Thursday, January 19, 2006

A little thing called trust

Most of you would agree that money can almost buy you anything. However, no amount of money can ever buy a little thing called trust. Trust by definition, is the “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone” and “one in which confidence is placed” (Merriam-Webster).

No price can be placed on one’s character, ability, strength or truth. Instead, this can only be determined by the experiences that we share with other people. Through time, we learn about different types of people, and how each of them will act. Although this can form sometimes incorrect generalisations, it is not until you place TRUST in someone that you can really tell what they are like. When it comes to deciding whether or not you should place trust in someone, it’s a bit like fishing. You use certain bait to reel in the fish that you desire. When you are seeking someone to trust, initially, you will trust them with information that is sensitive (bait) but not catastrophic if leaked. From there, you use judgement about the trustworthiness of a person’s character. This can be a long and tedious task, if someone requires many “tests” before being approved, or it can be quite quick, if a person has a trusting character.

TRUST is about placing confidence in someone. Someone you know that will keep your secrets; someone you know that will not use this knowledge to betray you; someone you know that will offer you advice; and someone that will share the best and worst moments of your life. Whenever trust is placed in someone new, they start with a “full bar of trust”. The moment that a person deviates from any of the above, their trustworthiness value (not price) diminishes, and it is something that money cannot buy. Deviation causes doubt, a reduction in the communication of sensitive information, and if below the minimum satisfactory level in the “bar of trust”, total communication shut-off.

How many times have you heard someone say, “don’t tell xxx I told you this, but they said blah blah”? Is that not a BREACH of trust of the other party? How will you be assured that this same situation won’t happen to you if you trust the same person?

TRUST is a very tricky issue. There have been many times in my life where I have misjudged who to trust. I have let certain people into my life who have used everything they know about me to highlight my weaknesses, and to manipulate the way I think. Others have caused minor breaches of trust which have made me reconsider how much I tell them.

Is there anyone out there (apart from my family) who has the ability to retain a “full bar of trust” and someone whom I can TRUST my life with?

1 Comments:

  • I really think that I have had way toooo much time on my hands and yes...I have been thinking a lot. I've been badly burnt in the past, so its just something I wanted to share.

    Thanks for your insight Sammy. I can feel that you hold things back when I talk to you. But I guess that is a result of your past experience.

    By Blogger Kelvin, at 11:38 PM  

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