Trusting Strangers with Your Life!--Victim Betrayed?

I suppose we have always needed to trust in someone or something.

What is the current state of trustworthiness in the world? Has it reached a point of hopelessness, is it time for change? What happens when citizens feel overwhelmingly betrayed?

Throughout the ages we have given over much of our personal discretion to strangers, often touted as experts in their field. Many of these “gurus” have given us the benefit of their sage wisdom and guidance. In many cases the advice or direction has been accepted or rejected by personal decision through self-discernment and our sensibilities, a relatively benign relationship, since we maintained control.

There is another category of “stranger provided” guidance which is not so benign, these are experts who we pay and entrust with our health, wealth and general well-being, in these critical aspects we are less able to moderate acceptance of these critical elements… since they are either legislated, mandated or above questioning.

Most often these “forced” acceptance aspects originate from experts in the fields of science & technology for our health, the financial sector for our wealth and good governance for our general well-being. In these matters we are truly trusting stranger with our life.

Mistakes, errors or betrayal in these areas can be personally devastating.

“Trust” is probably a unique human trait, most specie have trust in self and probably have very low expectations of either their own kind or other specie as far as them making it through the day.

There is evidence of cooperative or even communal aid behaviours in non human specie but never at the expense of personal survival. Perhaps humanity has honed the trust factor to a point where it has become a double edged sword and has lost balance.

We are at a point, (if we review “result”) where cynicism has become rampant. Result across the spectrum is dismally negative.

Examples abound.

The Global Trust Deficit

NEW YORK – In their preoccupation with fiscal deficits, developed-country policymakers continue to neglect a different, yet equally critical, shortfall: the trust deficit between advanced and emerging economies when it comes to global governance.

This particular article speaks of trustworthiness and betrayal in the matter of economy… but could be equally applied to all matters of substance.

Once trust bonds are broken and betrayal is obvious… it is natural for an individual to become sceptical of the partner who has broken the trust bond. Once this occurs an individual is less and less inclined to accept things at face value and less and less inclined to move forward on a basis of trust.

Current events have provided ample evidence that trust in “influential” strangers may not be the prudent thing to continue with. Under such prevailing circumstances one can expect individuals to go their own way or develop alternate strategies to circumvent untrustworthy sources.

In an environment of chronic scepticism of leadership, it is inevitable social structure and order will decay. 


Trusting in strangers seems to be a game of diminishing return.

• Our water, food and air is not trustworthy
• Our wealth and health management is not trustworthy
• Our science and technology is not trustworthy
• Our infrastructures are not trustworthy
• Our personal security is not trustworthy
• Our social contracts are not trustworthy
• Our foreign relationships are not trustworthy
• Our corporations are not trustworthy
• Our own societies are not trustworthy
• Our governance is not trustworthy 

I may be overly pessimistic because I am in the habit of monitoring the daily planet pulse.

I am also sure nice, good and wholesome things are happening in abundance but when the broken trust issues overwhelm the sentient and empathetic niceties it is difficult to acknowledge their worth and value.

The problem is… the degradation issues threaten personal well-being, perhaps they are even fatal in connotation and context… this makes all else frivolous and inconsequential… a great shame of and in itself.

If the degree of scepticism and crushing feeling of betrayal of world citizens is as great as indicators suggest, what are the probable outcomes?

Not being a “guru” I can only surmise… It seems there are two primary outcomes and they couldn’t be further apart. One is known as “Stockholm syndrome” the other “Rebellion.”

It seems like individuals, nations may have their own psychology… the question becomes… “Which kind is yours?” 

Preparation for socioeconomic collapse hinges on “collective victim reaction to betrayal.”

The extremes…

Stay tuned…