Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Trust...To trust or not to trust, that is the question...

Trust Response: Writing One

On a scale of 1-10, to what extent do you trust the people around you? Briefly explain your answer by responding to the questions below:

· Do you completely trust your friends? Your family? Your teachers?
· Do you think they would ever betray you? If so, why and how?
· Could you ever betray them?
· What types of situations make people betray others?

33 Comments:

Blogger AnnaD said...

I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be posting on here yet, but I'm going to anyway!

On a scale of 1-10, I would rate the extent of my trust at about an 8. I completely trust my family because I know in my heart that they would never do anything to hurt me. I trust my friends a lot, also, though I have had situations in the past where friends have broken my trust in them.

To be blunt, I would never betray anyone, whether it be my friends, my family or my teachers; I could never and would never betray anyone. I believe that the only boundry between friendship and enmity is the frail line of trust. Once you have broken that line, there's no going back. I am never willing to risk it.

I think that people are most inclined to betray others when they are put in hazardous, unfamiliar or dire situations. In an extreme example, a person might betray someone else when that person is being held in a situation in which his life is on the line. In a more common situation, a person may be inclined to betray someone else to glorify or elevate himself. I have had this happen to me once before.

Overall, trust is very important in life, and I believe that it is important to keep that trust.

Tue Aug 29, 05:10:00 PM  
Blogger Laurab said...

My trust level is about at a 8. I trust some members of my family more than others, because I might feel safer with some than others. With my friends, it is the same way. My dad says that very few of your friends will stay with you forever, and that your truly best friends will stick with you through everything and help you. When I think about that, it tends to hit me in the face and make me think about who are the friends that will be with me forever. It also determines how I treat other people.
As for my teachers, once again, there are some that I have stronger relationships with than others. Some teachers don't bother to have a firm understanding with a student and it evolves into the student not caring about the class or the teacher. If I'm in a class, and the teacher has good rules and I respect them and vice versa, then I am more likely to trust that teacher to help me learn and grow.

I don't think I would ever betray my family, frinds, or teachers, because there would too much guilt hanging over my head more a time to come.I would always feel bad and probably never get over it. Allies are something you should treasure, and if you loose one, it normally comes back to bite you.

Situations that cause people betray others are those that try their morals and principles. These instances make people look at those around them and think about if theyreally want to be with that person.

Tue Aug 29, 05:22:00 PM  
Blogger shaunam said...

I really ccouldn't rate my trust because it all depends on who it is I am trusting.

I completely trust my family because they are my family and would do anything for me and they also have always been there for me. I would completely trust two of my friends beacause I have gained their trust and I know that they would do anything for me. I also know that I would do anything for them. I trust a few of my teachers but they are from past years. I would probably trust teachers from Arapahoe too but it is only the second week of school and I barely know all of them.

I really don't think that my friends would betray me and i hope that they wouldn't because they would mostly likely never regain it. If they did, it better be a reason with a very good explanation.

I couldn't ever betray someone if they have already fulfilled all of their trust in me. Only if it was a situation so bad that I can't even describe.

Situations that might make people betray others may be based on belief or if there is something in it for them. Those who do not betray you for anything are those that really care about you and are true to you.

Tue Aug 29, 06:51:00 PM  
Blogger EmilyLu said...

I agree with ShuanaM that a trust level is hard to gauge.

As far a trusting my friends, family and teachers, I trust them to always tell the me truth even it isn't very nice. But I generally don't confide in them because they all are human and humans inadvernatly slip up. I know that if tell them my secret, somehow the subject is going to come up and by accident my secret will get told.

I don't think my family will ever betray me because they care way too much. I don't my friends or teachers would ever betray except posibly if their life was in danger.

I don't I could ever betray anyone purposfully, except in an life or death situaion. However I know i do ever day accidently.

In general I think people betray others for gain of some sort, be it power, money, status, etc...

Tue Aug 29, 07:31:00 PM  
Blogger BenH said...

It all depends on what it is. Some people I trust more about certain things, and less about others. But some people i trust overall more than I trust others.

Yes, they abosulutely could betray me. Maybe for personal gain, but most likely by accident. They could betray me by telling things I asked them to keep secret, or they could try to harm me. It all depends on what happens.

