In the West, we used to live in a genuine high-trust society. No longer. Today, we're a low-trust society, masquerading as a high-trust society, fueling a booming 'trust industrial complex.'
Before I retired I used to work for a company that put a great deal of money and effort into training staff, and they urged the importance of trust. They offered classes based on the book, "The Speed of Trust," by Stephen M. R. Covey. They were convinced as a company that trust is essential to success. The point of the training was that trust makes existing relationships more productive and efficient, and fosters innovation and collaboration. This was not based on altruism, so much as removing the friction and waste caused by the lack of trust. As you point out, this lack of trust is now endemic. And costing us plenty.
Great discrepancy still remains in the West. In Denmark, trust may be the highest in the world. The country was recently assessed to have the least corruption in the world. During Covid lockdowns we did anything the government said and tested us for covid twice as much as the second-most covid-testing country in the world, at great expense (which it could easily afford).
That said, trust is clearly eroding. To understand the fundamentals of our eroding trust, I recommend Chapter 1 “Moral Entrooy” of William Ophuls amazing “Requiem for Modern Politics” (1997), which correctly analyses (and predicts) why our collapse is inevitable from a fundamental standpoint. The book is expensive, so check your library.
I was writing an essay with much this same theme, namely, that when Adam Smith said that an invisible hand organizes all buyers and sellers in the marketplace, he might have also said that the invisible hand of trust operates or else a marketplace wouldn't be possible. And then there's the invisible hand of good will, which is the ultimate end of a sane society. Not communism or capitalism or transhumanism, but simple good will, which organizes activity toward caring for the world without anyone having to make a dictate.
Today thanks largely to postmodern thought and a mindset that says there are no final causes in nature but only efficient causes, everything because relative and chaotic because it's every person for themselves to get as much as they can however they can.
I have noticed the loss of trust in so many ways being eroded . We are governed by an agreement of trust , which is no longer true for many.
Appreciate your article making this loss of trust more conscious and concerning. It takes work and mutual willingness to build trust and this is what we must do in our communities, not matter how small.
“… the glue that actually holds a society together. Real trust comes from time spent in the real world, with real people, really talking, laughing, forgiving, sharing, carrying a little weight for each other.”
…
The glue is called motherhood, the center of family life, the foundation of a free society, the most important job in a socioeconomic system, and the job for which all other jobs exist.
In opposition to motherhood is the core collectivist (communist) philosophical principle of the State superseding the parents in family affairs, hence androgyny-in-the-workforce, which in the West we call “a victory for women.”
We’re 3-4 generations deep now into prioritizing employment & education & luxury retirement lifestyles, including independent senior living. We’re 3-4 generations deep now into prioritizing anything ‘n’ everything but motherhood.
The results are in. Politically, the red-green-pink alliance* is on the verge of replacing our Bill of Rights with a totalitarianism; just look at Western Europe & the rest of the Anglosphere 😳
Socioeconomically, our population is rapidly being replaced by morally backwards cultures. Again, just look at Western Europe & the rest of the Anglosphere.
* red-green-pink alliance means communism -Islam-2nd-wave “feminism,” including LGBTQ
.... and the TRUST complex isn't really trust worthy is it?
No one actually thinks that insurance is going to pay out, that the inspector is going to be responsible if he/she misses something. We pay for imcompetence and/or duty (through legislation)
I've also wondered if people who believe in the trust complex, become less trustworthy, because they feel like they've paid for the trust that they no longer have to personally encompass this virtue. Somehow their payment has allowed them to morally castrate themselves; everyone wants to get something for what they paid for?
My trust of systems is gone. My trust of leaders is gone. My belief that people will wake up, and we can stop global totalitarian control is on very shaky ground. I'm left with just myself and a couple close relationships.
Our system was never high trust. It's built on ruthlessness and only rewards the skills we find in psychopathy.
It only pays for dissection and division and not connection, trust, or creation. Those it appropriates.
It's always been this gross.
Now more and more people have become like the system. Now being ruthless is the only way to stay in it.
Every empire rides the wave of the trust until they end up where we are right now.
Calling for trust now is like calling for the tooth fairy to bring money for the teeth you lose as an adult.
