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How characters approach the innocence/naivete dichotomy varies. The KnightInSourArmor avoids naivete, as do nicer versions of TheCynic, while still retaining innocence. Just because someone is aware of [[CrapsackWorld how bad life is]] and [[HumansAreBastards how mean people are]] doesn't mean they can't [[TheIdealist fight for the right anyway]]. Moreover, a straight example of innocence as naivete can still work, since being unaware or unfamiliar with evil makes bad deeds harder to commit for the WideEyedIdealist and PurityPersonified types (though there are [[ObliviouslyEvil exceptions]]; [[GenreBlind genre blindness]] can contribute to this as well).
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How characters approach the innocence/naivete dichotomy varies. The KnightInSourArmor avoids naivete, as do nicer versions of TheCynic, while still retaining innocence. Just because someone is aware of [[CrapsackWorld how bad life is]] and [[HumansAreBastards how mean people are]] doesn't mean they can't [[TheIdealist fight for the right anyway]]. Moreover, a straight example of innocence as naivete can still work, since being unaware or unfamiliar with evil makes bad deeds harder to commit for the WideEyedIdealist and PurityPersonified types (though there are [[ObliviouslyEvil exceptions]]; [[GenreBlind [[GenreBlindness genre blindness]] can contribute to this as well).
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* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirlsMovie'': The girls run into this trope [[OriginStory for the first time]] when they help [[CardCarryingVillain "Jojo"]] build his machine.
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* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirlsMovie'': The girls run into this trope [[OriginStory [[OriginEpisode for the first time]] when they help [[CardCarryingVillain "Jojo"]] build his machine.
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* ''Manga/TakopisOriginalSin'': Takopi is a Happian, an {{Innocent Alien|s}} from a planet where all the inhabitants generally get along (with some rules) and he's taught to help others. However, his childlike innocence means he's not accustomed to the more complex morality of Earth, and he's unaware of what concepts like murder are. [[spoiler:This proves to be a problem, as he resolves to help a BadFuture version of Marina be happy by killing Shizuka in the past, despite not knowing the full weight of what this means.]]
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If Pinocchio is "decidedly not innocent", then he is not an example of Innocent Means Naive. One can be naive without being innocent.
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* ''Literature/TheAdventuresOfPinocchio'' provides an interesting example of this trope: while decidedly [[MrViceGuy not innocent]], he is rather naïve, ably manipulated by the Fox and the Cat and others during his misadventures.
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-->-- '''Ben Jonson'''
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-->-- '''Ben Jonson'''
'''Creator/BenJonson'''
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* ''Literature/DialAGhost'': Oliver, a HeartwarmingOrphan raised in loving surroundings, has trouble believing his cousins intend him any harm, even as evidence mounts that they are plotting an InheritanceMurder. The narration tells us that he even feels bad imagining that his cousin Fulton didn't look hard enough for his mail at the post office, because he is a child who had been brought up to trust people?.
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* ''Literature/DialAGhost'': Oliver, a HeartwarmingOrphan raised in loving surroundings, has trouble believing his cousins intend him any harm, even as evidence mounts that they are plotting an InheritanceMurder. The narration tells us that he even feels bad imagining that his cousin Fulton didn't look hard enough for his mail at the post office, because he is a child who had been brought up to trust people?.people?
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Changed line(s) 6,13 (click to see context) from:
What innocence actually refers to is something slightly different than its common usage. Rather than [[NaiveNewcomer "free from understanding"]], it means [[IncorruptiblePurePureness "free from wrongdoing"]]. Compare a man who didn't commit the crime he is accused of versus a child playing in fall leaves. Both can be described as "innocent", even though the latter can also be described as "naïve". The difference between the two is one of degree and lies in their understanding of right and wrong. as well as their exposure to evil deeds.
Once knowledge becomes part of the equation, this trope can be played in other directions. InnocenceLost, for example, implies an equivalent gain of knowledge about evil, and therefore some sense of how to combat it. Just because someone is aware of [[CrapsackWorld how bad life is]] and [[HumansAreBastards how mean people are]] doesn't mean they can't [[TheIdealist fight for the right anyway]]. Moreover, a straight example of innocence as naivete can still work, since being unaware or unfamiliar with evil can make bad deeds harder to commit (though there are [[ObliviouslyEvil exceptions]]).
How characters approach the innocence/naivete dichotomy varies. The KnightInSourArmor avoids it, as do nicer versions of TheCynic, while the WideEyedIdealist and PurityPersonified don't know of it. Don't bother asking a StrawNihilist for his position; he'll tell you it's irrelevant because [[MortonsFork you're screwed no matter what]].
Compare with GoodIsNotDumb and GoodIsNotNice, as well as ObliviouslyEvil to see what can happen with too much naivete. Contrast with GoodIsDumb and SubvertedInnocence. VirginityMakesYouStupid ties in to this trope on occasion, as it can be used to explore the difference between naivete and experience. Similar tropes include GoodCannotComprehendEvil, when the forces of good are too naïve to combat evil. [[GenreBlind Genre blindness]] can contribute to this as well.
Once knowledge becomes part of the equation, this trope can be played in other directions. InnocenceLost, for example, implies an equivalent gain of knowledge about evil, and therefore some sense of how to combat it. Just because someone is aware of [[CrapsackWorld how bad life is]] and [[HumansAreBastards how mean people are]] doesn't mean they can't [[TheIdealist fight for the right anyway]]. Moreover, a straight example of innocence as naivete can still work, since being unaware or unfamiliar with evil can make bad deeds harder to commit (though there are [[ObliviouslyEvil exceptions]]).
