The epigraph is a thought provoking quote from Octavia Butler’s, Bloodchild, that has a deep meaning behind it. The quote is of a conversation between two characters with one of them being in a more powerful position. The one in the lesser position is attempting to gain the trust of the more powerful character. This got me thinking about how I am put into similar situations quite often in my own life. It is required of me to weigh the risks with the rewards to make decisions about the people I decide to trust. In the real world, the social structure requires us to evaluate these certain situations almost on a day-to-day basis. This could be trusting my group for a class project; or perhaps gaining the trust of a boss to get him to rely on me. The unfortunate fact is, trust is not something that is handed out freely, nor should it be. Yet, in order to succeed in today’s world, it is nearly impossible to do it alone. I believe it is important to learn ways to be able to rely on, be relied upon, and be a good judge of the degree of trust that should be given to others. Mastering this technique can lead to an easier life.
Trust is a complex bond between two or more reliable people. In order for the relationship to be successful, the trust must be reciprocated by all parties. Since going to college, I have formed many of these relationships with my professors. In order to do so, I have selected to take certain classes with professors that I concluded based on the research I could do, that they were all good and fair teachers. It is expected that teachers put in a great deal of time and energy into teaching each class; it is hard to be dedicated to class when the professor doesn’t care. The extensive information given to us through the syllabus shows that you care about your students. Everything I could want or need in reference to the class is within access. You even go above and beyond, for example, including sections in the syllabus about mental health and food security. You making my life easier makes me want to work harder and with more purpose. This specific type of trusting relationship is usually validated by the commitment to the class by both the professor and the student. This is why picking out the right school and teachers is so important. I trusted my school to provide me with the best education available; which is the reason I am okay with paying them so much money. Another trusting relationship formed in college is with your classmates. In class, when we were put into groups and told to discuss a certain topic, it made it possible for me to get first impressions of my classmates. These first impressions have aided me in deciding who are the most trustworthy people in the class to ask for assistance which is incredibly important to my success. For instance, in a group project, everyone in the group relies on each other to put in the work. If one person does not do their part, the rest of the group suffers. I must trust that they are going to do the right thing. If I can’t trust them to do that, then I must rely on the fear of getting a bad grade or not being picked for another group project usually gets everyone to do their work.
Another place trust is important in is the workplace. I personally have worked in two different places. My first job was in a greenhouse. I was young and inexperienced. For instance, I was not always the most reliable person to be on time. Yet, I was still a dedicated, hard working employee. However, due to the little things, like being late, my boss had begun to trust me less. As a consequence it would be harder to get days off, I started to be given tasks that others didn’t want to do, and it made my job much harder. Eventually, I quit this job. I had realized that the lack of trust between my boss and I made it harder for both of us. My bosses lack of trust in me meant that he had to keep a closer eye on me. Oppositely, the lack of trust led to a harder job for me; it was a lose-lose situation. It made me realize how important it was for an employer to trust an employee. This not only benefited the employer, but it benefited the employee as well which I had experienced in my second job. My second job at a pizza place called Pesci’s Pizza. For this job I was older and more determined to impress my boss. I was on time everyday, I always did my work ensuring both quality and quantity, and I tried to have a good attitude about it. Soon my boss began to trust me with more and more responsibilities, and I trusted my boss more and more. He started giving me authority over others, along with other perks such as: making it easier to take off, easier to move my shifts around, and getting nice holiday bonuses. I always trusted him to pay me on time, give me fair hours, and other things that made it more fun and easy to work there. As seen in my first job, the lack of trust leads to a more difficult time for everyone; whether it’s my boss having to keep an extra eye on me, or not being able to give me tasks that require more trust. As seen in my second job, the trust between me and my boss led to a more enjoyable work experience. Both me and my boss are rewarded for the trust we have for each other. This relates back to class in many ways. I believe if I was to form a trusting relationship with my professors, it would be a lot easier to obtain the necessary help required to do well in the class. From my personal experience, having a good relationship with your teacher leads to me being more successful in the class which is why it’s so important to trust them. Even though these relationships are with someone with more power than myself, we can both benefit from the relationship.
Trust is one of the most important qualities in a person. There are endless benefits to be had from a relationship built around trust. Whether it is a boss, a professor, a significant other, or simply a friend or family member. Both parties will profit from the reliance on another. Of course there is a risk taken when forming such a relationship, which is why I must be careful in choosing the degree of trust put in a person.