Is there any feeling more sustaining than knowing you can trust someone – that they will tell you the truth, whether you’re going to like it or not? That you can confide in them, unburden yourself and gain a second perspective, yet know your fears, dreams and stories will stay between the two of you, or within your group of trusted friends?
We can define trust as a philosophical concept, and apply it to our own interpersonal relationships, as did Anton Chekhov, the Russian playwright and author: “You must trust and believe in people, or life becomes impossible.” Yann Martel, the Canadian author famous for writing “The Life of Pi” agreed when he stated, “To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation.”
Without the ability to trust people we are lost. To never be able to let our guard down is incredibly stressful. Without trust, worthwhile personal relationships become more difficult, and life becomes depressing, scary, or even “impossible.”
A pragmatic approach to trust has its place too. “Trust but verify,” was the sage approach Ronald Reagan took while negotiating nuclear disarmament with the Soviet Union.
Reagan’s quote defines a different kind of trust, a trust or confidence that someone will uphold a contract, perform a task to which they have agreed, or conduct themselves in a stated manner. This is the trust, the covenant, we place in our doctors, coaches, businesses we deal with, and politicians at all levels.
It is important to say that this column is not an indictment of politicians in general, and no broad brush is being waved about. A 2019 Angus Reid Institute (Canadian) poll found that those who view local politicians positively outnumber those who view them negatively by three-to-one.
A nationwide poll conducted by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities “confirms that Canadians view municipal governments as the most trusted order of government to improve quality of life in their communities.”
Yet, I sit here writing this after watching Karoline Leavitt’s first press conference as President Trump’s Press Secretary and wonder why we waste our time. There is nothing that she can say that I will trust. I may believe a phrase here and there, but Ronald Reagan will surely be perched on my shoulder as a “verifying” angel throughout.
And then Doug Ford called an early and expensive election to secure his mandate to deal with potential American tariffs, while assuring us he has no hidden motives.
Trust yourself. You know more than you think
When we combine these actions that smack of dishonesty, and look at broken and unfulfilled promises made years ago, are we likely to believe what any candidates are saying or promising?
This is our true dilemma, the slippery slope we are forced onto by those abusing our trust.
Without trust, social organizations can’t function properly, and businesses can’t prosper. It is trust that transforms a group into a team with direction and purpose.
There is a reason we trust our local hardware store employees to give us accurate information to solve a problem, or our library staff to recommend a book that can entertain or enlighten us. Our doctors, baristas, teachers, all those we deal with regularly, those we’ve come to know and that know us, have earned a high degree of our confidence.
We must strive to ensure these same rules of trust apply to the upcoming elections we face in Ontario and nationally. We must engage with our candidates, take the time to write a letter or contact them directly to let them know, first person, what we prioritize. Conversely, we must find ways to learn about and understand them, their perspectives, and what we can expect, or trust, them to do on our behalf.
Those who are incumbents have a track record, and their history will be a much better indication of what we might expect than a social media post or 30-second television sound bite during the upcoming campaigns.
Our ability to build trust with those seeking office for the first time is disadvantaged by our lack of familiarity with their opinions and past actions. We must ask direct questions, attend rallies and public events, and learn what we can of their past involvement in the community.
Yielding to a lack of trust, a sense of futility, can drive us to inaction. We must avoid this, and participate in our democratic process enthusiastically and with vigilance – analyzing information rather than consuming it, processing and reflecting upon statements and slogans rather accepting them at face value.
We can do this, and it is worth the effort. We do not have far to look to see the result of voter apathy and abused trust.
As Benjamin Spock—Dr Spock, to many of us—advised decades ago, “Trust yourself. You know more than you think.”