A Bias For Trust

Two very simple truths:

a. Dont waste your time initiating relationships that arent going to thrive and benefit both sides.

b. Productive connection requires mutual trust. You cant empathize with someone you dont trust.

If you enter an engagement filled with wariness, alert for the scam, the inauthentic and the selfish, youll poison the relationship before it even starts. Those you deal with wont be challenged to rise to your expectations of excitement and goodwill. Instead, theyll struggle in the face of your skepticism.

Instead of seeking and amplifying the sharp edges, consider focusing on the dignity and goodwill of the people youre working with.

Sure, there are people out there who will disappoint you. But expecting to be ripped off poisons all your interactions instead of saving you from a few dead ends.

An open mind and an open heart usually lead to precisely that in those that you are about to deal with. Perhaps we should give people a chance to live up to our trust instead of looking for the gotcha.