Personally, I believe it is better to be trusted than to be loved

It was the day of my daughter’s exam and both of us reached the venue. The in-charge ushered the students into the exam rooms, after checking their ID’s and hall tickets, also ensuring that they didn’t carry any gadgets. Then came this student, a working woman, who had a mobile phone and a tab with her. The invigilator stopped her and asked to deposit the tab and phone in the manager’s room. She was not comfortable with the idea. She pleaded to be permitted to take her tab and phone into the room as they contained a lot of confidential information, promising not to misuse any of the gadgets during the exam. The student was not going to be permitted into the exam room along with her gadgets.

Overhearing the conversation, I offered to keep her tab and the mobile phone with me until the end of the exam. Surprisingly, she agreed and could write her exam in peace. On her way out, she thanked me profusely for helping her out, a total stranger. It was mutual trust that saved the day.

We about the rupee rate falling against the dollar; we discuss the falling market shares. However, we ignore the most important factor in our life, the trust factor. I believe trust in our interactions and relationships, alone, is powerful enough to ensure all other things move the right way. Yet, we don’t seem to be concerned with how fast the trust factor is depleting from our day to day life.

Recently, my daughter was involved in a nasty accident while returning from her very first day at work. She scraped her knees and had a very visible swelling on her ankle. Nervously, she sent a message to her manager, requesting a day off the next day. Surprisingly, the manager responded with an ‘OK, take care’ message which relieved us.

It is true that we are betrayed many times but that doesn’t mean we stop trusting people altogether. At the workplace, mutual trust between seniors and subordinates ensures smooth and productive lives. In the family, the trust factor can do wonders when parents who have imparted good values to their child, trust him or her to lead an honest life and the child lives up to it knowing that come what may, her parents will stand by her. Trust is a must, be it between partners in a marriage or in a business.

Personally, I believe it is better to be trusted than to be loved. For, when I am loved, my faults are likely to be overlooked but when I am trusted, I am trusted for what I really am, good, bad and all.