How characters approach the innocence/naivete dichotomy varies. The KnightInSourArmor avoids it, as do nicer versions of TheCynic, while the WideEyedIdealist and PurityPersonified don't know of it. Don't bother asking a StrawNihilist for his position; he'll tell you it's irrelevant because [[MortonsFork you're screwed no matter what]].
Compare with GoodIsNotDumb and GoodIsNotNice, as well as ObliviouslyEvil to see what can happen with too much naivete. Contrast with GoodIsDumb and SubvertedInnocence. VirginityMakesYouStupid ties in to this trope on occasion, as it can be used to explore the difference between naivete and experience. Similar tropes include GoodCannotComprehendEvil, when the forces of good are too naïve to combat evil. [[GenreBlind Genre blindness]] can contribute to this as well.
to:
What innocence actually refers to is something slightly different than its common usage. Rather than [[NaiveNewcomer "free from understanding"]], it means [[IncorruptiblePurePureness "free from wrongdoing"]]. Compare a man who didn't commit the crime he is accused of versus a child playing in fall leaves. Both can be described as "innocent", even though the latter can also be described as "naïve". The difference between the two is one of degree and lies in their understanding of right and wrong. as well as their exposure to evil deeds. Once knowledge becomes part of the equation, this trope can be played differently; InnocenceLost, for example, implies an equivalent gain of knowledge about evil, and therefore some sense of how to combat it.
Once knowledge becomes part of How characters approach the equation, this trope can be played in other directions. InnocenceLost, for example, implies an equivalent gain innocence/naivete dichotomy varies. The KnightInSourArmor avoids naivete, as do nicer versions of knowledge about evil, and therefore some sense of how to combat it.TheCynic, while still retaining innocence. Just because someone is aware of [[CrapsackWorld how bad life is]] and [[HumansAreBastards how mean people are]] doesn't mean they can't [[TheIdealist fight for the right anyway]]. Moreover, a straight example of innocence as naivete can still work, since being unaware or unfamiliar with evil can make makes bad deeds harder to commit (though there are [[ObliviouslyEvil exceptions]]).
How characters approach the innocence/naivete dichotomy varies. The KnightInSourArmor avoids it, as do nicer versions of TheCynic, whilefor the WideEyedIdealist and PurityPersonified don't know of it. Don't bother asking a StrawNihilist for his position; he'll tell you it's irrelevant because [[MortonsFork you're screwed no matter what]].
types (though there are [[ObliviouslyEvil exceptions]]; [[GenreBlind genre blindness]] can contribute to this as well).
Compare with GoodIsNotDumb and GoodIsNotNice, as well as ObliviouslyEvil to see what can happen with too much naivete. Contrast with GoodIsDumb and SubvertedInnocence. VirginityMakesYouStupid ties in to this trope on occasion, as it can be used to explore the difference between naivete and experience.Similar tropes include A similar trope is GoodCannotComprehendEvil, when the forces of good are too naïve to combat evil. [[GenreBlind Genre blindness]] can contribute to this as well.evil.
How characters approach the innocence/naivete dichotomy varies. The KnightInSourArmor avoids it, as do nicer versions of TheCynic, while
Compare with GoodIsNotDumb and GoodIsNotNice, as well as ObliviouslyEvil to see what can happen with too much naivete. Contrast with GoodIsDumb and SubvertedInnocence. VirginityMakesYouStupid ties in to this trope on occasion, as it can be used to explore the difference between naivete and experience.
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Changed line(s) 4,9 (click to see context) from:
Innocence and naivete tend to go hand in hand in a wide array of media. On one level, this makes perfect sense; the word "nice" originally was a synonym of "naïve", "foolish" or "gullible". However, linguistic evolution slowly changed it over the course of centuries to mean "good", "pleasant" and "friendly". As a consequence, the modern notion of innocence [[WideEyedIdealist implies a crippling unfamiliarity with how life works]].
Does this mean the sane response to innocence is [[SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids one of shock and horror, or that everyone who displays an attitude of kindness and charity is a dope]]? Of course not. What innocence actually refers to is something slightly different than its common usage. Rather than [[NaiveNewcomer "free from understanding"]], it means [[IncorruptiblePurePureness "free from wrongdoing"]].
The conflation of the two meanings results in confusion. Compare a man who didn't commit the crime he is accused of versus a child playing in fall leaves. Both can be described as "innocent", even though the latter can also be described as "naïve". The difference between the two is one of degree and lies in their understanding of right and wrong as well as their exposure to evil deeds.
Does this mean the sane response to innocence is [[SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids one of shock and horror, or that everyone who displays an attitude of kindness and charity is a dope]]? Of course not. What innocence actually refers to is something slightly different than its common usage. Rather than [[NaiveNewcomer "free from understanding"]], it means [[IncorruptiblePurePureness "free from wrongdoing"]].
The conflation of the two meanings results in confusion. Compare a man who didn't commit the crime he is accused of versus a child playing in fall leaves. Both can be described as "innocent", even though the latter can also be described as "naïve". The difference between the two is one of degree and lies in their understanding of right and wrong as well as their exposure to evil deeds.
to:
Innocence and naivete tend to go hand in hand in a wide array of media. On one level, this makes perfect sense; the word "nice" originally was a synonym of "naïve", "foolish" or "gullible". However, linguistic evolution slowly changed it over the course of centuries to mean "good", "pleasant" and "friendly". As a consequence, the modern notion of innocence [[WideEyedIdealist implies a crippling unfamiliarity with how life works]]. \n\n Does this mean the sane response to innocence is [[SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids one of shock and horror, horror]], [[JadeColoredGlasses or that everyone who displays an attitude of kindness and charity is a dope]]? Of course not. not.
