One of the hardest things for us to give in this life is our trust. Many of us will give almost anything else before we give someone this most precious thing.
This is not surprising; after all, we live in an age that bombards with "anti-trust" messages. We constantly hear about deceit in the news; tales of fraud, corporate malfeasance, and political corruption are everyday occurrences.
Even in entertainment, we consume media that displays adultery and deception prominently. In the face of such messages constantly inundating us, it can be easy to grow skeptical. This has led to the rise of what many call "The Age of Cynicism."
As we develop from here, we will face a fundamental question: Can we trust our neighbors?
A wise ruler once said, "Everything begins with trust." When you place your trust and faith in another, you validate their existence and empower them with the confidence and authority to elevate their life condition beyond what they may otherwise have even dreamed possible.
You don't want to disappoint or fail someone who's counting on you, right?
This strong and powerful bond based on the firmament of trust can inspire some truly wonderful and enjoyable feats. By contrast, withholding your trust from others often creates a tension and breeds an atmosphere of discord and animosity, tearing a gaping rift between you and the other.
Mistrust creates mistrust; you're not likely to trust someone you know doesn't trust you, and in collaborative efforts, this friction often leads to failure.
Nevertheless, there are those who will say that only naive fools will trust people at face value. The world is full of swindlers, con artists, and people who act only in their own best interest, they'll say, and hence the only person you can trust is yourself.
Give the bum your money for "food," believe that so-and-so "really loves you," that the hitchhiker "just needs a ride," and you'll just end up broke, screwed, and left and dead, they say. After all, each betrayal begins with trust.
In a universe of balance, it is true that not everyone will meet your trust with integrity. This fundamentally becomes a question of perspective. You can either choose to believe that the bushel of apples overall is good and there are a few bad ones, or the bushel is corrupt and there are a few good ones.
It is a "half-full versus half-empty" debate molded by life experience. You can choose to live in fear and never be disappointed, or you can choose to live in hope and be hurt.
Breaking the trust of others may seem to pay off in the short run, but in reality, it vitally detriments your own life condition. Reckless disregard for the others' feelings not only creates paranoia and acrimony, but also creates a condition where people are more likely to break any trust you may place in them.
This can only hurt you, because in the end, everything in life requires some degree of trust. For the most exceptional experiences, trust is essential.
The wonderful thing about life is that in the end, it is the product of your choices. Just as you can choose to be happy or unhappy, you can choose to trust someone until given a reason not to, or not to trust until given a reason to do so.
Giving trust can make others happy and make yourself happier, but is dangerous. However, the establishment of an unshakable bond with someone - whether in the halls of friendship, partnership, or even in the Argentine tango - requires the establishment of mutual trust. Anything less is a facade that pales in comparison to the real thing.
Embrace the wilderness of reality, or dwell within the halls of illusion - the choice is yours.
Reach th reporter at: nicholas.vaidyanathan@asu.edu.
