What if our culture was based on trust?

“Trust is a biological reaction to a belief that someone else has our best interest at heart.” (Simon Sinek)

Can you imagine a culture like this? I mean, really, can you imagine it? 

When I think about this statement, my whole body/mind system relaxes, and sometimes spontaneously sighs.

It’s easy for me to apply this to my personal relationships. I’m very fortunate and blessed to have many personal relationships in which I know that we each have each other’s best interest at heart.

Growing up, I used to feel this way about our culture, too. One example is “Our business is earning your trust.” That’s the motto of Les Schwab Tire Centers, a chain of retail tire stores that is an icon in 15 Western U.S. states. My parents were life-long Les Schwab customers, and I’ve also been a customer for a number of years.

Whenever I go there, I know and trust I’ll be treated fairly and well, and that’s always been my experience. Their culture exudes that attitude and their employees embody it. This is in stark contrast to my feeling with many (most?) other businesses.

Over the years, my trust in our culture’s basis and values has slowly, then more quickly, eroded and disappeared, at least as far as the paradigm and systems we’re operating with. That has escalated with the current administration’s actions.

From my perspective, trust is a basis for feeling safe and secure. So, what can we trust now?

To be continued in Part 2.  Stay tuned!