Trust and Mistrust

Absolute trust is the basis of all relationships. duh. How many people have already told you this? I am not going to repeat the same. What I am trying to bring out is not 'the power of trust' but the difference between 'absolute' trust and the 'almost absolute' trust. Yes, the kind of trust that has stood by you in all the good times and has never been tested yet... but assumed to be absolute.

An airplane is made of the highest quality materials that the scientists can produce. It is one big complex unit that works (most of the time). Just like our 'absolute' trust in some one. But, even a small hole in the air-plane's armor is dangerous. At such high altitudes, high speeds, and higher pressure even if the shell of an aircraft is slightly compromised, the point of failure quickly finds way to expand all over and rips the shell apart.

This is exactly how a small hole in sub-marine is capable of crushing a mighty sub and condemning the inmates to a watery grave. This is exactly how a single spec of impurity in iron starts the process of rusting and can bring down a bridge in time.

By now, you should have realized where my analogies are heading. Trust is mighty powerful when it is absolute. It can help ordinary men achieve seemingly impossible feats. It can help families get past their darkest hours into the sunshine of happier days together. Blessed are those people who enjoy somebody's absolute trust and who can absolutely trust others.

The same trust becomes extremely helpless if it looses its wholeness. Almost complete trust always loses to that small minuscule amount of mistrust (or suspicion). The 0.01% mistrusts mocks at the 99.99% pure trust... calls it a fool, naive and emotional. It boasts itself of being pragmatic. It taunts you for blindfolding yourself with trust. That 0.01% of suspicion is on its way to corrode and eat into the share of 99.99% complete trust. It is in its nature to do that. Very soon, you will see that mis-trust snow balls itself into a monster acting totally out of control... This monster does not let you see reason. No logic, No mantra can sedate this beast. It sets you on path of self-destruction.

All is not lost though. In any relationship, we should be on guard not to let mistrust creep in - however stealthily. The first traces of such act must be dealt severely with outright honesty and frankness. Kill the mistrust before it becomes a monster.