Being gullible isn't so bad is it ?

I think I hate to say it, but I'm gullible.

Most people, including me (until recently) think this is a negative trait. However, I'm starting to think otherwise, or at least reduce it's negative scoring a little on the personal assessment meter.

But I've been giving this some more thought. I've looked up some antonyms for gullible - smart, sophisticated (which I like to think I am) and wary (which I don't like being). I've also found some interesting thesaurus entries including trusting (ok) and tolerant (good).

I (perhaps, naively) believe that trusting something someone says to you isn't so bad, you honestly believe people are good at heart. Of course, you're surprised and sometimes hurt when you find out they are not genuine.

On the flip side, there are many people I know that are very cynical and untrusting about anything anyone says. Most of these people are also pretty pessimistic. I often feel on guard with these kinds of people and rarely can I be myself - not the greatest company.

I think I can say that most of my very good friends have a good dose of gullibility about them (no offense guys), but that's why I can be myself with them.

This unfortunately became evident in the movie Borat which I watched last night. My facebook review: "Better than I expected...great ability to mix crude humour with matter-o-fact exposé of the American culture, politics and society". The gullible targets in the movie were just being honest, they had no clue that Borat was "having them on". But unfortunately for them, they had some pretty serious ugly characteristics or beliefs that they probably didn't want to be exposed so colourfully. I don't really think I have anything that Borat could really pick on that is that ugly or entertaining, perhaps how serious I am about electronic music or that I'm not as funny as I think I am [flash to the scene in the move where Borat is taking comedy lessons - great stuff, that guy wasn't funny at all]. Interestingly, Borat himself is very naive !

I don't mind being honest, trusting people and wearing my rose coloured glasses. I just have to remind myself about those other people sometimes. Maybe I'll just picture Borat in his underwear as a visual cue to engage my smart guy persona when I see Johnny-I've- got-one-for-you next !