What innocence actually refers to is something slightly different than its common usage. Rather than [[NaiveNewcomer "free from understanding"]], it means [[IncorruptiblePurePureness "free from wrongdoing"]]. \n\nThe conflation of the two meanings results in confusion. Compare a man who didn't commit the crime he is accused of versus a child playing in fall leaves. Both can be described as "innocent", even though the latter can also be described as "naïve". The difference between the two is one of degree and lies in their understanding of right and wrong wrong. as well as their exposure to evil deeds.
What innocence actually refers to is something slightly different than its common usage. Rather than [[NaiveNewcomer "free from understanding"]], it means [[IncorruptiblePurePureness "free from wrongdoing"]].
Changed line(s) 14,17 (click to see context) from:
VirginityMakesYouStupid ties in to this trope on occasion, as it can be used to explore the difference between naivete and experience. Similar tropes include GoodCannotComprehendEvil, when the forces of good are too naïve to combat evil. [[GenreBlind Genre blindness]] can contribute to this as well.
Compare with GoodIsNotDumb and GoodIsNotNice, as well as ObliviouslyEvil to see what can happen with too much naivete. Contrast with GoodIsDumb and SubvertedInnocence.
Compare with GoodIsNotDumb and GoodIsNotNice, as well as ObliviouslyEvil to see what can happen with too much naivete. Contrast with GoodIsDumb and SubvertedInnocence.
to:
Compare with GoodIsNotDumb and GoodIsNotNice, as well as ObliviouslyEvil to see what can happen with too much naivete. Contrast with GoodIsDumb and SubvertedInnocence. VirginityMakesYouStupid ties in to this trope on occasion, as it can be used to explore the difference between naivete and experience. Similar tropes include GoodCannotComprehendEvil, when the forces of good are too naïve to combat evil. [[GenreBlind Genre blindness]] can contribute to this as well. \n\nCompare with GoodIsNotDumb and GoodIsNotNice, as well as ObliviouslyEvil to see what can happen with too much naivete. Contrast with GoodIsDumb and SubvertedInnocence. \n
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The conflation of the two meanings results in confusion. Compare a man who didn't commit the crime he is accused of versus a child playing in fall leaves. Both can be described as "innocent", even though the latter can also be described as "naïve". The difference between the two is one of degree, and lies in their understanding of right and wrong as well as their exposure to evil deeds.
to:
The conflation of the two meanings results in confusion. Compare a man who didn't commit the crime he is accused of versus a child playing in fall leaves. Both can be described as "innocent", even though the latter can also be described as "naïve". The difference between the two is one of degree, degree and lies in their understanding of right and wrong as well as their exposure to evil deeds.
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* ''Franchise/DragonBall'': This trope is largely responsible for Goku's characterization. He starts the series as a boy who due to his grandfather's death has been isolated up in the mountains for who knows how long before Bulma finds him while searching for the Four Star Dragon Ball. As a result Goku was extremely ignorant of the ways of the world for a long time, to the point he didn't even know what a woman was, thought marriage was food, and otherwise ignorant of a number of other basic facts. Even as the series progresses and Goku grows older and experiences more he had little in the way of a formal education and thus remains largely ignorant of a great deal for the entirety of the franchise.
to:
* ''Franchise/DragonBall'': This trope is largely responsible for Goku's characterization. He starts the series as a boy who due to his grandfather's death has been isolated up in the mountains for who knows how long before Bulma finds him while searching for the Four Star Dragon Ball. As a result result, Goku was extremely ignorant of the ways of the world for a long time, to the point he didn't even know what a woman was, thought marriage was food, and otherwise ignorant of a number of other basic facts. Even as the series progresses and Goku grows older and experiences more he had little in the way of a formal education and thus remains largely ignorant of a great deal for the entirety of the franchise.
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* In ''Literature/WingsOfFire,'' Sunny is very innocent and optimistic, and tends to assume the best in other dragons. Her friends treat her as though she's very simple-minded because of it. In [[ADayInTheLimelight her book,]] we find out that [[HiddenDepths she's actually very observant and has a go-getter attitude,]] but being treated as though she's stupid for being "sweet" has left her with an inferiority complex.
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* In ''Literature/WingsOfFire,'' Sunny is very innocent and optimistic, optimistic and tends to assume the best in other dragons. Her friends treat her as though she's very simple-minded because of it. In [[ADayInTheLimelight her book,]] we find out that [[HiddenDepths she's actually very observant and has a go-getter attitude,]] but being treated as though she's stupid for being "sweet" has left her with an inferiority complex.
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* ''Series/{{Fargo}}'': In Season One, Gus Grimly is a Barney Fife-esque beat cop and NiceGuy, who comes off as far more innocent than a cop should be; his naivete is exploited by the twisted hit man Lorne Malvo, who intimidates Gus into letting him go at a traffic stop, resulting in Malvo committing several more murders. By the end of the season Gus has grown a little more cynical, [[spoiler:but redeems himself by killing Malvo]].
** Season Four has Thurman Smutney, a BumblingDad and funeral director, who is one of the kindest, most innocent characters on the show. He gets in WAY over his head after borrowing from the Cannon Limited outfit, even inadvertantly trying to pay back his debt with money stolen from Cannon by his own sister-in-law.
* ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'': Ben the Soldier is the only truly decent and kind character in the entire show, innocent almost to a childlike degree. He's also dumber than a bag of bricks, and can be counted on to fall for the Gang's various scams (including a pyramid scheme and Dee's controlling behavior when they date). However he usually ends up on top simply by virtue of his obliviousness.
