Innocence can be more powerful than experience.

The soft glow of the candlelight flickered in the quiet room, casting long, delicate shadows on the walls. The air was still, the weight of the conversation hanging between Jeeny and Jack, as they sat in their small apartment, surrounded by the quiet of a world that felt distant. The flickering flame of the candle seemed to represent the fragile, fleeting nature of their thoughts, as though they were both on the verge of realizing something deeper.

Host: The gentle hum of the world outside was barely audible, and inside, the room seemed filled with the warmth of the conversation they had been sharing. They had talked about everything and nothing, but now, a deeper, more profound thought had emerged.

Jeeny: “I was thinking about something Alejandro González Iñárritu said: ‘Innocence can be more powerful than experience.’ Do you think that’s true, Jack? That innocence, the untainted view of the world, can sometimes have more strength than the wisdom of experience?”

Jack: He leaned back in his chair, his eyes drifting toward the window, but his thoughts still fixed on her words. “I think I’ve always valued experience over innocence. It feels like experience gives us the tools, the knowledge to navigate the world. We learn through mistakes, through hardships. We build a kind of strength, right? But what if there’s a kind of power in innocence, in the freshness of seeing things without all the layers of complexity we’ve built up over the years?”

Jeeny: “Exactly,” she said softly, her eyes steady on him. “Innocence isn’t about ignorance, though. It’s about a kind of openness, a purity of perception, a willingness to see the world with wonder and without the jaded filter that experience often gives us. Experience teaches us to be cautious, to protect ourselves, but innocence allows us to engage with the world freely, without the weight of past mistakes holding us back. It can give us a kind of freedom that experience sometimes can’t.”

Jack: He looked at her, his expression thoughtful. “I see what you mean. Innocence doesn’t have the baggage that comes with experience. It doesn’t carry the weight of fear or regret. It’s that fresh, open space where you can take things in without second-guessing everything. Maybe that’s where true strength lies — in the ability to remain open, to embrace life without the walls we build around ourselves as we get older.”

Jeeny: Her eyes softened with understanding, and she nodded slowly. “Yes, innocence can be more powerful because it frees us. It lets us dream, take risks, and approach the world with wonder, not just skepticism. We forget how powerful that is as we age and accumulate experience. We start to protect ourselves from pain, from disappointment, but in doing so, we lose some of the openness that makes life feel alive.”

Jack: “So, you’re saying that maybe, sometimes, we need to go back to that place of innocence, that place of openness and wonder, to find a strength that we can’t access through experience alone?”

Jeeny: “Yes, exactly. Experience is valuable, but if we get too caught up in it, we can forget the power that comes from being unafraid, from facing the world with the eyes of a child. Innocence doesn’t mean being naive — it means being willing to see things for what they are, without all the judgments and expectations. It’s a strength that comes from embracing the world as it is, rather than how we’ve learned to see it through the lens of our past.”

Host: The room was quiet now, their conversation lingering like the soft glow of the candle that flickered in front of them. The depth of what they had spoken of felt heavy, but it was a weight that didn’t burden them; it was a weight that invited them to reflect on their own lives, on how they approached the world. Jack sat back, his mind drifting through the idea that maybe innocence — that ability to see the world without the walls of past experiences — held a power they’d both lost sight of.

Jack: “Maybe I’ve been too focused on my own experiences, on what I’ve learned, and not enough on what I can still learn from looking at the world through fresh eyes. Maybe there’s more strength in that than I realized.”

Jeeny: “There’s freedom in that. Freedom to explore, to dream, to experience things without the weight of expectation. Innocence isn’t about being inexperienced, it’s about remaining open. And that’s where the true power of growth lies — in never losing that ability to wonder, to be curious, to approach life without all the answers.”

Host: The night had fallen outside, but inside, the conversation had sparked something new. The quiet understanding between them felt more profound, as if they had uncovered a hidden layer of the world that had been too easily overlooked. The power of innocence, of seeing the world with open eyes, had become clear. It wasn’t about returning to childhood; it was about embracing the ability to look at life with wonder and freshness.

Jack: “I think I understand now. Innocence and experience — they’re not opposites. They complement each other. And maybe the real strength lies in being able to balance both.”

Jeeny: “Exactly. It’s not about one being better than the other. It’s about bringing both into the world — the wisdom of experience, and the openness of innocence. When we can do that, we can live fully, with both eyes open.”

Host: The room felt still, but in the stillness, there was clarity. The idea that innocence held power, that it could be as strong as experience, had taken root. As the night deepened, both Jack and Jeeny understood that the true power in life was not in guarding oneself against the world, but in remaining open to it, no matter what experiences had come before.

The evening was quiet, and in that silence, there was the unspoken realization that, sometimes, the most powerful thing we can do is approach life with a sense of wonder and openness — just as we did when we were first learning to see it.