Can personal trust survive as institutional trust erodes?

Can personal trust survive as institutional trust erodes?

Commentary By Sarah Henn Hayward | FāVS News

While listening to an election analysis by Van Jones — who made many fascinating points — a comment he made stuck in my mind. Jones discussed the subcultures that the Trump campaign picked up as voters, including the health-and-wellness space with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s’s endorsement of Trump.

He described that community as a bloc that moved not from left to right, but from a “high-trust community” to a “low-trust community” in the aftermath of the pandemic. 

Untrustworthy institutions 

It got me thinking about trust and how it seems to be vanishing left and right. My mother frequently lets me know that she does not trust the media. Any media. She still watches some news but thinks that they’re all biased, they’re all disingenuous. More folks get their news from YouTube, Instagram and niche streaming services than from cable TV these days, finding the channel that speaks to them best.

I work in healthcare. The amount of horror stories I’ve seen of people being let down by their insurance and/or the medical establishment is heartbreaking. From burnt-out providers to misdiagnoses to being denied coverage or going into bankruptcy to pay for care, problems abound. Folks are losing trust in the American medical system.

Trump’s 2016 campaign focused on distrust of the government. “Drain the swamp.” He tapped into the fact that many Americans no longer believe that the government exists to serve and protect them. They don’t see the government working to provide services and oversight and maintaining order in their lives. With the loss of women’s rights and other shocking decisions coming out of the Supreme Court, folks on the left are disillusioned as well.

We are living in a time of mass exodus from religion. From sex scandals, abuse and coverups to suspiciously wealthy megachurch pastors to organized hatred of the LGBTQ+ community — folks are losing trust in the goodness of church. And they’re leaving.

Add in big business, big pharma, big Ag — anyone here trust Monsanto? Or Amazon? Top it all off with misinformation, compelling conspiracy theories, AI and algorithm silos, and we’re all lost. Mired in a dizzying fog of confusion and cynicism. At least I am. 

It feels like trust is a vestige from a simpler time. Back when we weren’t inundated with 24/7 media coverage, global news and hot takes. Back when everyone watched one of five channels on the television and all heard the same reporting. Back when doctors were gods and never challenged. When pastors were pure and simply pointed the way to God.

But that’s certainly an oversimplification. Corruption, greed and heartless ambition are not newly evolved human traits. 

So where do we find trust again? Can we rescue it?

Our institutions may be low on trust, but interpersonal trust remains strong. I trust my husband, my close friends, my parents. I trust my children’s fantastic public school staff to watch over and guide those sweet kids well. I trust my specific medical providers and my own pastor. I happen to know a few local politicians personally, and I trust them and their efforts to better our community. I trust the non-profits I work with and the selfless aid they provide, often via uphill struggles. 

My solution is to focus on the particular. Maybe I don’t need to pay close attention to the news and world politics. Instead, I can talk to my neighbors, my patients and the people I encounter in my community. I can ask what they are going through. Worried about. Struggling with.

And then — how can I help? What can I do in my own life? 

Maybe the best way to restore trust is by being trustworthy ourselves. To honor people’s lives by listening, taking them seriously and trying to help. To listen with open ears and nonjudgmental hearts. To roll up our sleeves and do what we can to help. Acknowledging our limits but also our power. By resting and taking care of our health and sanity and not sacrificing our bodies or souls to the machine.

We can learn the bitter lesson that marginalized communities have known forever: that the institutions do not care about us and are not out to save us. But that we — our communities, our chosen families — can save ourselves and each other. 

We can rebuild trust for the particular people in each of our lives, one step at a time.

The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News. FāVS News values diverse perspectives and thoughtful analysis on matters of faith and spirituality.