** Season Four has Thurman Smutney, a BumblingDad and funeral director, who is one of the kindest, most innocent characters on the show. He gets in WAY over his head after borrowing from the Cannon Limited outfit, even inadvertantly trying to pay back his debt with money stolen from Cannon by his own sister-in-law.
* ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'': Ben the Soldier is the only truly decent and kind character in the entire show, innocent almost to a childlike degree. He's also dumber than a bag of bricks, and can be counted on to fall for the Gang's various scams (including a pyramid scheme and Dee's controlling behavior when they date). However he usually ends up on top simply by virtue of his obliviousness.
to:
* ''Series/{{Fargo}}'': In Season One, Gus Grimly is a Barney Fife-esque beat cop and NiceGuy, who comes off as far more innocent than a cop should be; his naivete is exploited by the twisted hit man hitman Lorne Malvo, who intimidates Gus into letting him go at a traffic stop, resulting in Malvo committing several more murders. By the end of the season season, Gus has grown a little more cynical, cynical [[spoiler:but redeems himself by killing Malvo]].
** Season Four has Thurman Smutney, a BumblingDad and funeral director, who is one of the kindest, most innocent characters on the show. He gets in WAY over his head after borrowing from the Cannon Limited outfit, eveninadvertantly inadvertently trying to pay back his debt with money stolen from Cannon by his own sister-in-law.
* ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'': Ben the Soldier is the only truly decent and kind character in the entire show, innocent almost to a childlike degree. He's also dumber than a bag ofbricks, bricks and can be counted on to fall for the Gang's various scams (including a pyramid scheme and Dee's controlling behavior when they date). However However, he usually ends up on top simply by virtue of his obliviousness.
** Season Four has Thurman Smutney, a BumblingDad and funeral director, who is one of the kindest, most innocent characters on the show. He gets in WAY over his head after borrowing from the Cannon Limited outfit, even
* ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'': Ben the Soldier is the only truly decent and kind character in the entire show, innocent almost to a childlike degree. He's also dumber than a bag of
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* Zigzagged with {{Wrestling/Bayley}} in WWE. She played this straight on her debut in NXT, being a naive FanGirl who seemed more interested in making friends than actually winning matches, and as a result was generally mocked and defeated easily by her opponents. She then went through CharacterDevelopment to become a more serious competitor while retaining her NiceGirl and AllLovingHero traits, becoming a shining example of GoodIsNotSoft as NXT champion. However, upon her promotion to the main roster she regressed to her previous naive characterisation, being totally oblivious to her best friend Wrestling/SashaBanks having ChronicBackstabbingDisorder and being too soft to use a kendo stick as a weapon in a kendo stick on a pole match against Wrestling/AlexaBliss, resulting in a CurbStompBattle when Bliss gleefully took advantage of her mercy. She finally wisened up again after winning the Smackdown Women's Championship for the first time, and has completely averted this post FaceHeelTurn, being neither innocent nor naïve.
to:
* Zigzagged with {{Wrestling/Bayley}} in WWE. She played this straight on her debut in NXT, being a naive FanGirl who seemed more interested in making friends than actually winning matches, and as a result was generally mocked and defeated easily by her opponents. She then went through CharacterDevelopment to become a more serious competitor while retaining her NiceGirl and AllLovingHero traits, becoming a shining example of GoodIsNotSoft as NXT champion. However, upon her promotion to the main roster roster, she regressed to her previous naive characterisation, being totally oblivious to her best friend Wrestling/SashaBanks having ChronicBackstabbingDisorder and being too soft to use a kendo stick as a weapon in a kendo stick on a pole match against Wrestling/AlexaBliss, resulting in a CurbStompBattle when Bliss gleefully took advantage of her mercy. She finally wisened up again after winning the Smackdown Women's Championship for the first time, and has completely averted this post FaceHeelTurn, being neither innocent nor naïve.
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Changed line(s) 27 (click to see context) from:
* ''Franchise/DragonBall'': This trope is largely responsible for Goku's characterization. He starts the series as a boy who due to his grandfather's death has been isolated up in the mountains for who knows how long before Bulma finds him while searching for the Four Star Dragon Ball. As a result Goku was extremely ignorant of the ways of the world for a long time, to the point he didn't even know what a woman was, thought marriage was food, and otherwise ignorant a number of other basic facts. Even as the series progresses and Goku grows older and experiences more he had little in the way of a formal education and thus remains largely ignorant of a great deal for the entirety of the franchise.
to:
* ''Franchise/DragonBall'': This trope is largely responsible for Goku's characterization. He starts the series as a boy who due to his grandfather's death has been isolated up in the mountains for who knows how long before Bulma finds him while searching for the Four Star Dragon Ball. As a result Goku was extremely ignorant of the ways of the world for a long time, to the point he didn't even know what a woman was, thought marriage was food, and otherwise ignorant of a number of other basic facts. Even as the series progresses and Goku grows older and experiences more he had little in the way of a formal education and thus remains largely ignorant of a great deal for the entirety of the franchise.
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* Subverted in "The Blue Cross", the first Father Brown mystery. Professional thief Valentin is shocked he has been outmaneuvered by a parish priest who knows more about crime than he does.
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* Subverted in "The Blue Cross", the first Father Brown Literature/FatherBrown mystery. Professional thief Valentin is shocked he has been outmaneuvered by a parish priest who knows more about crime than he does.
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Changed line(s) 37,40 (click to see context) from:
--> "...We can't help being priests. People come and tell us these things."
--> "...Has it never struck you that a man who does next to nothing but hear men's real sins is not likely to be wholly unaware of human evil?..."
* By the end of ''{{Literature/Candide}}'', the titular protagonist is well-aware that the world he lives in is [[CrapsackWorld nowhere near perfect]], and while the road toward lasting happiness isn't clear, his commitment to gradual improvement and a dry-eyed view of life is summed up in the story's final line:
--> [[EarnYourHappyEnding "We must cultivate our garden."]]
