FACT: You’re Naive.

Now, before you get offended there are a couple key things here. Firstly, we all are, so don’t take it hard. Second, believe it or not, our naivaté can very well be remarkably advantageous to accomplishing some of the most important things in our lives. 

I first made reference to this concept in my book, Going Right: A Logical Justification for Pursuing Your Dreams. The reference was to Albert Hirschman’s Hiding Hand Principle, “which refers to the idea that when an individual or group of individuals take on an intensive project, their own ignorance about the future struggles enables them to continue on in the face of substantive obstacles because they’ve made it too far to quit.”

Hirscheman’s original text explains the concept through the point of view of a team digging a new mineshaft two miles into the side of a mountain. A quarter-mile in, covered in dirt, exhausted, and over budget they have more specific information about exactly how difficult it will be to complete the project, but they’re too far in to quit and so they keep going. For those digging the mine shaft, being naive paved the way to a completed mine.If they had known the true cost of the effort, however, they might not opt in to begin with. 

Even Tom Brady confirmed in an interview recently that even he benefited from his naivety about his athletic career! Looking back, he admitted that he doesn’t know what he would have done if he knew exactly how long and hard the road would be at the outset. In his case, ignorance was Hall of Fame bliss. 

Listen, the only way you negate the incredible advantages to being naive are pretending you’re not naive in the first place. It’s a bonafide fact that you don’t know the intricate details of your future. Admitting it is the first step to benefitting from that fact. 

Humble yourself and let your ignorance light the trail ahead.