# Quotes about naivety - Quotes: 17 - Authors: 14 - Broader topic: [Quotes about character](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/character.md) - Topic page: https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/naivety - JSON version (same data): https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/naivety.json ## Quotes > He is doing as she once did, in the naïve belief that what is buried stays that way, that what is hidden will stay unseen, that what is yours will remain always in your possession. He is being foolish. [Maaza Mengiste](https://www.leafyquotes.com/maaza-mengiste.md) · [The Shadow King](https://www.leafyquotes.com/maaza-mengiste/the-shadow-king.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/maaza-mengiste/the-shadow-king/he-is-doing.md) Topics: [secrets](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/secrets.md), [naivety](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/naivety.md) > Gullible citizens are a demagogue’s dream. [John Allen Paulos](https://www.leafyquotes.com/john-allen-paulos.md) · [A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper](https://www.leafyquotes.com/john-allen-paulos/a-mathematician-reads-the-newspaper.md) · p. 165 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/john-allen-paulos/a-mathematician-reads-the-newspaper/gullible-citizens-are.md) Topics: [naivety](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/naivety.md) > Emily looked at him for a long time. There were so many things she wanted to know—but she wanted not to know them even more. She didn’t want any more answers. He had been the one thing she could trust, the one person she could rely on. She wanted to beg him to be that way again. But it wasn’t him who had changed. It was her. It was her own credulity she really wanted back. And credulity, like virtue, could be lost only once. [M. K. Hobson](https://www.leafyquotes.com/m-k-hobson.md) · [The Native Star](https://www.leafyquotes.com/m-k-hobson/the-native-star.md) · p. 237 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/m-k-hobson/the-native-star/emily-looked-at-him.md) Topics: [trust](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/trust.md), [naivety](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/naivety.md) > Lane understood. Burke was one of that considerable part of humanity which enthusiastically believes in anything that’s sufficiently dramatic. [Murray Leinster](https://www.leafyquotes.com/murray-leinster.md) · [War with the Gizmos](https://www.leafyquotes.com/murray-leinster/war-with-the-gizmos.md) · p. 71 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/murray-leinster/war-with-the-gizmos/lane-understood-burke.md) Topics: [naivety](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/naivety.md) > The only people who do believe it are people who’ve read somewhere that other people believe it, and are ready and willing to believe anything they hear that they like the sound of. [Douglas Adams](https://www.leafyquotes.com/douglas-adams.md) · [Last Chance to See](https://www.leafyquotes.com/douglas-adams/last-chance-to-see.md) · p. 90 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/douglas-adams/last-chance-to-see/the-only-people.md) Topics: [naivety](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/naivety.md) > “History...” Jacobs spoke with terse authority. Brought Ori to a hush. “Is all full. And dripping. With the corpses. Of them who trusted the incorruptible.” [China Miéville](https://www.leafyquotes.com/china-mieville.md) · [Iron Council](https://www.leafyquotes.com/china-mieville/iron-council.md) · p. 319 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/china-mieville/iron-council/history-jacobs-spoke.md) Topics: [history](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/history.md), [naivety](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/naivety.md) > Better to be overly cautious than naive. [Brandon Sanderson](https://www.leafyquotes.com/brandon-sanderson.md) · [Words of Radiance](https://www.leafyquotes.com/brandon-sanderson/words-of-radiance.md) · p. 632 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/brandon-sanderson/words-of-radiance/better-to-be-overly.md) Topics: [caution](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/caution.md), [naivety](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/naivety.md) > People believe almost anything they see in print. [E. B. White](https://www.leafyquotes.com/e-b-white.md) · [Charlotte's Web](https://www.leafyquotes.com/e-b-white/charlottes-web.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/e-b-white/charlottes-web/people-believe-almost.md) Topics: [media](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/media.md), [naivety](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/naivety.md) > He was still very young, young enough to believe in the tooth fairy, the common sense of Congress, and a great many other unlikelihoods. [Harry Turtledove](https://www.leafyquotes.com/harry-turtledove.md) · [American Empire: Blood and Iron](https://www.leafyquotes.com/harry-turtledove/american-empire-blood-and-iron.md) · p. 130 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/harry-turtledove/american-empire-blood-and-iron/he-was-still.md) Topics: [humor](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/humor.md), [youth](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/youth.md), [naivety](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/naivety.md) > When you were fifteen, you