--> "...Has it never struck you that a man who does next to nothing but hear men's real sins is not likely to be wholly unaware of human evil?..."
* By the end of ''{{Literature/Candide}}'', the titular protagonist is well-aware that the world he lives in is [[CrapsackWorld nowhere near perfect]], and while the road toward lasting happiness isn't clear, his commitment to gradual improvement and a dry-eyed view of life is summed up in the story's final line:
--> [[EarnYourHappyEnding "We must cultivate our garden."]]
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-->
"...Has it never struck you that a man who does next to nothing but hear men's real sins is not likely to be wholly unaware of human evil?..."
* By the end of
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[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
* Zigzagged with {{Wrestling/Bayley}} in WWE. She played this straight on her debut in NXT, being a naive FanGirl who seemed more interested in making friends than actually winning matches, and as a result was generally mocked and defeated easily by her opponents. She then went through CharacterDevelopment to become a more serious competitor while retaining her NiceGirl and AllLovingHero traits, becoming a shining example of GoodIsNotSoft as NXT champion. However, upon her promotion to the main roster she regressed to her previous naive characterisation, being totally oblivious to her best friend Wrestling/SashaBanks having ChronicBackstabbingDisorder and being too soft to use a kendo stick as a weapon in a kendo stick on a pole match against Wrestling/AlexaBliss, resulting in a CurbStompBattle when Bliss gleefully took advantage of her mercy. She finally wisened up again after winning the Smackdown Women's Championship for the first time, and has completely averted this post FaceHeelTurn, being neither innocent nor naïve.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Religion]]
* Zigzagged with {{Wrestling/Bayley}} in WWE. She played this straight on her debut in NXT, being a naive FanGirl who seemed more interested in making friends than actually winning matches, and as a result was generally mocked and defeated easily by her opponents. She then went through CharacterDevelopment to become a more serious competitor while retaining her NiceGirl and AllLovingHero traits, becoming a shining example of GoodIsNotSoft as NXT champion. However, upon her promotion to the main roster she regressed to her previous naive characterisation, being totally oblivious to her best friend Wrestling/SashaBanks having ChronicBackstabbingDisorder and being too soft to use a kendo stick as a weapon in a kendo stick on a pole match against Wrestling/AlexaBliss, resulting in a CurbStompBattle when Bliss gleefully took advantage of her mercy. She finally wisened up again after winning the Smackdown Women's Championship for the first time, and has completely averted this post FaceHeelTurn, being neither innocent nor naïve.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Religion]]
to:
* Zigzagged with {{Wrestling/Bayley}} in WWE. She played this straight on her debut in NXT, being a naive FanGirl who seemed more interested in making friends than actually winning matches, and as a result was generally mocked and defeated easily by her opponents. She then went through CharacterDevelopment to become a more serious competitor while retaining her NiceGirl and AllLovingHero traits, becoming a shining example of GoodIsNotSoft as NXT champion. However, upon her promotion to the main roster she regressed to her previous naive characterisation, being totally oblivious to her best friend Wrestling/SashaBanks having ChronicBackstabbingDisorder and being too soft to use a kendo stick as a weapon in a kendo stick on a pole match against Wrestling/AlexaBliss, resulting in a CurbStompBattle when Bliss gleefully took advantage of her mercy. She finally wisened up again after winning the Smackdown Women's Championship for the first time, and has completely averted this post FaceHeelTurn, being neither innocent nor naïve.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Religion]]
[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
* Zigzagged with {{Wrestling/Bayley}} in WWE. She played this straight on her debut in NXT, being a naive FanGirl who seemed more interested in making friends than actually winning matches, and as a result was generally mocked and defeated easily by her opponents. She then went through CharacterDevelopment to become a more serious competitor while retaining her NiceGirl and AllLovingHero traits, becoming a shining example of GoodIsNotSoft as NXT champion. However, upon her promotion to the main roster she regressed to her previous naive characterisation, being totally oblivious to her best friend Wrestling/SashaBanks having ChronicBackstabbingDisorder and being too soft to use a kendo stick as a weapon in a kendo stick on a pole match against Wrestling/AlexaBliss, resulting in a CurbStompBattle when Bliss gleefully took advantage of her mercy. She finally wisened up again after winning the Smackdown Women's Championship for the first time, and has completely averted this post FaceHeelTurn, being neither innocent nor naïve.
[[/folder]]
* Zigzagged with {{Wrestling/Bayley}} in WWE. She played this straight on her debut in NXT, being a naive FanGirl who seemed more interested in making friends than actually winning matches, and as a result was generally mocked and defeated easily by her opponents. She then went through CharacterDevelopment to become a more serious competitor while retaining her NiceGirl and AllLovingHero traits, becoming a shining example of GoodIsNotSoft as NXT champion. However, upon her promotion to the main roster she regressed to her previous naive characterisation, being totally oblivious to her best friend Wrestling/SashaBanks having ChronicBackstabbingDisorder and being too soft to use a kendo stick as a weapon in a kendo stick on a pole match against Wrestling/AlexaBliss, resulting in a CurbStompBattle when Bliss gleefully took advantage of her mercy. She finally wisened up again after winning the Smackdown Women's Championship for the first time, and has completely averted this post FaceHeelTurn, being neither innocent nor naïve.
[[/folder]]
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* {{WesternAnimation/The Owl House}}: Luz's naivete is a recurring theme in the first season, particularly in the episode "Witches Before Wizards", where she [[spoiler: buys into a demon's childish illusion of her own personal YA fantasy quest]].
