If there's one learning that I have had in life, it is that innocence is a great asset. For some, it might appear that one is staying in a cocoon Firstly, I would argue that innocence would not care much about public opinion. Secondly, anything that is unusual will most probably be made fun of.
The biggest advantage to innocence is that it doesn't judge - opportunities, people etc. It helps one keep an open mind to whatever comes one's way. For example, very often people would let go of an opportunity thinking that it is not worth it, or is too tough. However, if one is innocent, one would not come into the situation with preconceived notions. The learning, in that case, is much more. In my life, I remember doing completely useless work at times; and I have got some of my greatest learnings and thrills in life from such work. To quote Steve Jobs, you can only connect the dots looking backward. However, judgement can prevent someone from doing things.
The second advantage of innocence is that it brings humility. When one acknowledges that he is innocent and hence does not know too much about things, it will bring a willingness to listen to people and learn from them. People define arrogance in many ways - some, for example, will define it is as boasting about one's achievements. I take a very functional view to arrogance. For me, arrogance is an unwillingness to change. How does it matter if someone boasts about his successes as long as he still recognises that he has to achieve far more? It is only when he starts believing that he has achieved all is there a problem. With this in mind, innocence will lead one to listen to people with an open heart, and this humility will probably result in stronger bonds with people.
Thirdly, innocence brings hope. I think the only power driving my ship right now is hope - if not for this hope, my life would have been over long back. I remember having the 'do you believe in God' conversation with lots of people. My answer has always been that I believe that God is a force that ensures that good happens to good people. Many people call this approach of mine as a 'rate of interest' idea. However, for me it is an idea of hope. If good things don't happen to good people, nobody has an incentive to be good, and then the entire society will stay in an equilibrium where everyone does bad. Why would I want to be part of such a society? I believe in God because I need to; and given what all I've been through, I do have reasons to doubt it (as well as plenty of reason to believe in it). Innocence keeps the hope alive - that despite all the pain, all the suffering, there will one day be redemption.
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