I absolutely would betray my friends, my family, or my teachers. The situation would call for it. I will keep a secret to the the day I die, and consider myself completely trustworthy. But certain things would make me consider my obligation to you moot. For example, if someone told me they had a gun but said not to tell, and I thought they were dangersous, I would not hesitate to tell. However, if someone told me who they liked and asked not to tell, I would not do so unless I got their permission. But I consider myself first and foremost loyal to morals, humanity, and the greater good, not an individual.

Personal gain. Even if they do it for others, it is still personal gain. They would not betray for others if it did not make them feel good, or give them some sort of reward in return. It is ungalmorous, but everything in humanity is driven by personal gain.

Tue Aug 29, 08:03:00 PM  
Blogger BenH said...

I forgot about my rating. I think I generally trust most people on most things about a 7. However, I am extremely paranoid. I always plan for the worst possible scenarios.

For example, I do not like the desk-chairs with a bar on one side because, in the event of an emergency, it would restric my escape route from one side of the chair. Left with only one route of "chair egress", I would not have the flexibility in an emergency situation I would have if the chair was more open on the side.

That is weird, but it may save my life one day. You just never know.

Tue Aug 29, 08:07:00 PM  
Blogger Kjerstinl said...

On a scale from 1-10 I would say that my trust level is a 7 1/2. I can trust almost all of my friends, I'll tell them anything, but of course, almost anyone I talk to gets a little dose of my life. But when there is something huge that I just need to keep somebody, there are those few friends who I will talk to. I have had friends betray me before, and I admit I have betrayed them. Yet it's a part of life and everyone moves on.
Frankly, I don't tell my family those things, because I guess I'm scared. I don't know why, it's just me. Although, there are the few occaisons when something is too big that I will share it with my family. It's not that I would think that my family would betray me, it's just that I'm not at that level of opening myself to them. Would I ever betray my famiy? I hope not.
Other things that lower my trust level are group assignments at school. Too many times I have been with a group where I am the only one who's reliable and ends up turning in all the information PLUS I make up for what the other people did and fill in for them. Not only does that make me crazy, it doesn't always make me feel good either.
When it comes to trusting teachers though, that is something I can do. There have been many times where I just come and talk to them about something that I'm having problems with and it always is fixed and I always feel better in the end.
A situation that would cause for betrayal would be something to do with harming someone or something, and I'm not that kind of person, I don't have thoughts like that.

Tue Aug 29, 09:44:00 PM  
Blogger Shelby B. said...

Normally my trust factor would be around 8.

I almost completly trust my friends, but sometimes the will say things with out even thinking about it and lie. My familytries to tell the truth, they will say one thing, but find it be another (sometimes). I trust almost all of my teachers because I don't think they would lie to you (on pupose). I don't think they would betray me, but the only way I think they would would be for a good reason or on accident. I would never betray any one on purpose, but if I did it would probably to save someone's life. When people end up betraying others when they are in a fight or upset with someone, or even when they are under pure pressure. I don't think most people would do it on purpose.

Tue Aug 29, 10:38:00 PM  
Blogger chelseah said...

How much I trust someone just depends on the person. I trust all of my teachers and my parents very much, and all of my friends vary, based on their personalities. How much I trust my friend also depends on past experiences I have had with them. For example, if I told my friend something and asked them not to tell, and they told someone, then my trust level towards that person would lower.
I don't think that my parents or teachers would betray me; and even if they did something that made me upset, I doubt it would be true betrayal. You find out who your true friends are through trust, and your true ones would not betray you. I would never betray any one on purpose, and I hope that I never do. Situations that make people betray others are ones in times of jealousy or envy, and peer pressure.

Wed Aug 30, 03:06:00 PM  
Blogger lauraf said...

I completely trust my teachers and my parents. My siblings I just with most everything but if it there is a certain circumstance that I have told them before, and I lost their trust, then I don't trust them with that information. Some friends I trust more than others--it completely depends on the situation and what that person has done in the past to either gain or lose my trust. The people I tell things to would never betray me or else I would trust them. I could never betray them unless they were planning on doing something that would negatively affect either them or another person.

