.
Notes 1 – This is an odd proclamation because the bible then goes on to declare those who will go to hell fire based, not on their heart, but on their actions (liars, whoremongers, fornicators, …).