The Complex Nature of Trust
Trust is a fascinating concept. It means believing in someone or believing in something they say or promise. Essentially, trust is very similar to faith, but it specifically relates to a person and their statements or promises. When you trust someone, you believe that things will turn out as they say they will. If you don’t believe, then you don’t trust.
However, trust is fragile and vulnerable. The more you are let down by others, the less trust you have. Sometimes, repeated disappointments can lead you to lose all faith in people, making you completely distrustful. Even if someone makes promises, you might simply shrug them off or not even bother to listen because you expect things won’t turn out as promised.
This situation can be a dangerous trap. It might seem like others are behaving poorly, and you are the one who suffers. Your trust shakes, and your faith is lost.
Interestingly, the concept of trust might not even exist in a meaningful way, except for how you choose to perceive it.
Viewing Trust Through a Different Lens
Consider trust in the context of dependence. Trust often involves relying on information because you are planning for the future. You decide how things should be in the future and then base your behavior on these expectations. You might discuss plans with others or infer their behavior, and based on that, you decide how to act.
At this moment, you are dependent on: Your own expectations, communication with others, information received from them
This is not great news, but it shows that trust is ultimately up to you. You create the plans, gather information, and decide how to behave. You make your behavior dependent on certain information, paying more attention to what others say rather than what they do. In fact, you should focus on what you do and how you behave.
Connecting the Dots: Fear and Trust
Both liars and the distrustful are driven by fear. Liars fear the consequences of telling the truth, while distrustful individuals fear being deceived. Although they seem to fear different things, they both are actually concerned about the other person’s intentions.
A liar worries that their true intentions may not match the distrustful person’s expectations. Conversely, a distrustful person fears that things won’t turn out as they anticipated.
If you find yourself being distrustful, consider what you are afraid of. Understanding your own fears can help you overcome them and reduce their impact on your life. Moreover, knowing that the liar’s fears are their own and not yours can help you accept people for who they are. By managing your fears, you can stop depending on the information others provide and instead focus on how you respond and interact with them.
Ultimately, this approach can allow others to be more genuine, as they have nothing to lose. And you, having learned to accept yourself and others, can build more authentic relationships.
Source: https://www.analogmodszer.hu/