Wed Aug 30, 03:17:00 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

Wed Aug 30, 03:22:00 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

My blog is finally working!! I emailed my response yesterday, but since then I've kind of thought about my answers.
My trust level for the people around me is probably a 7 or 8. For my close friends I trust them at a 9, and my family I trust at a level of 10. Sometimes I don't completely trust my teachers because sometimes they may seem unreliable or I really just don't know them very well.
I think that anyone could betray me, because everyone is human, and humans make mistakes sometimes. I really hope that I wouldn't betray my friends or family, but I really can't say that I never would. I just don't know.
I think people betray other people when they are deperate, and when something really precious to them is on the line, for instance popularity.

Wed Aug 30, 03:38:00 PM  
Blogger KariB said...

I have a lot of trust in people I know because I hope they have a lot of trust in me. I would put my level of trust in people at an 8. I have complete trust in my friends, family and teachers. I tend not to trust strangers as much (duh), and I could never betray them on purpose, and I like to think they wouldn't purposely betray me. I think people are motivated to betray other people for personal gain, whether if thats money, posessions or revenge.

Wed Aug 30, 03:45:00 PM  
Blogger DeclanH said...

My level of trust varies depending on who the person is. I probably trust my friends more than anyone else. I do trust my family and my teachers (Except Smith. She's a shady character) but I wouldn't trust them with what I trust my friends with. I trust teachers and family with my safety, but I trust my friends with my safety along with everything else. Although, this isn't to say I would tell them absolutely anything. For example, I've had a friend since before kidergarten that I wouldn't tell most things. But this is because I've had a very long time to get to know him, and I know he has a very big mouth. That being said,I have a friend that I've known for less than sixth months that I would tell anything, so it all depends on the person. I don't think any of my friends, teachers, (once again, with the exception of Smith) or family would stab me in the back. I like to think they're better people than that.

Wed Aug 30, 05:01:00 PM  
Blogger erinl said...

To rate on a scale of who i trust, each person would be different. I spend so much of my time with different people like friends, family and acquaintances. I rate every person with a different amount of trust. People who are closer to me I tust more, and that random person I just met today i wouldn't be able to trust at all.

People are betrayed all the time. I think that it has probably happened to everyone at one point in time or another. But, that is part of life and you put all the pieces back together, learn from the situation, and move on. Everyone is human and we are all entitled to our mistakes.
Probably the the most common situation were people are betrayed by their peers is when there is jealousy. It probably depends on the situation, and that is probably not always the answer, but I do believe that it is a factor in Macbeth.

Wed Aug 30, 05:01:00 PM  
Blogger TyC said...

I only have a few friends that I can really trust, and even they aren't always trustworthy all the time. I would probably rate my friends an 8 out of 10. I can always trust my family, so they are a 10. Good teachers that I know well are probably a 9 or 10, but some teachers aren't really trustworthy at all. I don't think that my friends would ever betray me, but you never know when they will find a "better offer". I don't think that I would betray my close friends. My family would never betray me, and I would never betray them. I dont't think a teacher would ever betray anyone that trusts them, so I would never betray them.

Wed Aug 30, 06:26:00 PM  
Blogger tanal said...

Trust is a very hard thing to get. I trust people withlittle things but if it is a bigger problem or situation then i only have a couple people i really trust. It is very hard to earn someones trust and to have people you truly trust. But it is very hard to lose that trust. I trust my family and teachers completely. I know my family would never do any thing that would lose their trust and that they are always willing to listen and help, but not tell. I don't trust my younger sister very much though just because there really hasn't been anything she wouldn't tell to others or spread. That is also a reason why I wouldn't trust some of my friends although they may be close friends.

Trust also may lead to betrayal sometimes. Although i don't trust some people on a higher level I don't think they would ever beray me and i would never betray them. If someone betrayed me they would probably never regain their trust from me again. I would only betray someone if it could be leading to violence or something very bad that needs to be reported for the better.

Wed Aug 30, 06:28:00 PM  
Blogger krump said...

Trust is such an important thing and it has to be earned. I would have to rate my trust at a 5 because it really depends on the person.
I trust my closest friends the most, the ones who have been there for everything. I probably trust my family more than anyone because they are the people I know the best. Right now, I like most of my teachers and a lot of them are easy to trust.
I hope no one ever betrays me, but sometimes people do and you can't do anything about it. Usually, it's when someone is trying to please themselves or get more "popular." :)
I don't think I would ever betray them, even though I have in the past. But if gives this ickey feeling that's hard to get rid of.

