---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was always kind of naïve, and really…"
description: "\"I was always kind of naïve, and really needed to be given some direction.\" — Paul Smith"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/811/paul-smith-10839_direction_i-was-always-kind-of-na-ve-and-really-ne_614727.png"
---

#  I was always kind of naïve, and really needed to be given…

![“I was always kind of naïve, and really needed to be given some direction.” quote by Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/811/paul-smith-10839_direction_i-was-always-kind-of-na-ve-and-really-ne_614727.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/811/paul-smith-10839_direction_i-was-always-kind-of-na-ve-and-really-ne_614727.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/811/paul-smith-10839_direction_i-was-always-kind-of-na-ve-and-really-ne_614727.png)

> “I was always kind of naïve, and really needed to be given some direction.”

[Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Naïveté often requires guidance to develop direction and purpose.

**In simple terms:** Inexperience needs mentorship.

Key Takeaway

Seek guidance to grow.

Themes

growth mentorship self-discovery

Mood

reflective encouraging

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- starting a new job
- career change
- personal crisis

Key Concepts

personal development career planning education

Questions to Reflect On

- Who can mentor you?
- What direction do you seek?

A Different Perspective

Guidance may not be readily available.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Direction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/direction/)

## Related quotes

> [“What would the earth be like, what would we be like, if we never believed that we needed more than we were given?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-grey/what-would-the-earth-be-like-what-would-we-be-like-if-we-never/)

[Marilyn Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-grey/)

> [For the machine, because of the way it is built, can work only in a given direction, no matter who pulls its levers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-rocker/for-the-machine-because-of-the-way-it-is-built-can-work-only-in-a/)

[Rudolf Rocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-rocker/)

> [Your progress depends upon your degree of sustained intensity in a given direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-mcdonald/your-progress-depends-upon-your-degree-of-sustained-intensity-in-a/)

[Roger McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-mcdonald/)

> [“I'd have given you everything I had. If you'd needed more, I'd have found it, and given you that. It's the way I love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/i-d-have-given-you-everything-i-had-if-you-d-needed-more-i-d-have/)

[Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/)

> [“There’s something about being naïve. Really interesting things come because you don’t know what the rules are, what you can and can’t do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-buscemi/there-s-something-about-being-na-ve-really-interesting-things-come/)

[Steve Buscemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-buscemi/)

> [The audiences used to say, 'Are you a Donovan fan or a Dylan fan?' It was all very naive, really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donovan/the-audiences-used-to-say-are-you-a-donovan-fan-or-a-dylan-fan-it-was/)

[Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donovan/)

> [I'm very aware, but I'm very naïve. When you are really naïve and expecting safety and expecting the best, you don't feel you're taking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-maclaine/i-m-very-aware-but-i-m-very-na-ve-when-you-are-really-na-ve-and/)

[Shirley MacLaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-maclaine/)

> [I just kind of had this naive approach to - well, gee, you know, why not. I’ll just go ahead and do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-omidyar/i-just-kind-of-had-this-naive-approach-to-well-gee-you-know-why-not-i/)

[Pierre Omidyar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-omidyar/)

> [Being in love makes you feel kind of naive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/killer-mike/being-in-love-makes-you-feel-kind-of-naive/)

[Killer Mike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/killer-mike/)

> [I don't think we should ever be at war. That's kind of naive, I suppose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy-duncan/i-don-t-think-we-should-ever-be-at-war-that-s-kind-of-naive-i-suppose/)

[Sandy Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandy-duncan/)

> [I'd always liked movies in a kind of naive way. They seemed no less improbable a career than anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-malick/i-d-always-liked-movies-in-a-kind-of-naive-way-they-seemed-no-less/)

[Terrence Malick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-malick/)

> [“No matter how many times you get turned around,you will still find yourself going in the right direction \*B\*”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-easley/no-matter-how-many-times-you-get-turned-around-you-will-still-find/)

[B. Easley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-easley/)