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-->--'''Ben Jonson'''
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!!Examples
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[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* ''Franchise/DragonBall'': This trope is largely responsible for Goku's characterization. He starts the series as a boy who due to his grandfather's death has been isolated up in the mountains for who knows how long before Bulma finds him while searching for the Four Star Dragon Ball. As a result Goku was extremely ignorant of the ways of the world for a long time, to the point he didn't even know what a woman was, thought marriage was food, and otherwise ignorant a number of other basic facts. Even as the series progresses and Goku grows older and experiences more he had little in the way of a formal education and thus remains largely ignorant of a great deal for the entirety of the franchise.
[[/folder]]
* ''Franchise/DragonBall'': This trope is largely responsible for Goku's characterization. He starts the series as a boy who due to his grandfather's death has been isolated up in the mountains for who knows how long before Bulma finds him while searching for the Four Star Dragon Ball. As a result Goku was extremely ignorant of the ways of the world for a long time, to the point he didn't even know what a woman was, thought marriage was food, and otherwise ignorant a number of other basic facts. Even as the series progresses and Goku grows older and experiences more he had little in the way of a formal education and thus remains largely ignorant of a great deal for the entirety of the franchise.
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!!Indices: TropesOfInnocence, CynicismTropes, IdealismTropes
%%This page is alphabetized. Please put examples in alphabetical order. This page Administrivia/HowToAlphabetizeThings should help you with that.
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->''They that know no evil will suspect none.''
-->--'''Ben Jonson'''
Innocence and naivete tend to go hand in hand in a wide array of media. On one level, this makes perfect sense; the word "nice" originally was a synonym of "naïve", "foolish" or "gullible". However, linguistic evolution slowly changed it over the course of centuries to mean "good", "pleasant" and "friendly". As a consequence, the modern notion of innocence [[WideEyedIdealist implies a crippling unfamiliarity with how life works]].
Does this mean the sane response to innocence is [[SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids one of shock and horror, or that everyone who displays an attitude of kindness and charity is a dope]]? Of course not. What innocence actually refers to is something slightly different than its common usage. Rather than [[NaiveNewcomer "free from understanding"]], it means [[IncorruptiblePurePureness "free from wrongdoing"]].
The conflation of the two meanings results in confusion. Compare a man who didn't commit the crime he is accused of versus a child playing in fall leaves. Both can be described as "innocent", even though the latter can also be described as "naïve". The difference between the two is one of degree, and lies in their understanding of right and wrong as well as their exposure to evil deeds.
Once knowledge becomes part of the equation, this trope can be played in other directions. InnocenceLost, for example, implies an equivalent gain of knowledge about evil, and therefore some sense of how to combat it. Just because someone is aware of [[CrapsackWorld how bad life is]] and [[HumansAreBastards how mean people are]] doesn't mean they can't [[TheIdealist fight for the right anyway]]. Moreover, a straight example of innocence as naivete can still work, since being unaware or unfamiliar with evil can make bad deeds harder to commit (though there are [[ObliviouslyEvil exceptions]]).
How characters approach the innocence/naivete dichotomy varies. The KnightInSourArmor avoids it, as do nicer versions of TheCynic, while the WideEyedIdealist and PurityPersonified don't know of it. Don't bother asking a StrawNihilist for his position; he'll tell you it's irrelevant because [[MortonsFork you're screwed no matter what]].
VirginityMakesYouStupid ties in to this trope on occasion, as it can be used to explore the difference between naivete and experience. Similar tropes include GoodCannotComprehendEvil, when the forces of good are too naïve to combat evil. [[GenreBlind Genre blindness]] can contribute to this as well.
Compare with GoodIsNotDumb and GoodIsNotNice, as well as ObliviouslyEvil to see what can happen with too much naivete. Contrast with GoodIsDumb and SubvertedInnocence.
Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease
!!Indices: TropesOfInnocence, CynicismTropes, IdealismTropes
%%This page is alphabetized. Please put examples in alphabetical order. This page Administrivia/HowToAlphabetizeThings should help you with that.
----
!!Examples
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirlsMovie'': The girls run into this trope [[OriginStory for the first time]] when they help [[CardCarryingVillain "Jojo"]] build his machine.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/AirAwakens'': Vhalla Yarl, a library apprentice living a secluded life among books, is accused of it by prince Aldrik. He claims that her "transparent innocence" and lack of knowledge has made it easy for him to manipulate her. On the other hand, thanks to their relationship, Aldrik also changes for the better.
* ''Literature/TheAdventuresOfPinocchio'' provides an interesting example of this trope: while decidedly [[MrViceGuy not innocent]], he is rather naïve, ably manipulated by the Fox and the Cat and others during his misadventures.
* Subverted in "The Blue Cross", the first Father Brown mystery. Professional thief Valentin is shocked he has been outmaneuvered by a parish priest who knows more about crime than he does.
--> "...We can't help being priests. People come and tell us these things."
--> "...Has it never struck you that a man who does next to nothing but hear men's real sins is not likely to be wholly unaware of human evil?..."
* By the end of ''{{Literature/Candide}}'', the titular protagonist is well-aware that the world he lives in is [[CrapsackWorld nowhere near perfect]], and while the road toward lasting happiness isn't clear, his commitment to gradual improvement and a dry-eyed view of life is summed up in the story's final line:
--> [[EarnYourHappyEnding "We must cultivate our garden."]]
* ''Literature/DialAGhost'': Oliver, a HeartwarmingOrphan raised in loving surroundings, has trouble believing his cousins intend him any harm, even as evidence mounts that they are plotting an InheritanceMurder. The narration tells us that he even feels bad imagining that his cousin Fulton didn't look hard enough for his mail at the post office, because he is a child who had been brought up to trust people?.