Wed Aug 30, 07:03:00 PM  
Blogger briang said...

On a scale 1-10 I would rate my trust for the people around me with a 7. I would say in general i would trust people with a 7 but my level of trust for the people around me all depends on the person and situation. I wouldnt say i COMPLETELY trust anyone except myself because i would never betray myself, that would be really mean. But seriously, i would say that i could never trust completely a friend, teacher, or relative. I will say however that i trust certain friends, teachers, and family members a lot, but no one is perfect and so i say i could never trust someone completely.
It is deffinitly possible for someone to betray me because not only would i say that i myself would betray someone, but also that everyone betrays or does somthing wrong once in a while. However, i think depending on the situation, my friends would be either more or less subject to betray me. I think if somone betrayed me, it would most likely be an accident though. I know there are cases where someone would betray me on purpose, but most likely that is not the case for me.
I could certainly betray someone. I think everyone does sooner or later and i know that whether i did it on purpose or on accident, i am deffinitly capable of betraying someone. I know its not a very good thing to do, but i am only human, and so therefore i could betray anyone.
The types of situations that end in betrayal are ones where the person who betrays benifits from the outcome. That or someone could be betraying you for your own good.

Wed Aug 30, 07:10:00 PM  
Blogger bawachmu said...

I tust many of my very close friens and family. It's when you get into the people that you don't really know that I get a little suspicious. But, generally, I trust most people I meet. On a scale of 1-10...I'd say about a 7 or 8. Sometimes I'm not sure I should be so trusting. This last year on my church trip, my ipod nano was stolen. This distressed me majorly-this was a church retreat and I spent my saved up money on that ipod. When it comes to things expensive, I won't trust anyone I don't really know. I's really kind of sad, but, worth it.

I get really ticked at people who betray their friends trust. Gossip, well, tends to pull out secrets you "promised not to tell". I strongly disagree, and every day ogf my life, people willtell me to keep something a secret, and I am very proud to say that my friends trust me and I trust them. I would never betray them.

I believe that humans will betray other people if they arn't close friends(or complete strangers), out of fear, or out of the desire to gossip.

Wed Aug 30, 08:02:00 PM  
Blogger Mphair said...

Trust is a valuable thing. One of the most valuable things in the world, if not the most. In a poetic sense of mind, trust is rather like a butterfly, it can go from person to person, place to place, and never stay long, but the memory is always there and forever stays with an individual. However, a hungry bird comes along and kills and eats that butterfly. To me, trust and love are like that butterfly, and war, hunger, sickness, devestation, and greed are like that bird; killing the butterfly of trust, and tearing it apart.

I give different people diferent levels of trust. My best friends and my family have a very high rating of trust; such as a 7 or an 8. My good and solid friends get a 5 to a 6, while people I have just met recieve a 3-4...which, I know you aren't supposed to judge a book by its cover, is normally how I judge people at first with trust.

Wed Aug 30, 08:06:00 PM  
Blogger Aylar said...

I trust people untill they give me a reason not to. I don't however COMEPLETLY trust my friends with everything right off the bat I mean realationships take time to build and people tend to show there true colors when youve been around them for a while. I trust my family with almost everything. I don't however TELL them every detail about my life I prefer to tell them important things and other things I keep to myself
I trust my teachers with school things and some of them with SMALL bits of personal infromation. I have had a few friends betray me by spreading ugly rumors or telling people false things about me and that hurts man!!! My family won't betray me I don't think.... JK!! They love me and would do what was best for me. I don't think a teacher would betray your trust but it can happen. That's why most teachers don't know a whole lot about my personal life. I try to ALWAYS be loyal to everyone and usaully am; but there are times when I get burned and I burn people back. NOT COOL on my part I know!! I need to work on that. I don't think I've ever betrayed my family or any teachers.

Wed Aug 30, 08:22:00 PM  
Blogger Connor DUCETIME said...

