“To earn trust, money and power aren’t enough; you have to show some concern for others. You can’t buy trust in the supermarket.” – His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Trust is a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone else. Trust is essential to what makes human communities work. Conversely, an absence of trust can cause fragmentation and conflict.
I am sure we have all been in a workshop where the facilitator pairs you with someone else who needs to catch you as you intentionally fall backwards. It may be a little disconcerting, but it is unlikely that they will deliberately let you drop to the floor. It demonstrates that trust involves being able to do something without fear or misgiving.
Feelings of trust are built in the small moments, such as when we show up for each other, listen when others are upset and when we prioritise our meaningful relationships over other people and things. However, trust is easy to lose and can take a long time to rebuild.
To trust someone means that you can rely on them and are comfortable confiding in them because you feel safe with them. When trust is lost, the relationship is at risk.