[Henry17]

I don't think he is naive so much as just very risk adverse.

I also think he is using his own preferences as universal and not willing to see that other people might have different preferences. I wanted a certain lifestyle that just can't be had by working.

If I was presented with a choice between option A (I get my life 1% of the time and instant death 99% of the time) vs option B (I get a $90k a year job for the rest of my life) I would choose A. With A at least I have a 1% chance of being happy vs option B where I have 0%.

I do see his point somewhat since a lot of so called pros are delusional but the problem isn't being a poker pro it is being delusional. I live in a city where we have three awful universities. The admission criteria is basically that you have tuition and can walk upright yet every business student I talk to thinks he is going to be the CEO of a Fortune 100 company. Every girl I meet in "design" thinks she is going to design the next World Trade Centre etc. Being delusional is bad but it certainly isn't limited to poker pros.