I think i trust every one around me 9 out of ten. I definitely can trust my whole family and my brothers most of the time. I think my brothers bring it down to nine because sometimes they tell on me to get me in trouble. I trust my friends not completely, but i definitely do. I know my guy friends will talk crap about me behind my back with themselves , but i do that to so its fine. As long as they dont spread rumors, which i dont really care about in the first place, its cool. I dont think anyone will betray me besides my brothers to get me in trouble once in a while. I could easily, but i wont. Me and my friends saying is bros before h**s so we always stick together and then go with the girls. Jealousy can cause betrayal easily. Same with a girl a guy really likes.

Wed Aug 30, 08:43:00 PM  
Blogger sarahc said...

I totally trust my friends. Especially my friends at church. I would trust them with my life. I also trust my family, even if I don't always show it. My teachers i usually don't know that well, so I can't anwser that question.
I can't say if people I know would betray me. It all depends on their personality and how they have changed. If my friends make wrond decisions and don't change, my trust in them will drop.
I could never betray my friends. No matter how much they change, they were still once my friends and no one can change so completely as to lose who they really are, their divine nature.
I think situations where people are faced with life or death make friends betray each other. If you are faced with your life vs. your friends life, I think their are very few of us who would be able to give up our life for someone else. Luckily, almost no one will have to be in a situation like that. I also think that a situation that has to do with pride and moving up in society makes people betray each other. If you really want to get into the "popular" group, you will do almost anything, depending on how badly you want to be popular. Pride, either getting it hurt, or making it stronger, has a lot to do with whether or not we will betray our friends. Pride is a VERY influential factor in our everyday behavior. If your pride is going to get hurt, many people will do anything to keep it at the level where it is or raise their level of pride, no matter what.

Now, that doesn't mean that everyone will betray their friends. Many people out there are very trusting and will do anything for their friends. There is a lot of bad in the world, but there is also a lot of good, too.

Wed Aug 30, 10:33:00 PM  
Blogger hannahs said...

I am not a very trusting person when it comes to the people around me. I probably have a trust level of 6. I do not completely trust my friends. I really don't know why because I have amazing friends who, even if they did betray me, it would have been an accident. I trust my friends with most things but when it comes to really important secrets, I ususally don't share with them. I do trust my family completely because they love me and they would never intentionally hurt me. I trust my teachers because I don't share anything with them that they could betray me with. I do not think my friends, family or teacher would ever betray me. I could never betray anyone on something that is really important. People betray others when there is a personal gain. If you betray someone, especailly someone you know or love, then you are probably doing it to benifit yourself. Also, I think people betray others to get back at them for something they did.

Wed Aug 30, 11:16:00 PM  
Blogger jbarry said...

On a scale of 1-10, I probably trust my friends with a 5. They have proven that sometimes even the deepest secrets aren't safe with them. My parents however are very trustworthy. They have never let something out that they are not supposed to. I suppose that if I got extremely mad at someone then I could let out a secret that they had entrusted to me, but only on a few small conditions.

Thu Aug 31, 07:46:00 AM  
Blogger Phillip said...

No I don't trust my friends, due to past experiences. That is usualy the reason for anyone to be not trusting, you might not be friends with people who betrayed you and you don't trust your new friends due to those past experiences.

Thu Aug 31, 01:10:00 PM  
Blogger BenH said...

I think that madisonm said it very well. I guess i end up trusting most people about a 6 or so, but before I get to no them I have absolutely no trust. Unless they demonstrate they are trustworthy, I do not want to risk it.

I also agree with hannahs, that some things are best kept to yourself. There are some things I never have and never will tell anyone because they are so personal to me. And you can never completely trust anyone. Circumstances may change. And if they are armed with that information when that happens, you can be in a lot of trouble.

All this talk of secrets makes me wonder what amazing and sometimes terrible things people dont know about the people closest to them.

Thu Aug 31, 08:15:00 PM  
Blogger KathrynT said...

