gullible (adjective) : easily fooled; naive
forms: more gullible; most gullible; less gullible; least gullible
Time to own up people, how many times have you seen one of those yellow wet floor things and …
- kicked it because it is in your way
- ignored it and found yourself studying the ceiling for cracks
- giggled at the schoolboy humour of a sign telling you to wet the floor
- obey the sign and give the tiny drip of water on the floor a 2 mile berth
A friend of mine who ran a temp office had a problem with staff using a short cut through the canteen to get to meeting rooms. This usually meant they were late due to various chats and ’I'll just get a coffee to take with me’. So one day she nicked a ‘wet floor’ triangle from the Cleaner’s cupboard and left it outside the offending door that lead to the shortcut. Result, her staff all started using the correct corridor and were all on time for meetings. Gullible or safety conscious staff ? I wonder.
So many times in life we find ourselves using that word gullible. Even the most street hardened of us can be fooled by a card trick or two, the job we are offered that sounds the best thing since sliced bread or the mobile deal that is too good to be true. How much of our gullibility is contributed by our want to believe that the sales guy really does want to do the best for us or that our prospective employers will only make us work 9 till 5? So my question is this, where does belief in the good in others and gullibility divide?
I am sure there are many of us who would like to boast that no bull***t ever gets passed us, that we are never so naive as to get caught out by ‘oh yes darling of course I will leave my wife of 20 years for you but right now is not a good time’ or ‘ no problem, I’ll pay that £500 I owe you next week, we’ll just have to not go on 3rd holiday this year’. When we work hard for what we achieve, professionally, financially and personally, why do we insist on being naive teenagers when it comes to trust and belief in others? The little voice in our head is screaming no don’t but do we listen? Nope, and we suffer the consequences while others walk off on a third holiday.
I guess there is an innate want in us all to believe the karma of if I do good, others will do good-by me. But my friends be careful that the good you are doing will not turn round and bite you and your bank balance on the bum. As someone pointed out again the other day, neither a borrower nor a lender be, unless the interest rate is good and you have the capital in your life bank to play with! In life, as in business, if you are going to take the risk make sure the prospects are sound and the contract is signed, if not perhaps give the wet floor sign a two-mile berth or be prepared for the view of the ceiling.
Gullible, naive or a want to believe ? Tough thinking for a Sunday morning.
Gx
Thanks to Paul for looking over this for me.
My Dad always told me to trust until someone gave you reason not to. If you go through life mis-trusting then you do not progress and you miss out on some awesome people and moments. The trick is to have the confidence to understand that you can deal with a situation if it goes wrong. People come into your life for a reason a season or a lifetime… and whatever it is they are there to progress your life and add to it… even though that ‘add’ is negative.
So whether we are gullible, naive or want to believe – we have to understand that whatever the outcome it is okay. People will be people… hold fast to your core beliefs and ‘goodness’ and who and what’s meant to stick will, who and what aren’t won’t!!!!
Hugzzzzzzzz C
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Good point Carol ! The ‘provider’ of the theme of this Blog learnt a very painful and financially difficult lesson. The lesson has been learned mainly to trust the instinct you feel when you hear yourself saying Yes but
inside is screaming No! As the ‘provider’ said “Time to move on and speak nicely to my Bank Manager”