Main Difference
The main difference between naive and gullible is that naive is used to refer to a person who shows lack of judgement or who’s inexperienced in performing some task. On the other hand, gullible is used to denote a person who could be easily persuaded to believe something. Gullible and naive are not the words having exactly same meaning but they could go hand in hand. The matter of fact is, naive will probably make you gullible.
Naive
Naive is a person who lacks knowledge about something and who’s not capable of judging accurately. If a person is naive enough, he or she could be easily tricked. For instance, a young man who is new to the environment is said to be naive because he lacks exposure to that new surrounding. This thing makes him vulnerable and he would be unable to determine people hidden motives. A naive person thinks that world is a very good place to live in, with people having pure thoughts and beliefs. He thinks that nobody could harm him and that everyone is his well wisher. This is a very catastrophic thought for him and people around him. He is a very simple person and does not realize the hidden intentions of people around him. He believes to what others have to say.
Gullible
A gullible person could be betrayed or deceived easily and he also lacks judgement. Such a person lacks social knowledge so he could be manipulated easily. They trust people and believe to what they tell him. That is the reason why they’re deceived easily. He could be duped because he have no social awareness. He don’t inquire about things before paying for them or possessing them.
Key Differences
- A naive person lacks experience but a gullible person may not.
- Naive person lacks experience or judgement but a gullible could be easily deceived.
- Naive person could be young but a gullible may not be young.
- A naive person has less experience but a gullible can have experience, still that person could be manipulated.