What Is Trust in One Sentence?
Trust is when I rely on another person according to an agreement that we have mutually established.
Are People Losing Trust in One Another These Days?
Yes, indeed. I heard one of my students recently even label our era as characterized by a growing “trust crisis” in the media, the government, and among people. We see a lack of understanding of what trust is and how to nurture it.
Why are people losing trust in one another these days? The first reason for people losing trust in one another is because our egoism, i.e., our desire to enjoy at others’ expense, has grown and demands new relationships: clearer, more connected, rougher, and tied to each other. Each of us has significant egoism, and everyone desires greater independence from others.
The second reason for people losing trust in one another is due to social, technological, and lifestyle developments. As opposed to past generations, today we can live and provide for ourselves independently, with much less person-to-person contact. Binding ourselves through family, friend, and workplace connections, requires effort, sometimes considerable effort.
Therefore, today it has become more challenging to compel people to enter into various connections, and they do so either when it is for very tangible rewards or when absolutely necessary.