From Fear & Cynicism to Trust

Trust seems harder to come by these days. We are facing, as a society, a startling lack of trust in each other and in our institutions. So much of our polarization has to do with a lack of trust. A lack of trust that the other person or group has your best interests at heart or that they even care for your interests or needs. And that lack of trust leads to fear. Fear of the future and fear of each other. And that fear often leads to cynicism. We harden ourselves against our fear and at times lose the ability to trust. So, what goes through your mind when you hear the word “trust”? Does the word make you feel comforted, or vulnerable, or does it bring up more instances of past broken trust than you can count? And if that trust has been broken, what would it take to learn to trust again? Or at least begin to learn to trust again?