I’ve been thinking about the word “trust” – how often we use it in discussing relationships and yet how ill-defined it is.
“I trust a rope.”
“I trust my bank.”
“I trust my person.”
Obviously, the word “trust” in the context of a rope is quite different than the word “trust” when referring to a bank, and both seem worlds different than the word “trust” used when discussing relationships.
Often when we tell someone that we trust them, it is assumed we mean that we trust them to abstain from mal-intent toward us. But I think there’s a more essential meaning – one actually common to all three examples. It’s true that if we trust our bank this means that we trust them not to steal our money. But it also means that we trust them to run the bank in a responsible manner making it unlikely we’ll lose our money to some unintended financial mishap.
On the other hand, a rope isn’t capable of “intentionally” doing anything whatsoever. But a rope does on occasion have a unique harm that it is in a position to prevent. A rope can hold you high above the ground preventing a harmful fall. And so, when we say that we trust a rope, it doesn’t mean that we trust the rope to be nice or responsible or to have good intentions. It means that we trust in the intrinsic soundness of the rope.
When we express “trust” toward a rope or a bank, I believe we are actually expressing the same sentiment (albeit for different reasons). We are saying that we believe it will indeed perform as expected and so prevent some specific harm from befalling us. Likewise, with relationships. When we say we “trust” another person, we are expressing the belief that, with them, we expect no harm to befall us due to their inability or inaction. Like a good rope, they are capable. And, like a good bank, they mean well and are responsible.