* Several poems in William Blake's ''Literature/SongsOfInnocenceAndOfExperience'' discuss and play with this trope, particularly "A Little Boy Lost", where a young child inadvertently questions church dogma and is branded a heretic by an overzealous priest.
* In ''Literature/WingsOfFire,'' Sunny is very innocent and optimistic, and tends to assume the best in other dragons. Her friends treat her as though she's very simple-minded because of it. In [[ADayInTheLimelight her book,]] we find out that [[HiddenDepths she's actually very observant and has a go-getter attitude,]] but being treated as though she's stupid for being "sweet" has left her with an inferiority complex.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/{{Fargo}}'': In Season One, Gus Grimly is a Barney Fife-esque beat cop and NiceGuy, who comes off as far more innocent than a cop should be; his naivete is exploited by the twisted hit man Lorne Malvo, who intimidates Gus into letting him go at a traffic stop, resulting in Malvo committing several more murders. By the end of the season Gus has grown a little more cynical, [[spoiler:but redeems himself by killing Malvo]].
** Season Four has Thurman Smutney, a BumblingDad and funeral director, who is one of the kindest, most innocent characters on the show. He gets in WAY over his head after borrowing from the Cannon Limited outfit, even inadvertantly trying to pay back his debt with money stolen from Cannon by his own sister-in-law.
* ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'': Ben the Soldier is the only truly decent and kind character in the entire show, innocent almost to a childlike degree. He's also dumber than a bag of bricks, and can be counted on to fall for the Gang's various scams (including a pyramid scheme and Dee's controlling behavior when they date). However he usually ends up on top simply by virtue of his obliviousness.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
* Zigzagged with {{Wrestling/Bayley}} in WWE. She played this straight on her debut in NXT, being a naive FanGirl who seemed more interested in making friends than actually winning matches, and as a result was generally mocked and defeated easily by her opponents. She then went through CharacterDevelopment to become a more serious competitor while retaining her NiceGirl and AllLovingHero traits, becoming a shining example of GoodIsNotSoft as NXT champion. However, upon her promotion to the main roster she regressed to her previous naive characterisation, being totally oblivious to her best friend Wrestling/SashaBanks having ChronicBackstabbingDisorder and being too soft to use a kendo stick as a weapon in a kendo stick on a pole match against Wrestling/AlexaBliss, resulting in a CurbStompBattle when Bliss gleefully took advantage of her mercy. She finally wisened up again after winning the Smackdown Women's Championship for the first time, and has completely averted this post FaceHeelTurn, being neither innocent nor naïve.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Religion]]
* Literature/TheBible
** Pointedly defied by Matthew 10:16, which commands Christians not to shy away from knowledge of the evils in the world:
---> "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be [[GuileHero wise as serpents]] and [[AllLovingHero innocent as doves]]."
** Averted with Jesus on the cross: "Forgive them, Father, they know not what they do."
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'': The Baby Elves, Crea and Prea, are two incredibly powerful Cyber Elves with the intelligence of young children. BigBad Dr. Weil tricks them into opposing the heroes by claiming himself as their "grandfather" by saying he creating their mother, the Dark Elf. In actuality, Weil only corrupted the Mother Elf into the Dark Elf and is just taking advantage of their naivete.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* {{WesternAnimation/The Owl House}}: Luz's naivete is a recurring theme in the first season, particularly in the episode "Witches Before Wizards", where she [[spoiler: buys into a demon's childish illusion of her own personal YA fantasy quest]].
[[/folder]]
-->--'''Ben Jonson'''
Innocence and naivete tend to go hand in hand in a wide array of media. On one level, this makes perfect sense; the word "nice" originally was a synonym of "naïve", "foolish" or "gullible". However, linguistic evolution slowly changed it over the course of centuries to mean "good", "pleasant" and "friendly". As a consequence, the modern notion of innocence [[WideEyedIdealist implies a crippling unfamiliarity with how life works]].
Does this mean the sane response to innocence is [[SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids one of shock and horror, or that everyone who displays an attitude of kindness and charity is a dope]]? Of course not. What innocence actually refers to is something slightly different than its common usage. Rather than [[NaiveNewcomer "free from understanding"]], it means [[IncorruptiblePurePureness "free from wrongdoing"]].
The conflation of the two meanings results in confusion. Compare a man who didn't commit the crime he is accused of versus a child playing in fall leaves. Both can be described as "innocent", even though the latter can also be described as "naïve". The difference between the two is one of degree, and lies in their understanding of right and wrong as well as their exposure to evil deeds.
Once knowledge becomes part of the equation, this trope can be played in other directions. InnocenceLost, for example, implies an equivalent gain of knowledge about evil, and therefore some sense of how to combat it. Just because someone is aware of [[CrapsackWorld how bad life is]] and [[HumansAreBastards how mean people are]] doesn't mean they can't [[TheIdealist fight for the right anyway]]. Moreover, a straight example of innocence as naivete can still work, since being unaware or unfamiliar with evil can make bad deeds harder to commit (though there are [[ObliviouslyEvil exceptions]]).
How characters approach the innocence/naivete dichotomy varies. The KnightInSourArmor avoids it, as do nicer versions of TheCynic, while the WideEyedIdealist and PurityPersonified don't know of it. Don't bother asking a StrawNihilist for his position; he'll tell you it's irrelevant because [[MortonsFork you're screwed no matter what]].
VirginityMakesYouStupid ties in to this trope on occasion, as it can be used to explore the difference between naivete and experience. Similar tropes include GoodCannotComprehendEvil, when the forces of good are too naïve to combat evil. [[GenreBlind Genre blindness]] can contribute to this as well.
