We have a trust problem and we are worse for it

I would rather think I am surrounded by trustworthy people than liars and cheaters

What makes the world go 'round? you ask. Some will say love, others money or science or food or nature. We all have a point of view on this issue. Let me share mine.

What the world rests on is trust. Without trust, our civilization would quickly come undone. Most of what we do, big or small, requires trust to succeed.

Every Monday morning, most people return to work and trust their employer to pay them at the end of the week.

If you get sick, you'll trust a doctor you have never met before in your life to cut open your body in order to cure you. Most of the time, it works. In fact, most of the time, trust works. Our perpetual indignation blinds us to this.

Last week, my car made strange noises so I stopped at the local dealership. For some reason, none of my cards would deliver payment. The man at the desk said, “Come back and pay me tomorrow.” I was gobsmacked. He trusted me to keep my end of the bargain. Which I did. Trust is also nice.

Children trust their parents, or so they should in all circumstances. Parents trust their children's educators to teach them well. Little ones trust Santa Claus to bring them the toys they dream of at night. Children are the most trusting. And so easy to deceive. They must learn not to trust people they don't know but not to live in fear of them.

Love is fuelled by trust. Once trust is lost between lovers, it is almost impossible to regain completely.

When it comes to politics and civic life in general, trust gets more complicated.

We entrust our safety to people and organizations we deem trustworthy. Air travel comes to mind. We trust our mechanic to fix our brakes with diligence. If he fails to do so, we might die. The stakes are high, which is why trust is capital.

My dad, who had suffered during the Depression, used to say: “I only trust the money in my wallet.”

I vacationed at a dude ranch in Arizona a few years ago. I visited the famous Arizona-sonora Desert Museum in Tucson. Famous for its collection of deadly desert dwellers. A biologist asked me if I wanted to hold and pet a tarantula. “They are quite docile,” he said. I trusted him and held the beast in my hand, while stroking its hairy body. I trusted the biologist and the spider. I never regretted it; it makes for such a great anecdote.

Some people trust other people at first glance. Others wait until mutual trust is established. I belong to the first category: trust first, cry later, if need be. This devil-may-care attitude has worked for me. I would rather think that I am surrounded by trustworthy people than liars and cheaters.

Now, when it comes to politics and civic life in general, trust gets more complicated. Politicians, for the most part, mean well (that's my trusting side) but they are forever accused of being dishonest. It gets to a point where trusting politicians only makes one the laughingstock of the neighbourhood.

Although the Quebec government failed in its initial attempts at controlling the pandemic, no one sane would say that the death of so many seniors was planned and desired. Moving elderly patients from hospitals to CHSLDS was an unmitigated disaster. But there was no evil intent about it. The people in charge wanted to free up hospital beds to avoid what happened in Italy, where hospitals were overwhelmed.

We trusted the system and it failed us. But there was no evil intended.

We are disillusioned with public life. Who trusts the courts these days? Who trusts the police? There's nothing wrong with complaining about it, but we forget that our institutions, although imperfect, keep society on an even keel. Trust is more important than ever. Try to imagine a society without strong institutions.

I would rather not.