I've been waiting for years for someone to
call me naïve so that i can say

Quote:

I'm not naïve enough to believe naïveté a bad thing.

But it struck me that some of the smartest people
I've met are less than half my age, some of them even
mere children of 5 years old ...

but then they seem to 'grow up', and become
cynical to the point of dysfunctioning...

I can only suggest that innocence and naïveté
are gifts not to be discarded, honesty is maturity,
not the blind cynical malevolence that is merely
a vain attempt to justify past misdeeds.

Sardonicus, you betray yourself with almost
every sentence...

Growing up is greatly over-estimated.

Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional. Choose wisely.

dear doc:

the your's?

Sorry, haven't met any lately.

that was because of a choice, probably too naive?

Absolutely, though there was some question about some of my college mates, they've probably all jumped planet by now.