ARE WE DEVELOPING A TRUST OR FEAR BASED SOCIETY?

Without a rigorously enforced constitution, fear replaces trust

Is community building best served by promoting a sense of trust or a sense of fear? Trust commands little of our attention—even though matters of life and death are often involved. We put faith in the weight bearing capacity of ladders, we assume that our fellow drivers will stay in their lane, and we trust that pharmaceutical companies have adequately tested our prescriptions. Without second thought, we leave our lives in the hands of unknown chemists, engineers, trades people, first responders and random passers-by. But can we trust that our laws and enforcement officers will protect us?

 by LSI publisher Art McNeil

Beginning life as the planet’s most helpless critter, humans remain dependent on parents and other adults for an extended period of time—it’s our nature to trust. A leading psychologist Jack Gibb suggested that “trust creates flow and gentles the mind-body-spirit.” The opposite happens when fear replaces trust as the dominant perspective. Harmony between self, others and the environment is destroyed when fear is left unchecked. Rational people, when backs are to the wall, can regress to the primitive state of kill or be killed. Civilized societies have no choice but to work at fostering trust because fear-based conditioning begets more fear and fear feeds violence. Like it or not, we get more of what we’re constantly thinking about because the subconscious mind is programmed to move us in that direction.

There is a way of preparing the next generation to trust rather than fear. History suggests that the solution lies in living a declared set of values in the home and exposing children to the reality that consequences are associated with every choice—and that consequences have to be lived with. Once values-directed ethics are firmly ensconced at home, the next step is to make it mandatory that school curriculums identify the many blessings and protections we receive because of America’s constitution. Teachings should include (without apology) the Judeo-Christian values upon which the constitution was developed. Finally, the rudiments of civics and the non negotiable responsibilities of citizenship should be taught.

With this grounding, a trust-based culture will encourage trust based behavior.  The constitution protects what the Founding Fathers declared as, our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness—a right endowed by our creator. Living outside of a rigorously enforced constitution will reduce the willingness of American citizens to trust.

This post sponsored by the  #1 bestseller, The “I” of the Hurricane: how to Generate and Focus Corporate Energy.