"To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved." ~George MacDonald
All the television ads and postcards in my mailbox of late all scream at me that someone is less worthy of my trust than another.
I am not a political person, but this year it seems that trust is the key component to a lot of the negative spewings I have seen.
We can't trust this person with our health care system. We can't trust that person with job creation. This person associates with someone who is not trusted. That person says one thing and does another.
It all comes down to trust.
Since I was a child I have always said that I don't make promises that I can't keep. That is a pretty good policy even today. If I say I am going to do something, you can bet that I will. And if you give me a deadline, you can be sure that it will be done on time. And if it can't, I will let you know that.
This is a good thing in the position that I am in to make my own business and be my own boss someday. Building that trust with customers is at the core of my success.
Exactly how do we gain trust in each other? When you first meet someone, is there a lack of trust, or blind trust? Do you need to earn trust or is it something that we assume we have with one another until we do that which breaks a trust?
From the Virtue Card::Trustworthiness
Trustworthiness is being worthy of the trust others place in us. When we give our word, we stand by it. Others can rely on us with confidence. We demonstrate by our actions that we keep our promises and commitments. There is constancy in the way we love and loyalty in the bonds of our friendships. Trustworthiness is the foundation of our business agreements and our personal covenants. When we are worthy of trust, we attract abundance. We create lasting success.
I like the last part the best. Abundance and prosperity follow those who gain a trust. Not a false trust, like some cosmic Ponzi scheme. Because there are those who would tell you anything you want to hear in order to gain a temporary trust {picture all those nauseating TV and postcard ads...I don't care if they are the candidate that I am vying for or not. Sick. Of. Them. All.}, in order to get what they want. I just don't put my trust in that. No.
I'm talking about a lasting trust. A deep trust. One that comes from really caring about the person on the other end of the line. A trust that is given as a gift through shared experiences and bolstered by continual care of that relationship. And when I integrate that element of trust into every relationship that I have, then and only then will I feel like a success.
What about you?
- Have you ever gained a trust with someone and then lost it by something that you have said or done?
- Do you think that being trusted is a greater compliment than being loved?
- Did you know that blue is considered the most trustworthy color and that to be sincere you should always sign documents in blue ink?
- Is everyone worthy of trust? or are there some that are untrustworthy no matter what they do or say?
- Why do people put their trust in something or someone?
Do tell!
9 comments:
Like you, I am weary of the mud-slinging political ads. I just wish they would tell us what they hope to do should they be elected rather than pointing fingers at the opponent.
I agree that being trusted is a greater compliment than being loved. Not everyone can love you, but everyone can trust you. And unfortunately, as I have found, not everyone you love can be trusted.
When I was younger I tended to trust people until they showed me they were no longer trustworthy. Now as I age and have been on the receiving end of deceipt, I tend to withhold my trust until it is proven--though with a bit of hope that they are worthy.
I think as a whole, people tend to trust first.
Such a lovely post Erin. You can not have true love without trust. I have always been a very trusting person,I give myself away much too easily. I recently have learned the hard way, who figured at my age I would still be learning about trust.
Erin,
I am political and I am so very, very tired of all this nonsense. The constant barrage of phone calls where recorded speakers bash their opponents makes me not want to vote for anybody!
I, too, NEVER make a promise I can't keep. It is something I have always aspired to be, deserving of trust.
To break someone's trust in you is devastating because trust means total belief in that person. I have had my trust broken and it has broken my heart big time. It was long ago and that man is no longer a part of my life, but I can still feel the sting in the memory.
I would like to trust everyone because I want to be naive. I want to believe that everyone is good and worthy of my trust, but oftentimes, trust has to be earned. Sad but true.
Being trusted is so very, VERY important. I try really hard never to say "I promise" to my son unless I'm absolutely POSITIVE that I can fulfill that promise -- I use other words instead if I'm unsure, so he knows he can trust me. I'd like to think that my friends find me trustworthy.
I didn't know that about blue ink! How interesting!
I find it harder and harder to trust. Always (initially) the red flags are waving and I often end up ashamed of myself. Another time I won't see it coming and the rug is pulled out from under me. It is way less painful to not trust anyone, but I like myself a lot more when I do. Does that make sense? The political crap though- not even worthy of a second of my time. The channel gets changed, the phone hung up, or the volume goes down.
I just don't watch anymore because they can always spin anything around!
As far as trust I suppose I am one of those who blindly trust until it is broken then it is gone. I also believe that love and trust go hand in hand you can not love someone you don't trust and how can you not love someone you trust? That is me in a nutshell cracked as it may be it is still my nutshell!
Hugs
Another thought-provoking post, Erin...and on such an important topic. Unfortunately I find that the older I get, I have become a bit more skeptical than I used to be....I'm usually quite trusting to a fault. It is an interesting thought - being trusted can be more important than being loved. I can see that though. You do come up such great pieces of information too - such as blue being a trustworthy color. It is an honest and pure color...and happens to be my current favorite!
I find it hard to trust. And those I do trust reluctantly are constantly under scrutiny, because I am kind of waiting for them to betray my trust. Which says a lot more about me than everybody else, I suppose!
Thinking about it (and it is a weird train of thought), I don't consider blue trustworthy. A blue sky never lasts long (well, in England it doesn't), and loving you has got to be like the devil and the deep blue sea, as Aerosmith put it. I love the deep blue sea like the next woman, but it also scares me with its cold undercurrents. Needless to mention, my eyes are blue.
I'll settle for black. You can't stain it, it has no shades and it is the reliable, let's call it trustworthy, outcome of it all. Without darkness, we couldn't see the stars.
So true! And I, too, am sick to death of the political ads, btw. I have lost trust. I've not trusted. I think that trust is the basis of a relationship. You can love, but without trust, you've got nothing.
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