The Slow Death of Trust

With the flood of AI-generated slop and constant exposure to real-world negative news, one thing that’s taking the biggest hit is trust. It’s one of those rare virtues that compounds slowly over time and yet, can collapse to zero in an instant.

In both personal and professional settings, no one wants to be around someone they can’t trust. That’s why great companies invest heavily in reference checks and set a high bar for hiring. A 30-minute interview might reveal your skills, but it says little about your ethics, values, or integrity.

The same principle applies to oneself. When you tell yourself you’ll do something and then don’t you chip away at your own self-trust. Over time, that breeds frustration and adds to self-doubt. The simple act of keeping promises to yourself is one of the most underrated ways to build confidence and respect for who you are becoming.

Now, what happens when someone else breaks your trust? Sadly, it’s becoming more common largely because mediocrity is being normalized. Standards are falling, values are fluid, and people have more options they can choose from. Add the pursuit of quick dopamine hits and a lack of self-awareness and self-esteem, and you get a world where breaking trust feels as casual as quitting a Netflix show halfway through. What people don’t realize is that every act of betrayal shrinks their own world. Words travel faster than we think especially when everything is online and has a digital footprint. At the end of the day, there’s only one person you owe accountability to yourself. If you can’t look in the mirror and feel proud of the person staring back, there’s a lot of work to be done. In fact, most people who break trust could have achieved their goals with grace if they had just chosen courage over fear. Breaking trust is not strength it’s a quiet act of cowardice that erodes self-respect.

For those who’ve been on the receiving end you’ve lost nothing. Stay curious, keep learning, and take notes on what not to become. Life’s best lessons often come disguised as disappointments.

I remain deeply optimistic about the future and about people, about our potential, and about the timeless value of doing the right thing (One of Uber’s values as well). Closing this post with this classic Buffett clip. Worth a listen.