Compare with GoodIsNotDumb and GoodIsNotNice, as well as ObliviouslyEvil to see what can happen with too much naivete. Contrast with GoodIsDumb and SubvertedInnocence.
Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease
!!Indices: TropesOfInnocence, CynicismTropes, IdealismTropes
%%This page is alphabetized. Please put examples in alphabetical order. This page Administrivia/HowToAlphabetizeThings should help you with that.
----
!!Examples
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirlsMovie'': The girls run into this trope [[OriginStory for the first time]] when they help [[CardCarryingVillain "Jojo"]] build his machine.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/AirAwakens'': Vhalla Yarl, a library apprentice living a secluded life among books, is accused of it by prince Aldrik. He claims that her "transparent innocence" and lack of knowledge has made it easy for him to manipulate her. On the other hand, thanks to their relationship, Aldrik also changes for the better.
* ''Literature/TheAdventuresOfPinocchio'' provides an interesting example of this trope: while decidedly [[MrViceGuy not innocent]], he is rather naïve, ably manipulated by the Fox and the Cat and others during his misadventures.
* Subverted in "The Blue Cross", the first Father Brown mystery. Professional thief Valentin is shocked he has been outmaneuvered by a parish priest who knows more about crime than he does.
--> "...We can't help being priests. People come and tell us these things."
--> "...Has it never struck you that a man who does next to nothing but hear men's real sins is not likely to be wholly unaware of human evil?..."
* By the end of ''{{Literature/Candide}}'', the titular protagonist is well-aware that the world he lives in is [[CrapsackWorld nowhere near perfect]], and while the road toward lasting happiness isn't clear, his commitment to gradual improvement and a dry-eyed view of life is summed up in the story's final line:
--> [[EarnYourHappyEnding "We must cultivate our garden."]]
* ''Literature/DialAGhost'': Oliver, a HeartwarmingOrphan raised in loving surroundings, has trouble believing his cousins intend him any harm, even as evidence mounts that they are plotting an InheritanceMurder. The narration tells us that he even feels bad imagining that his cousin Fulton didn't look hard enough for his mail at the post office, because he is a child who had been brought up to trust people?.
* Several poems in William Blake's ''Literature/SongsOfInnocenceAndOfExperience'' discuss and play with this trope, particularly "A Little Boy Lost", where a young child inadvertently questions church dogma and is branded a heretic by an overzealous priest.
* In ''Literature/WingsOfFire,'' Sunny is very innocent and optimistic, and tends to assume the best in other dragons. Her friends treat her as though she's very simple-minded because of it. In [[ADayInTheLimelight her book,]] we find out that [[HiddenDepths she's actually very observant and has a go-getter attitude,]] but being treated as though she's stupid for being "sweet" has left her with an inferiority complex.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/{{Fargo}}'': In Season One, Gus Grimly is a Barney Fife-esque beat cop and NiceGuy, who comes off as far more innocent than a cop should be; his naivete is exploited by the twisted hit man Lorne Malvo, who intimidates Gus into letting him go at a traffic stop, resulting in Malvo committing several more murders. By the end of the season Gus has grown a little more cynical, [[spoiler:but redeems himself by killing Malvo]].
** Season Four has Thurman Smutney, a BumblingDad and funeral director, who is one of the kindest, most innocent characters on the show. He gets in WAY over his head after borrowing from the Cannon Limited outfit, even inadvertantly trying to pay back his debt with money stolen from Cannon by his own sister-in-law.
* ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'': Ben the Soldier is the only truly decent and kind character in the entire show, innocent almost to a childlike degree. He's also dumber than a bag of bricks, and can be counted on to fall for the Gang's various scams (including a pyramid scheme and Dee's controlling behavior when they date). However he usually ends up on top simply by virtue of his obliviousness.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
* Zigzagged with {{Wrestling/Bayley}} in WWE. She played this straight on her debut in NXT, being a naive FanGirl who seemed more interested in making friends than actually winning matches, and as a result was generally mocked and defeated easily by her opponents. She then went through CharacterDevelopment to become a more serious competitor while retaining her NiceGirl and AllLovingHero traits, becoming a shining example of GoodIsNotSoft as NXT champion. However, upon her promotion to the main roster she regressed to her previous naive characterisation, being totally oblivious to her best friend Wrestling/SashaBanks having ChronicBackstabbingDisorder and being too soft to use a kendo stick as a weapon in a kendo stick on a pole match against Wrestling/AlexaBliss, resulting in a CurbStompBattle when Bliss gleefully took advantage of her mercy. She finally wisened up again after winning the Smackdown Women's Championship for the first time, and has completely averted this post FaceHeelTurn, being neither innocent nor naïve.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Religion]]
* Literature/TheBible
** Pointedly defied by Matthew 10:16, which commands Christians not to shy away from knowledge of the evils in the world:
---> "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be [[GuileHero wise as serpents]] and [[AllLovingHero innocent as doves]]."
** Averted with Jesus on the cross: "Forgive them, Father, they know not what they do."
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'': The Baby Elves, Crea and Prea, are two incredibly powerful Cyber Elves with the intelligence of young children. BigBad Dr. Weil tricks them into opposing the heroes by claiming himself as their "grandfather" by saying he creating their mother, the Dark Elf. In actuality, Weil only corrupted the Mother Elf into the Dark Elf and is just taking advantage of their naivete.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* {{WesternAnimation/The Owl House}}: Luz's naivete is a recurring theme in the first season, particularly in the episode "Witches Before Wizards", where she [[spoiler: buys into a demon's childish illusion of her own personal YA fantasy quest]].
[[/folder]]
