A matter of trust

I write to the word trust and the practice of the word. We find the word trust over the doors of many government buildings. It is found on our money. Banks often use it in their title name. Trust is found in the titles of some legal documents. In these cases, the word is used to apply confidence to whatever entity it is applied.
Trust is much like a good reputation. It is hard to come by, easy to lose, and difficult to repair. The word trust implies honesty and the simple belief in human goodness.
What are some of the things that can cause a lack of trust? Simple greed is one. Jealousy, a condition that often has its roots in insecurity is another. Add covetousness, selfishness, and a desire for material advantage by deception often at the expense of others.
Our own desire to get a "good deal" or to get substantial reward with little effort makes us susceptible to having our trust violated by others. Our own greed can make us easy marks for trust violation in which one person's greed becomes victim by the cleverness of another's greed. In such cases, both suffer.
The breeching of trust can often be very rewarding for the party breaking the trust. Too often, the breakers of trust suffer little penalty for their behavior. Even when penalties are applied, there may remain a large advantage for those breaking the trust.
There have been several recent instances where corporate executives betrayed the trust of stockholders bringing great material advantage to themselves, but at great cost to the stockholders.
Can broken trusts be repaired? Sometimes, but never fully for there will always remain the memory of the breech. There are times when the law can restore to the victim a reasonable balance of trust through restitution and possibly punishment. .
There are degrees of broken trust. Hurtful gossip about someone can more easily be repaired than damage caused by the chicanery of corporate executives who rob employees of their pension funds.
On a more personal level, if the instance of betrayal of trust was not too severe, trust may be restored through the process of forgiveness, recompense, and the recognition no one is able to resist all temptation. Trust once broken, increases our alertness to the subtleties of betrayal.
Trust and greed are eternal adversaries. Betrayal is the tool of greed. Restitution and forgiveness are counterpoints. How important is trust to the health of societies, governments, and individuals? It is the glue, which keeps societies from falling apart. To realize how important trust is in our society, try to imagine any society worth living in without it.