> [Every time you think a negative thought, it's one step in the wrong direction, for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-paul/every-time-you-think-a-negative-thought-it-s-one-step-in-the-wrong/)

[Sean Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-paul/)

> [My favorite job is the next one. Its such a gratifying experience getting to creatively keep trying something new and push things in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-craig-smith/my-favorite-job-is-the-next-one-its-such-a-gratifying-experience/)

[Roger Craig Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-craig-smith/)

> [I'm not gonna squeal out that this is my 23rd retirement, my real, real retirement. But you know there comes a time where you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-funk/i-m-not-gonna-squeal-out-that-this-is-my-23rd-retirement-my-real-real/)

[Terry Funk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-funk/)

## More by Paul Smith

> [I became a bit of a teacher's pet, and it became known in the school by both faculty and students that I really excelled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/i-became-a-bit-of-a-teacher-s-pet-and-it-became-known-in-the-school/)

[Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/)

> [I've always been a keen cyclist, I'm very close to the world of cycling. Not just cycling really - also walking, adventures, being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/i-ve-always-been-a-keen-cyclist-i-m-very-close-to-the-world-of/)

[Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/)

> [I learned from books that I picked up. That was something that just came out of nowhere but continued to be an attraction. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/i-learned-from-books-that-i-picked-up-that-was-something-that-just/)

[Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/)

> [At the end of the elementary program, I then had to move onto high school. Simultaneously, my parents moved to Attica to a suburban…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/at-the-end-of-the-elementary-program-i-then-had-to-move-onto-high/)

[Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/)

> [You can find inspiration in everything. If you can't, then you're not looking properly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/you-can-find-inspiration-in-everything-if-you-can-t-then-you-re-not/)

[Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/)

> [I think I was really naïve. I had no context to think about what I wanted to do. Each step was a next stage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/i-think-i-was-really-na-ve-i-had-no-context-to-think-about-what-i/)

[Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/)

> [One association with the arts that I vividly remember was a magazine called Normal Instructor, a teachers' magazine, that Miss George would hold up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/one-association-with-the-arts-that-i-vividly-remember-was-a-magazine/)

[Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/)

> [ The class situation \[at Art Institute on Elmwood Avenue\] was such that one would be very much on their own to paint or draw.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/the-class-situation-at-art-institute-on-elmwood-avenue-was-such-that/)

[Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/)

> [Fortunately, I had cousins who lived in Buffalo and would often go to visit them, which I loved to do because I liked Buffalo…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/fortunately-i-had-cousins-who-lived-in-buffalo-and-would-often-go-to/)

[Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/)

> [I was painting furniture, learning to stencil, and explore all kinds of traditional techniques of decoration. I learned from books that I picked up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/i-was-painting-furniture-learning-to-stencil-and-explore-all-kinds-of/)

[Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/)

> [At one point I had dreams of being in the school band, but I didn't play an instrument that qualified me, and that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/at-one-point-i-had-dreams-of-being-in-the-school-band-but-i-didn-t/)

[Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/)

> [When life closes a door, God opens a window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/when-life-closes-a-door-god-opens-a-window/)

[Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/)

> [My parents never prevented me from doing anything, but they didn't have the knowledge of the arts that Mrs. Ranger had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/my-parents-never-prevented-me-from-doing-anything-but-they-didn-t/)

[Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/)

> [Being born in '31 was during the Depression and in my earlier youth World War II took place - so it was not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/being-born-in-31-was-during-the-depression-and-in-my-earlier-youth/)

[Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/)

> [In a social studies class I did a paper on the history of Attica, which ended up being a little book that I created.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/in-a-social-studies-class-i-did-a-paper-on-the-history-of-attica/)

[Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/)

[Explore all 63 Paul Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/)

## More Direction quotes

> [I'm not gonna squeal out that this is my 23rd retirement, my real, real retirement. But you know there comes a time where you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-funk/i-m-not-gonna-squeal-out-that-this-is-my-23rd-retirement-my-real-real/)

[Terry Funk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-funk/)