Before I retired I used to work for a company that put a great deal of money and effort into training staff, and they urged the importance of trust. They offered classes based on the book, "The Speed of Trust," by Stephen M. R. Covey. They were convinced as a company that trust is essential to success. The point of the training was that trust makes existing relationships more productive and efficient, and fosters innovation and collaboration. This was not based on altruism, so much as removing the friction and waste caused by the lack of trust. As you point out, this lack of trust is now endemic. And costing us plenty.
Great discrepancy still remains in the West. In Denmark, trust may be the highest in the world. The country was recently assessed to have the least corruption in the world. During Covid lockdowns we did anything the government said and tested us for covid twice as much as the second-most covid-testing country in the world, at great expense (which it could easily afford).
That said, trust is clearly eroding. To understand the fundamentals of our eroding trust, I recommend Chapter 1 “Moral Entrooy” of William Ophuls amazing “Requiem for Modern Politics” (1997), which correctly analyses (and predicts) why our collapse is inevitable from a fundamental standpoint. The book is expensive, so check your library.
We tracked down a copy and appreciate the suggestion, Jan! We'll add it to our "to read" list.
I was writing an essay with much this same theme, namely, that when Adam Smith said that an invisible hand organizes all buyers and sellers in the marketplace, he might have also said that the invisible hand of trust operates or else a marketplace wouldn't be possible. And then there's the invisible hand of good will, which is the ultimate end of a sane society. Not communism or capitalism or transhumanism, but simple good will, which organizes activity toward caring for the world without anyone having to make a dictate.
Today thanks largely to postmodern thought and a mindset that says there are no final causes in nature but only efficient causes, everything because relative and chaotic because it's every person for themselves to get as much as they can however they can.
Check out Limina and co-host David's new podcast RIFF RAFT here:
https://rumble.com/v70muwe-live-riff-raft-podcast-with-dave-and-limina-1-maiden-voyage-1pm-oct22.html?e9s=src_v1_upp_a
Great conversation!
We will discuss Mt. Everest shenanigans next ep.
I have noticed the loss of trust in so many ways being eroded . We are governed by an agreement of trust , which is no longer true for many.
Appreciate your article making this loss of trust more conscious and concerning. It takes work and mutual willingness to build trust and this is what we must do in our communities, not matter how small.
“… the glue that actually holds a society together. Real trust comes from time spent in the real world, with real people, really talking, laughing, forgiving, sharing, carrying a little weight for each other.”
…
The glue is called motherhood, the center of family life, the foundation of a free society, the most important job in a socioeconomic system, and the job for which all other jobs exist.
In opposition to motherhood is the core collectivist (communist) philosophical principle of the State superseding the parents in family affairs, hence androgyny-in-the-workforce, which in the West we call “a victory for women.”
We’re 3-4 generations deep now into prioritizing employment & education & luxury retirement lifestyles, including independent senior living. We’re 3-4 generations deep now into prioritizing anything ‘n’ everything but motherhood.
The results are in. Politically, the red-green-pink alliance* is on the verge of replacing our Bill of Rights with a totalitarianism; just look at Western Europe & the rest of the Anglosphere 😳
Socioeconomically, our population is rapidly being replaced by morally backwards cultures. Again, just look at Western Europe & the rest of the Anglosphere.
* red-green-pink alliance means communism -Islam-2nd-wave “feminism,” including LGBTQ
https://gregreese.substack.com/p/algorithmic-pricing-and-the-american?utm_source=podcast-email&publication_id=706779&post_id=179384590&utm_campaign=email-play-on-substack&utm_content=watch_now_button&r=cz447&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
.... and the TRUST complex isn't really trust worthy is it?
No one actually thinks that insurance is going to pay out, that the inspector is going to be responsible if he/she misses something. We pay for imcompetence and/or duty (through legislation)
I've also wondered if people who believe in the trust complex, become less trustworthy, because they feel like they've paid for the trust that they no longer have to personally encompass this virtue. Somehow their payment has allowed them to morally castrate themselves; everyone wants to get something for what they paid for?
Thoughts?
And thanks Zahra and Stephen for the kind credit.
My trust of systems is gone. My trust of leaders is gone. My belief that people will wake up, and we can stop global totalitarian control is on very shaky ground. I'm left with just myself and a couple close relationships.
Dark as that may sound, that actually puts you in a much stronger position than the majority of people around you.
Relationships are the currency of your Life
I can’t take the credit Koz ,,, I heard Cathrine Austin Fits saying a Farmer - Neighbour told her ,,, xx
When trust becomes something you rent rather than something you grow, the center of gravity shifts. — Amen.