To Trust or not to trust?

To Trust or not to trust?

Ah my friends,
Sometimes it’s so hard to go on believing in the human race. Every day we see the bad things on a global scale that make us think that there is no good left in humanity. Every day we see injustice, heinous crimes, wars… the list is never ending. We also see the little things, husbands that are unfaithful, friends that stab their friends in the back, neighbors gossiping…. And we wonder, what happened to us? How can we be so insensitive to the needs of others? And we know that when we say WE, we’re really thinking THEM, right?

Sure, I’d NEVER murder someone in cold blood. I’d NEVER abandon or molest a child. I’d NEVER betray my friends or loved ones for money. Right? RIGHT?

Sorry to say this, my friends, but yes, I WOULD. What I’m really saying is that as fair and good as we all like to think of ourselves; as righteous and do-gooders as we think we are, there’s always a part of us that would, if we could, do bad. It’s all a matter of opportunity. My Mom always would recite this quote from the bible (in her own words, of course) that entrusted with anything a man could want, even the most righteous will be corrupted. Oh, and it’s so true! Who knows, given the right (or more like wrong) circumstances that we wouldn’t climb over each other’s back to get to what we want.

A few days back I read the book “Even Silence has to End”, written by Ingrid Betancour, a Colombian senator and presidential candidate in Colombia who was kidnapped by the Narc/guerrilla known as FARC and kept for over 6 years in the Colombian jungles. Ingrid, a remarkable woman, narrates the misfortunes, tortures and suffering her and her fellow captives went through, living under sub-human conditions, a lot of the times with heavy chains around their necks. I was really surprised and saddened, much by the tortures and indignities they all suffered, as by how the captives , (including herself and three Americans captured by the guerrilla) slowly degenerated from civil, caring and courteous human beings to rude, cruel, taunting monsters. Resorting to petty gossip, hurtful comments and all-around bitching, coming to the point that if one of them attempted to escape, the others would wish he was captured, just because they themselves couldn’t get away.

So this book brought me to my question, that entitles this article, should we trust human other beings or not? I have word of the sages to give you on this one, only my humble opinion: Yes. We should. We must! My faith in my fellow human beings, even after suffering betrayals and heart break in more than a few times, is what keeps me human. It’s what gives me the strength to believe in goodness and kindness and warmth.

See you next time my friends and foes!