> [My favorite job is the next one. Its such a gratifying experience getting to creatively keep trying something new and push things in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-craig-smith/my-favorite-job-is-the-next-one-its-such-a-gratifying-experience/)

[Roger Craig Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-craig-smith/)

> [Every time you think a negative thought, it's one step in the wrong direction, for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-paul/every-time-you-think-a-negative-thought-it-s-one-step-in-the-wrong/)

[Sean Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-paul/)

> [“No matter how many times you get turned around,you will still find yourself going in the right direction \*B\*”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-easley/no-matter-how-many-times-you-get-turned-around-you-will-still-find/)

[B. Easley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-easley/)

> [Life's lessons don't come with books, notes nor instructions...just mistakes and EVERYONE makes them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/life-s-lessons-don-t-come-with-books-notes-nor-instructions-just/)

[Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/)

> [I don't think comedy really does change people's minds; I think you can only get someone who is almost ready to change their mind.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-jefferies/i-don-t-think-comedy-really-does-change-people-s-minds-i-think-you/)

[Jim Jefferies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-jefferies/)

> [The prime communities of the Southwest are survival communities. Their sustenance is governed by rainfall and wind direction. You can study little enclaves of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-predock/the-prime-communities-of-the-southwest-are-survival-communities-their/)

[Antoine Predock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-predock/)

> [Napster has pointed the way for a new direction for music distribution, and we believe it will form the basis of important and exciting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/napster-has-pointed-the-way-for-a-new-direction-for-music/)

[Barry Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/)

> [But I would say if the Security Council is only relevant if it agrees with the United States, then we have come a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-blix/but-i-would-say-if-the-security-council-is-only-relevant-if-it-agrees/)

[Hans Blix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-blix/)

> [Vote SNP for a party that always stands up for Scotland, that is stronger for Scotland, and a government that will keep the country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/vote-snp-for-a-party-that-always-stands-up-for-scotland-that-is/)

[Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/)

> [I have a horrible sense of direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-polis/i-have-a-horrible-sense-of-direction/)

[Jared Polis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-polis/)

> [When I see Mario Gotze, his development does not go in the right direction. He has outstanding qualities, but he has not reached his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ballack/when-i-see-mario-gotze-his-development-does-not-go-in-the-right/)

[Michael Ballack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ballack/)

> [Even in 'Hollyoaks,' we were known as 'the black family' as opposed to just 'the new family.' But that's where we are in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-whittle/even-in-hollyoaks-we-were-known-as-the-black-family-as-opposed-to/)

[Ricky Whittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-whittle/)

> [I love being a private company. I don't ever want to be forced to not do the things I need to do to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendra-scott/i-love-being-a-private-company-i-don-t-ever-want-to-be-forced-to-not/)

[Kendra Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendra-scott/)

> [Nobody had anticipated that chemicals was the direction in which Reliance was headed. I did chemical engineering because it was supposed to be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mukesh-ambani/nobody-had-anticipated-that-chemicals-was-the-direction-in-which/)

[Mukesh Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mukesh-ambani/)

[Browse all 2,024 Direction quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/direction/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I was always kind of naïve, and really needed to be given some direction.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Paul Smith"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/i-was-always-kind-of-na-ve-and-really-needed-to-be-given-some/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Direction"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/i-was-always-kind-of-na-ve-and-really-needed-to-be-given-some/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/811/paul-smith-10839_direction_i-was-always-kind-of-na-ve-and-really-ne_614727.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/811/paul-smith-10839_direction_i-was-always-kind-of-na-ve-and-really-ne_614727.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/811/paul-smith-10839_direction_i-was-always-kind-of-na-ve-and-really-ne_614727.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I was always kind of naïve, and really needed to be given some direction.” — Paul Smith",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Paul Smith",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I was always kind of naïve,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/i-was-always-kind-of-na-ve-and-really-needed-to-be-given-some/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/i-was-always-kind-of-na-ve-and-really-needed-to-be-given-some/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
