To trust a person means to assume that the person acts truthfully (honest). To mistrust a person means to reckon that this person may act untruthfully (dishonest).
Imagine a car dealer from whom you want to buy a car. The dealer will try to present the car as favorable as possible while withholding flaws.
It’s similar with an insurance agent. The agent too will try to sell you all the advantages of their products and not talk about disadvantages; they are hidden in the small print.
Real estate agents are yet another example.
People act to their own benefit and twist the truth if necessary.
Is it only others?
If you are honest with yourself, you will need to admit that you too act dishonest/untruthfully all now and then when it is beneficial. How far you go depends on your moral compass. (Find examples.)
We humans can lie – and do so from time to time. Wir learn this as children. We learn to seek security. We learn to influence the outcome or the course of events. This requires us to influence the actions of people who are involved. This means but to manipulate people. (Find examples.)
Furthermore, we learn mental needs such as the need to be seen and to obtain approval. This need shows with social media. We show ourselves by posting. Clicks mean that we are seen. Likes mean that we receive approval. To fulfill our need to be seen and approved, we often act in a way that we know others like. This is untruthful.
But things are more complex than that. We often behave untruthfully simply because we function.
How often do you do something although you don’t want to do it? You do it because one of your programs tells you to do it. An example is visiting a relative because it is expected from you. This is untruthful.
All in all: People often act untruthfully – sometimes wilfully, often unwilfully. Therefore, it is appropriate to mistrust one another. The yearning for love is an expression of the desire to trust somebody.
What experiences have you made with trust?
I remember a dispute with my late father. It was about something a politician had said. My father argued: “If it wasn’t true, they wouldn’t show it on TV.” He blindly trusted both the politician and the media.
It is paradox that some of us mistrust people who they know while trusting people who they don’t know.
Exercise: Make a list of people and institutions that you trust enough to risk your life and health.
Trust is good, control is better.