On adverage, i tend to trust those around me starting out at about a 5. From there, it can go up or down, based on how they look, talk, act, and whether or not they talk to me and trust me. As for my freinds, I have to trust them in order for them to really be my freind. I have lost a few of my freinds becuase i felt that i couldn't trust them much any more. They acted in a way that made me feel like i couldn't trust them to be a good freind, or even lost their trust in me for reasons unknown. As a result, our freindships fell apart over our lack of trust in each other. One really good freind of mine I trust in so much that there is a 9 on the trust scale right there. As for my teachers, I tend to start out trusting them at about a 6, because they are in a postition of trust. From there it will most likely go up, based on how much they trust their students and care about them to really get to know them and to give their students information and chances to get to know them as a teacher and a person.
I trust my family probably more than anyone, because i know they will always love me, no matter what. Siblings have special tust though, because you know they will always be there for you, but yet your trust in them may change to some degree based on how often you fight and talk and how well you know each other. They probably know the most about you because to them your not the sweet little child you were when you were little. They know more of your personality and your weird side, because they are supposed to think you are a little weird, unlike your parents, but you still know that they will always love you, no matter what.
Any one can betray you, but I would never expect and would be bewildered and very hurt if my family did because of the "unconditional love." It would be more expected from a freind, becuase you don't have the same relationship with them as you do a family member, but would still hurt very bad. As for a teacher, it would be unexpected that they betrayed you, but would be a slightly different circumstance because you don't tell them a whole lot about you on a personal basis with them unless they are like a freind to you. Also, it is part of their job for their students to be able to trust them, because they do know things that not every one should know, like your grade.

Thu Aug 31, 08:44:00 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I think I'm about a 7 or 6 on the trust scale. I tend to be a bit more cenile than most people my age. I only REALLY trust a few people. Other people I consider capable of things like talking bad about me or something like that. My family I trust beyond everything. On the whole I suppose I trust teachers. They haven't ever really given me a reason not. to.

Thu Aug 31, 09:53:00 PM  
Blogger BenH said...

I think that is an excellent point Alex made about the other gender being involved. The whole element of people that are not of the same sex sort of ups the ante a little bit in any situation.

Tue Sep 05, 09:14:00 PM  
Blogger endsleye said...

Sorry Ms. Smith but my comment for this wasn't showing up and it is finally letting me comment on this one! On a scale from 1-10 I trust my friends around a 7. I strongly agree if saram that I let my friends earn their trust to a 10 but with something happens and I lose their trust, it is hard for me to let them gain it back. But I also think that it depends on the situtaion! In elementary school saram and I HATED each other with a passion! It was like this from the first time we met in 1st grade to the time we continued in 5th. Starting in 6th grade we had some classes together and we started to become friends but there wasn't really any trust in the relationship. By the time 7th grade came around we had every single class together, we were best friends, inseperable, but we got in fights a whole ton, but also some trust was gained. In 8th grade we had one class together and not even lunch. She made a new best friend and i made some other friends but not best friends. Since we didn't have any classes together we stared hearing things that people said we said and so the trust scale went down. Now we aren't was connected at the hip as we were in 7th grade but I trust this girl with my life and she is up at a 9.5 on my trust scale. So i think that in different situations it can alter. I also agree with alexm that trust is different with the opposite sexes.
With my family I trust them about an 8, because I can tell my family things but I am not always certain if they will keep my secrets. Sometimes I will tell my mom something that I don't want my dad to know and she will tell him and sometimes she will tell her friends or the other way around. So i don't give them my full trust but I still trust them!
With my teachers I trust them almost a 10. Because most of my teachers over the years have become more of friends then teachers and I know that I can trust them with everything!
My friends might betray me if they don't want to hurt my feelings or with they want to hide something from me that they are ashamed of or don't want me to know.
My family might betray me if I tell them a secret and they decide to tell their friends or other family.
I think that my teachers would only betray me if it was life threatning.
I think that I have betrayed almost all my friends, family, or teachers at least once. By lieing about something or making up excuses. (But not you Ms. Smith :])
People betray others in situations that make them feel vaulnerable, weak, or scared.
Sorry again that this is late! :]

Tue Sep 05, 09:52:00 PM  
Blogger HarryPotterFreak(danh) said...

Here's a late response: I would probably rate my friends a 5 or a 6 because I've had lots of friends that have told people things I told them not to tell people and over all betrayed my trust. My family and teachers would both be 9's or 10's because I know that my family (at least my parents) loves me enough to not do things I don't want them to. The same goes for my teachers. The only reason I can think of why my parents would betray me is if i didn't want the government or someone to know something that put people in danger. Then that would be O.K. The same goes for me betraying people.

Sun Sep 17, 10:37:00 PM  

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