Trust is a fragile thing. It’s not easily earned, and it’s very easily destroyed. I liken trust to a jewel. A jewel is a beautiful thing and is difficult to obtain. But place the jewel on an anvil and hit it just once with a heavy iron hammer and the jewel is destroyed. It can never be restored.
Speaking for myself, I must know someone a long time before I will give them my trust. I must know that they are trustworthy, and that is a quality that is slow to reveal itself. But that trust can be destroyed with two words. Imagine hearing this:
“Remember when I told you … (whatever)? I lied. The truth is … ”
Those two small words — “I lied” — are the words that destroy trust. If we accept that the speaker really did lie, then how can we believe the second version of the truth? Maybe it’s just another lie.
There is a saying: “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.” If you’ve been lied to once by someone, why would you trust them to not lie to you again? If someone admits to one lie, then why not two lies? Why not three lies? A person is honest or they’re not. A person is trustworthy or they’re not.
Perhaps it would be better to liken trust to a restaurant meal. Either there is spit in your food or there isn’t. There is no way that the words, “Yes, but it’s just a little spit,” can make it okay.
No comments:
Post a Comment