I attended a training program on team building some years ago. As part of the program, we had an exercise wherein we had to walk blindfolded through a hilly terrain guided only by our team member who would give oral instructions. It was a terrifying exercise for many of us who felt utterly helpless and at the mercy of our guide. The people who enjoyed this exercise the most were the people who trusted their guides completely.
In this life, while we live in society, we have to have a lot of trust and dependence on people around us. We have to trust the milkman who brings us our daily dose, the watchman who guards us while we doze, the bus driver while we commute, our banker who holds our savings etc. Unless we trust others our own lives becomes miserable. Without trust we are always suspicious of things and people around us, always worried of unexpected problems and always stressed.
Distrust creates a negative never ending negative loop that can only be broken by introducing trust. For example, Snakes bite humans due to fear of being killed and humans kill snakes due to fear of being bitten. This has been going on since time immemorial and has become hard coded in our respective response systems !!
In contrast, when we trust others, we create a positive spiral. We indirectly acknowledge our confidence in the other persons competence, intention and integrity. This, in turn, triggers a similar outlook towards us form others and we get motivated by this and perform better. Trust is the platform on which life gets built. Relationships are nurtured and grow in strength on the base of mutual and complete trust in each other. Trust also creates a moral and mental bind on others to do as is expected of them.
Of course, one cannot keep on trusting even when faced with contrary evidence. And trust need not be complete and blind without taking precautions esp. with strangers. Having said that, we should look for opportunities to create trust and build trust. For when there is trust, life is a lot more pleasant and enjoyable. Trust me.
To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved – George MacDonald
Does it hurt when people don't trust you? Imagine how God feels - Author unknown
Few things can help an individual more than to place responsibility on him, and to let him know that you trust him. – Booker T Washington
4 comments:
Cautiously trust would be the maxim.Still we get cheated daily with people like sabji wala,auto driver,domestic helps and grocer.But life without trust is unthinkable.A nice post raisng many questions that defy easy answers.
Blessings ....
There are is a certain about of trust you we get to people. That trust is distributed in levels and degree depending on the person and or persons.
We all, including the aethists, live in this world blindly. Who can predict what will happen the next second. Maybe before I type my next word, I might have fainted on my seat.. But then we say that we will do this tomorrow, next week, next month.. So, we trust that we would be breathing till that time.. Life is all a matter of trust.. Whom to trust is for you to decide...
One of the key foundations of any long lasting relationship is trust..but when it comes to others,I do agree we need to trust people but not blindly..Trust your instints before you trust people.A nice post..
Tyaagi.
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