knew everything always turned out fine in the end. Arthur McGregor was a good deal past twice fifteen. He knew how foolish you were at that age. [Harry Turtledove](https://www.leafyquotes.com/harry-turtledove.md) · [The Great War: Walk in Hell](https://www.leafyquotes.com/harry-turtledove/the-great-war-walk-in-hell.md) · p. 71 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/harry-turtledove/the-great-war-walk-in-hell/when-you-were.md) Topics: [youth](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/youth.md), [naivety](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/naivety.md) > The lad was at an age where he was inclined to believe things would turn out as he wanted for no better reason than that he wanted them to turn out so. [Harry Turtledove](https://www.leafyquotes.com/harry-turtledove.md) · [The Great War: Walk in Hell](https://www.leafyquotes.com/harry-turtledove/the-great-war-walk-in-hell.md) · p. 70 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/harry-turtledove/the-great-war-walk-in-hell/the-lad-was.md) Topics: [youth](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/youth.md), [naivety](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/naivety.md) > Does the worm on the hook expect to be rescued simply because the fish have eaten all the other worms? [Sheri S. Tepper](https://www.leafyquotes.com/sheri-s-tepper.md) · [Shadow’s End](https://www.leafyquotes.com/sheri-s-tepper/shadows-end.md) · p. 132 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/sheri-s-tepper/shadows-end/does-the-worm.md) Topics: [hope](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/hope.md), [naivety](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/naivety.md) > The weakness of thinking machines is that they actually believe all the information they receive, and react accordingly. [Frank Herbert](https://www.leafyquotes.com/frank-herbert.md) · [Dune](https://www.leafyquotes.com/frank-herbert/dune.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/frank-herbert/dune/the-weakness-of-thinking.md) Topics: [naivety](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/naivety.md), [artificial intelligence](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/artificial-intelligence.md) > People are rarely grateful for a demonstration of their credulity. [Carl Sagan](https://www.leafyquotes.com/carl-sagan.md) · [Broca's Brain](https://www.leafyquotes.com/carl-sagan/brocas-brain.md) · p. 58 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/carl-sagan/brocas-brain/people-are-rarely.md) Topics: [gratitude](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/gratitude.md), [naivety](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/naivety.md) > But our openness to the dazzling possibilities presented by modern science must be tempered by some hard-nosed skepticism. Many interesting possibilities simply turn out to be wrong. An openness to new possibilities and a willingness to ask hard questions are both required to advance our knowledge. And the asking of tough questions has an ancillary benefit: political and religious life in America, especially in the last decade and a half, has been marked by an excessive public credulity, an unwillingness to ask difficult questions, which has produced a demonstrable impairment in our national health. Consumer skepticism makes quality products. This may be why governments and churches and school systems do not exhibit unseemly zeal in encouraging critical thought. They know they themselves are vulnerable. [Carl Sagan](https://www.leafyquotes.com/carl-sagan.md) · [Broca's Brain](https://www.leafyquotes.com/carl-sagan/brocas-brain.md) · p. 68 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/carl-sagan/brocas-brain/but-our-openness.md) Topics: [skepticism](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/skepticism.md), [naivety](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/naivety.md) > In most cases, people, even the most vicious, are much more naive and simple-minded than we assume them to be. And this is true of ourselves too. [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://www.leafyquotes.com/fyodor-dostoyevsky.md) · [The Brothers Karamazov](https://www.leafyquotes.com/fyodor-dostoyevsky/the-brothers-karamazov.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/fyodor-dostoyevsky/the-brothers-karamazov/in-most-cases.md) Topics: [human nature](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/human-nature.md), [naivety](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/naivety.md) > I know every numbskull will babble on about "black man," "maneater," "chance," and "retrospective interpretation," in order to banish something terribly inconvenient that might sully the familiar picture of childhood innocence. Ah, these good, efficient, healthy-minded people, they always remind me of those optimistic tadpoles who bask in a puddle in the sun, in the shallowest of waters, crowding together and amiably wriggling their tails, totally unaware that the next morning the puddle will have dried up and left them stranded. [Carl Jung](https://www.leafyquotes.com/carl-jung.md) · [Memories, Dreams, Reflections](https://www.leafyquotes.com/carl-jung/memories-dreams-reflections.md) · p. 14 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/carl-jung/memories-dreams-reflections/i-know-every.md) Topics: [optimism](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/optimism.md), [naivety](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/naivety.md)