Lean on me: A call to trust other people

Note:  This is a guest post by Jane Smith, a freelance blogger and writer, specializes in various types of information screenings, such as pre-employment background checks, criminal records and much more.

Trust is a major issue in our society. Consider, for example, the way that the internet has shaped and reshaped our trust in each other. On paper it would seem like the web is the greatest gift to human interaction: we’re connected to more people than ever before; we have hundreds of “friends” across a variety of social networks; we can find out nearly anything about a person if we look hard enough. But the communal and public nature of the web also makes it a breeding ground for scams and questionable activities. Think of the rampant cases of identity theft, email viruses, and the patently dishonest scammers looking to squeeze money out of unwitting online victims.

Privacy issues abound on the web, but there are even more issues of identity theft and criminal activity outside of it. Media outlets looking for a juicy story typically seize upon the opportunity to deliver such bleak stories that depict human nature at its worst. Hearing such stories over and over is enough to make someone question whether they can ever trust another person. And it’s this fear of the “other” person that prevents many people from trusting their peers and forming meaningful relationships.

I, for one, believe that you can trust the average person, and I’d encourage you to do so—within reason of course. Let me explain where and why I believe in the value of trusting other people by listing some key areas where more trust is necessary for healthy living.

Trust in the workplace

You might not be surprised to see “the workplace” on a list of places with rampant distrust, and that’s why it’s the first entry. Of course not all workplaces foster an environment of distrust, but some industries lend themselves to behavior that warrants it.

Competitive industries like advertising and sales reap success from pitting employees against each other, whereas other workplaces might just have a hostile environment for no particular reason. You might catch yourself suspecting your coworkers or superiors, with the thought that you can’t trust them for one reason or another.

This is obviously not a healthy disposition to maintain at a workplace and one that you should seek to amend as soon as possible. Distrust in the workplace is terrible for your morale, your professional relationships, and your overall productivity. If you can’t seem to trust the words of your peers and superiors, take a step back and ask yourself why that is. It’s highly unlikely that your office is conspiring against you or acting in such a way so as to deceive you, so you would be best to eradicate any such feelings before they become a liability.

Trust in everyday life

Then there are trust issues in your life outside of work. I’ll just focus on your interactions with random people as you go throughout your day, because I feel like these encounters have a huge impact on your personal outlook. I’m talking about the people you pass by as you walk down the street; those commuters who are stuck in the same traffic jam; the people in line at the grocery store.

Treating these random strangers with the respect and courtesy they deserve is one of the most basic forms of trust that you can adopt. It’s the trust in human nature, the ability to smile at another stranger and go on about your business; it’s about being civilized in a civilized society. If you can’t manage to make pleasantries and be polite among those in your community, how can you hope to form meaningful relationships with those actually close to you?

Now I’m not advocating for you to confide in every stranger that you pass by in your walk to the local coffee shop. I’m just talking about acknowledging and being polite with the general public as a way of showing that you trust them to do the same. It’s a basic and common courtesy that requires no effort.

Inspire trust in others

Above all, I ask that you try to establish yourself as a person who inspires trust in other people. There’s no one right way to do this, it’s just a matter of being an exemplary human being in as many ways as you can, whether that means holding the door open for an elderly man or actually listening to your coworker’s story. So many atrocities occur every day that make people question their trust in others, you can be the one exception that makes them think that people are still worth trusting, that society is not as bleak as it’s made out to be in the media.

Jane Smith, a freelance blogger and writer, specializes in various types of information screenings, such as pre-employment background checks, criminal records and much more. Email her your questions and comments at janesmith161@gmail.com.

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For more information, read:

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