College Stories. My Girlfriend Is Too Naive--- Free Now

And I smile, because she’s already figured out something that most of us spend decades learning: you can be smart and still choose softness.

Last month, I had a breakdown. I came back from a brutal organic chemistry exam, convinced I had failed and ruined my pre-med track. I flopped onto her dorm bed and announced that my life was over. College Stories. My Girlfriend Is Too Naive--- Free

That’s when I realized I had it backwards. I thought I was protecting her. But she was protecting me. She was the one pulling me back from the ledge of cynicism that college so eagerly pushes you toward. And I smile, because she’s already figured out

“I see the guys in the dining hall stealing from the penny tray,” she continued. “I know the landlord was lying about the water feature. I’m not confused. I just don’t want to spend my energy being suspicious. I’d rather be wrong sometimes and be happy most of the time.” I flopped onto her dorm bed and announced

That’s the trick. Naïveté isn’t a lack of intelligence. It’s a refusal to let the world harden you. Emily has a 3.9 GPA. She can recite Supreme Court cases from memory. She taught herself Python over winter break because she was “bored.” But she still believes that if you just explain your feelings clearly enough, the campus parking authority will forgive your ticket.