A Matter of Trust

Trust is an inherently human concept.

So much so that trying to give a concrete definition of what trust represents to us is a difficult task. After all, trust or the lack of it are ultimately feelings that by nature elude words. However, trust is crucial for understanding any kind of human organization, from the most primitive hunter-gatherer tribes to the most ambitious futuristic society projection. It is what allows us to be sure that - with due exceptions - everything will work as expected: I trust that members of a community will act with good intentions; that teachers will educate children correctly; that companies will not seek economic profits at any cost; that politicians and governing officials will fulfill their duties with commitment and honesty.

Now, although trust is the same feeling, it would be absurd to pretend that it works similarly to how it worked back in prehistory, where tribal societies reached no more than a handful of members. In communities with millions of inhabitants increasingly immersed in technology, it is impossible to know firsthand all the backgrounds. In these societies, we are forced to trust in narratives and stories that maintain us tied to the rest. Our national identity, our values, and our culture are some of the principles that allow us to maintain solid social structures.

It could be thought that, in the technological era, trusting would be easier. With access to information never seen before, it might be logical to assume that it would be simpler to decide where we place our trust. However, the current world is a counter-example to consider. According to OECD studies, only four out of ten people trust their national government. Electoral participation is in constant decline, mainly due to a young population apathetic toward a political class that they do not trust. Moving away from political issues, we also see distrust toward the scientific community, with -almost- harmless things like flat-earthers to treacherous phenomena like the anti-vax movement.

Trust is an element that enables us to empower whatever it is that we feel represented by. And yet, in an advanced world, we are constantly forced to choose between biased narratives that push us to be at odds with each other. Why do we trust what we trust? Is there a rational -algorithmic, if allowed- solution to the matter, or is this a matter of personal subjectivity? Are we forced to continuously deposit our trust blindly, or can we get involved more personally? In a world where it plays the role of a currency, it all seems a matter of trust.