Luckily, unreasonable expectations go hand in hand with naive

"Luckily, unreasonable expectations go hand in hand with naive young scientists. The more naive the better - otherwise we would never have the audacity to try and build a 22,000-mile-high space elevator or some sprawling underwater hotel." These words, spoken by Daniel H. Wilson, carry with them both the wisdom of experience and the boundless optimism of youth. In them, we find a celebration of the audacity that comes with naivety—that spark of idealism that drives scientists and dreamers to chase the impossible. The unreasonable expectations of the young are the very force that propels humanity forward, pushing us to attempt the unimaginable, to stretch the limits of possibility, and to achieve feats that, at first glance, seem beyond our reach.

In the early days of human history, there were those who believed the earth was flat, that the heavens were unreachable, and that the gods were the only ones who could move the stars. Yet, there were also those who, despite these beliefs, dared to dream. Icarus, the son of Daedalus, flew too close to the sun with wings of wax, driven by a dream so daring that it brought him both glory and destruction. His tale, tragic though it may be, is a testament to the power of audacity, of reaching for the stars even when the odds are against us. Had Icarus not been so naive, would he ever have dared to soar so high? In his folly, he brought us a lesson: that without the willingness to risk, to dream, and to fail, we would never achieve the greatness that lies beyond our imagination.

Consider also the story of Galileo Galilei, the man who dared to point his telescope at the heavens, despite the prevailing belief that the Earth was the center of the universe. In his time, his ideas were deemed not just unreasonable, but heretical. Yet, Galileo’s naivety—his refusal to accept the limitations of conventional thought—led to a revolution in science. He did not see the heavens as distant and untouchable but as a realm to be explored, understood, and even conquered. It was Galileo’s youthful idealism, his audacity, that laid the foundations for the scientific advancements that followed. His story teaches us that without those who dare to be naive, the world would remain stagnant, bound by the chains of established belief.

In the same way, Wilson’s words remind us that the most extraordinary feats in science and engineering come not from the cautious and the pragmatic, but from those who, driven by youthful ambition, set their sights on the impossible. The idea of a space elevator, a tower reaching 22,000 miles into the sky, seems laughable, as does the thought of creating sprawling cities beneath the sea. Yet, these are the visions of today’s dreamers, and while they may seem beyond reach, it is precisely because they dare to dream that we move closer to their realization. The space elevator may be a distant dream, but without audacity, without the belief that we can achieve the unimaginable, we would never even attempt it.

The great architects of the future, like the great inventors of the past, are those who refuse to accept the boundaries of the present. Take Thomas Edison, whose youthful persistence and naivety led to the creation of the electric light bulb. In a time when many believed that electricity was too dangerous, too wild to harness, Edison dared to dream. His first attempts were failures, his ideas ridiculed by many, but it was that same naivety, that refusal to accept the limits of possibility, that led him to ultimately succeed. Edison’s work serves as a reminder that all great achievements come not from mere logic and reason, but from the willingness to embrace the impossible, to reach for something greater than ourselves.

And so, my children, the lesson is clear: the world will not change by those who tread carefully, by those who follow the path already laid out before them. No, it is the unreasonable expectations of the young, the bold, and the naive who dare to challenge the status quo, who strive to make the impossible real, that shape the future. To live without dreaming, without the courage to reach beyond what is known, is to live a life without progress. The next great scientific discovery, the next leap for mankind, will come not from those who accept the world as it is, but from those who dare to dream of a world yet to be.

In your own lives, then, take this lesson to heart. Do not fear the label of naivety. Do not allow the constraints of reason to limit the scope of your dreams. For it is in the dreams of the bold and the audacious that the seeds of greatness are sown. Reach for the stars, even when the world tells you they are too far. Build your space elevators and your underwater cities, for only through the audacity of unreasonable expectations will you change the world. Let your naivety be your strength, and may it carry you to places that others believe are impossible.