I Don’t Trust You

Last updated on: July 29, 2013 at 10:30 am by Andrew Marin

I Don’t Trust You 2013-07-29T10:30:54-05:00 Andrew Marin

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I’ve recently heard the phrase “I don’t trust you” as a reason not to engage with someone in real life, even in a simple conversation. And the *I-don’t-trust-you-*person’s metric for defining trust? Online.

If that is the dominant lens to decide conclusive trust, of course one doesn’t trust that other. They don’t actually know them. I would even go so far as to say it’s a little odd one thinks they can come to a fully decisive trust/distrust decision from purely online means.

Too many people think that “online” is real life. It’s not.

Even for the good ones who use social media to its fullest extent in its proper place, no matter how transparent one might be online (or their online reputation is that of being transparent), it can never equate to knowing that person. No matter how transparent one might be online, they still filter things in their real life and decide what, and what not, to put online. One cannot know another from the filtered information one decides to put online; thus one cannot actually formulate an accurate assessment of trust through that medium either. One cannot truly trust another unless they actually know them. Culture has redefined trust and knowledge.

So the person you think you’re trusting or distrusting from online information, whether firsthand or otherwise, is not the actual person in their fullest sense. Even the firsthand accounts of someone showing you their life through pictures and words, it might be a portion or even a majority of them, but it’s not fully them.

Knowledge is not what you read online. Knowledge is about in-person interaction and accountability. And without those very important variables, one’s words, blogs, pictures, updates, comments and filtered transparency mean nothing. Including mine. Opinions are a dime a dozen.

The same with trust. These days, since online is the medium of which to engage with all of life, culture has accommodated a new understanding of trust and knowledge because it’s practically impossible to wrap our minds, emotions and cognitive processes around our ever expanding world without these new definitions.

Thus, we must remind ourselves that we can take the information given online and know that it is at best only a part of what you see and read from that person.

Without direct contact with said person or situation we must know that we cannot fully have knowledge, or fully trust/distrust the person or the situation until direct contact is made. And on a personal note, can someone explain to me when 140 characters became dialoguing? I don’t care what anyone says, a 140 character or less dialogue is not dialogue. I have a hard time taking seriously people on Twitter who very seriously say they want to dialogue with me on Twitter (refusing to do so on the phone or Skype or even email) about nuanced and controversial topics.

A brave new world indeed…

You can read Part 1 of Trust here.

Much love.

www.themarinfoundation.org

Bridging Opposing Worldviews

Culture

Language

Previous Post

July 24, 2013

Gray is the New Black and White

Next Post

August 2, 2013 The Authentic Life

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Book Reviews Bridging Opposing Worldviews Culture Don't Drink and Drive Faith Guest Posts I'm Sorry Campaign Interviews Language Laura Statesir LGBT Living in the Tension Living in the Tension Gatherings Love Is an Orientation Love Is an Orientation Blog Love Is an Orientation Book Love Is an Orientation DVD Melinda Guerra Memory My One Sentence Bible Newsletter Our Last Option Parents & Families Politics Quick Quotes Quotes ReEngaging Civility Sexuality Speaking The Marin Foundation Theology Uncategorized Us Versus Us Videos Warren Perry Youth and Campus Ministry

Select a Month June 2016 May 2016 December 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz