We humans differ greatly in how we give trust. Some prefer not to trust at all - nothing and no one - while others trust very easily, far too easily. And of course, there are those in between: people who primarily trust those around them, or those who trust individuals with rank, reputation, and titles. Then there are those who trust AI and its answers, or those who place their trust in their social media bubble. I could continue this list endlessly.
One fact remains: our lives and our world are too complex to afford not trusting. Trust compensates for what we do not know and is what makes us capable of acting in the first place. If we knew everything, had enough time to explore it all, gather all information, and learn every profession, then we would not need to trust anyone - or at least almost no one. But since our time and cognitive capacities are limited, we have no choice but to grant trust regularly.
Trust, however, is a decision to show vulnerability and consciously take a risk. Trust is always tied to risk, because we will never have enough information to fully justify it. Additionally, trust is a one-sided act. We decide to trust someone, and the risk is entirely our own. The phrase “You have betrayed my trust” is not actually accurate, because the other person is not involved in the decision at all; often they are not even aware of who has decided to trust them and who has not. This perspective may be uncomfortable for the person placing trust - who bears full risk and responsibility - but it is closer to reality.
We trust the newspaper we read, the journalist and her research, the doctor who treats us, the scientists and their analyses and forecasts, the lecturer, our district candidate in national or state elections, and so on. Even if we decide not to trust one newspaper and read a second or third, at some point we determine which one we trust, at least for a certain period of time and a particular topic. If we do not trust a doctor, we seek a second opinion - yet even then, at some point we trust one of them and follow their treatment recommendation. It would be an illusion to believe we do not need to trust and could control everything. In short: without trust, we cannot live our lives.
Mistrust, on the other hand, leads to control, and consumes time and capacity, while trust reduces the complexity in our lives. With these two tools, we are able to control our well-being. We control the dosage ourselves: if we trust little and question everything, it means we have to invest a lot of work in acquiring personal knowledge or do things ourselves. If we trust a lot, we make our lives easier. This is not to say that I am advocating blind trust. Of course, critical thinking is of the utmost importance, but not always and in every situation.
With these reflections, I say goodbye for the year 2025 and thank all readers for your interest. For 2026, I wish you confidence, willingness to take risks in order to trust, drive and creative ideas!
This text first appeared in my newsletter "It's innovation Wednesday". It is published once a month. For subscription click here