Trust is such a multifaceted issue. As a noun, it connotes a firm belief in the reliability or truth of specific issues. As a verb, it signals the same but as an action. So, outside of the definition of trust as financially managing certain assets, trust is therefore both passive (maintaining a belief) and active (acting on such a belief). This passive/active characterization then sets us on a journey to both build trust in our relationships and to seek relationships that are trustworthy.
I have previously stated that I think trust is the currency of social interactions.1 This currency is backed by truth, knowledge, humanity, empathy, dependability and confidence. These components provide the stable foundation for trust to develop and be maintained. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg identifies even more factors for building trust – transparency, responsibility, vulnerability, truth-telling, predictability, and reciprocity.2 He argues that trust is necessary, can be easily lost and needs to be rebuilt constantly in our personal, interpersonal and social relationships.
As with all personal, interpersonal and social interactions, issues can sometimes arise that build trust or erode trust. If we look at the “currency” in these relationships, we can use the analogy of a bank account. The more trust we have exhibited (saved up) in our relationships, the more we can use our reserves to restore bruised or damaged relationships. If our reserve of trust is scant (we are overdrawn or at zero balance), we will struggle mightily to repair relationships that vitally need to be restored. This analogy can go even farther. If we do not constantly seek to build or replenish the trust in our relationships (continuous and/or intermittent savings deposits), we will quickly empty our reserves (deplete our accounts) and be less trust-worthy in the future. This is not a one-and-done process. It evolves over time with significant effort and constant vigilance. Like the process of life-long learning and the need to evolve in our knowledge and experience over our lifetimes, trust-building requires a similar commitment. This commitment serves to enhance our lives and the lives of others.
I also see trust as vital to our spiritual lives. We put trust in our God to be our guide on our spiritual journeys. With positive actions toward others and with prayer, we see how our faith can grow and help us nurture others. We see the word of God (in our chosen texts) and the nature of God (in the world around us – the land, the seas, the creatures, the universe beyond). As faithful servants, we should seek to follow the word of God and protect all of his creations around us. Yet, our trust is realistically tempered by certain realities. We do not think that God will magically repair a broken arm. We seek out the tools of God – x-rays, doctors, casts, physical therapists. We do not think that God will make crushing chest pain go away. Again, we seek out his tools – emergency medical services, EKGs, ERs, ICUs, ORs, doctors, nurses – to intervene with the blessings that God has bestowed upon these interventions. Blind faith is not a prerequisite to trust in our spiritual lives. Rather, trust in our spiritual lives still requires integrity to a faithful journey with an eye to the realities of our existing life, to maintain the appropriate balance and trust in our God.
Let me add another view of trust. Dr. Francis Collins, recently retired Director of the National Institutes of Health, just penned his latest book.3 In The Road to Wisdom: On Truth, Science, Faith, and Trust, he continues his lifelong journey of integrating faith and science and reflects further on melding these with truth and trust on the road to wisdom. I was struck by his four criteria to be used when determining whether to trust a person or an institution.
- Integrity – Are honesty and moral uprightness present?Is fairness present?
- Competence – Does the person/group know what they are doing?Can they do it well?
- Humility – Is there appropriate recognition of the strengths and areas for improvement?When there are areas for improvement, are they sincere in handling any shortcomings?
- Aligned values – Are both sides of this trust building aligned with similar values?Do they share similar concerns? (He notes that this latter bullet point can lead to tribalism that can be misdirected but, by and large, folks that have aligned values are more likely to trust each other.)
Dr. Collins lists trust as an integral part of our quest for wisdom. I would agree. It is interesting to note that there is a common element in the description of trust by me, by Pete Buttigieg and Francis Collins – truth-telling. I mentioned truth, Buttigieg truth-telling, and Collins honesty.
Without truth, there is no foundational basis for trust to develop or be nurtured. Without truth, there is no integrity. In that environment, distrust and skepticism are bred and allowed to foment. When that occurs, social interactions deteriorate. When that occurs, spirituality loses its footing. When that occurs, our trust “bank account” is drained and not replenished.
What concerns me most are the effects of lack of trust in relationships that are critical to children. The safe, stable nurturing relationships (SSNRs) that are crucial to the development of children and their attachment to their caregivers are dependent of trust.4 Without that trust, the ability to repair relationships that naturally wax and wane will be damaged, leading to a lack of predictability and behavioral problems. Children will be the victims of our social lack of trust.
Developing and nurturing trust should be a constant process. We should be making deposits to build up trust since we know that things will occur that will erode trust. That is inevitable. But when we have a surplus of trust to use, we can repair relationships. When we view trust as our currency to be saving and using with an overall positive balance, we can thrive as a society and as individuals caring for each other. When we can do these things, the pervasive goodwill of trust can thrive. Its passive nature should be our active pursuit.
- https://mychildrenschildren.com/trust-is-the-currency-of-social-interaction-2/
- Buttigieg P. Trust: America’s Best Chance. Liveright Publishing; 2020. 224 pp.
- Collins F. The Road to Wisdom: On Truth, Science, Faith, and Trust. Little Brown and Company/Worthy Publishing; 2024. 277 pp.
- https://mychildrenschildren.com/my-three-moms-and-ssnrs/