Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Don't you trust me?

I am simultaneously fascinated and appalled at how casually people throw around the word "trust" these days. Someone asks me the question, "What's the matter-- don't you trust me?" as if they have every right to demand carte blanche trust in all things.

There is no such thing as carte blanche trust. Nor should there be.

Trust is context specific and it has to be earned. Just because you can trust someone with your money, for instance, it doesn't automatically follow that you should also trust them with your children.