Believing The Best In Others

Should we always believe in the best in others? Seriously… I struggle with answering this question.

Sometimes, I don’t think twice in answering yes. Here’s why:

Believing in others can lead to my willingness to connect with and become close with others —> connecting with others can lead to making new friends / connections —> Making new friends / connections can lead to shared experiences —> Shared experiences can lead to memories that last a life time AND can lead to collaborating with one another on passion projects —> Memories that last a life time AND jamming with others on passion projects is one of many of my definitions of fun, success, and happiness - the best version of myself.

Other times I don’t think twice in answering no. Here’s why:

Believing in others can lead to my willingness to connect and become close with others —> willingness to connect and become close with others can lead to being vulnerable to different outcomes that stem from your expectations of meeting those individuals —> Being vulnerable to different outcomes can lead to disappointment and ultimately anger and sadness.

Although I have a hard time wrapping my head around this question, I do know that there was a consistency in both rationals above - each moment can lead to the next… it doesn’t necessarily always lead to the next. So the question is which route am I more okay with taking?

Sure, believing the best in others can bite me in the ass and work out against me but the potential upside of doing so is much more rewarding to me than the potential downside.

Here’s my shift in perspective: I should tread lightly around believing the best in others due to the downside of potentially getting hurt / screwed over —> By believing in the best in others, I have a chance of unlocking the best version of myself.

Although I question my position on believing the best in others at times, I just need to remind myself of the potential outcomes of both answers… I typically risk it for the upside.

Matt