Building Trust: In Business, Politics, Relationships, and LifeNothing can undermine a relationship more completely than lack of trust. In business, politics, marriage, indeed in any significant relationship, trust is the essential precondition upon which all real success depends. But what, precisely, is trust? How can it be achieved and sustained? And, most importantly, how can it be regained once it has been broken? In Building Trust, Robert C. Solomon and Fernando Flores offer compelling answers to these questions. They argue that trust is not something that simply exists from the beginning, something we can assume or take for granted; that it is not a static quality, or some semi-mystical atmosphere or "social glue." Instead, they assert that trust is an emotional skill, an active and dynamic part of our lives that we build and sustain with our promises and commitments, our emotions and integrity. In looking closely at the effects of mistrust--from insidious office politics that can sabotage a company's efficiency, to national politics rife with cynicism, to marriages that must be protected by prenuptial agreement--Solomon and Flores demonstrate how to move from naïve trust that is easily shattered to an authentic trust that is sophisticated, reflective, and possible to renew. The key to creating such trust, they show, is communication, a willingness to bring an uncomfortable subject into the open where its processes can be analyzed, understood, and rationally negotiated. As the global economy makes us more and more reliant on "strangers," and as our political and personal relationships become more complex, Building Trust offers invaluable insight into a quality none of us can flourish without. |
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Andrew Grove articulated attitude authentic trust background basic trust become behavior believe Bernard Williams betrayed blind trust breach of trust building cern commitments competence consider cordial hypocrisy corporation create culture cynicism Descartes dynamic Edmund Gettier Edward Banfield emotions essential evidence example faith familiar fear feelings Fernando Flores focus forgiveness Francis Fukuyama freedom Fukuyama hope Hubert Dreyfus important Jean-Paul Sartre leaders lives marriage matter means ment merely metaphor mistakes moods moral mutual naïve nature negotiation Niccolò Machiavelli Niklas Luhmann one's organizations paradigm paranoia perhaps person trusted philosophers politics practices predictability promises question realm resentment responsibility risk role say that trust self-trust sense simple trust skills social society strangers strategy taken for granted talk about trust tend thing think of trust tion trust and distrust trust and reliance trust and trustworthiness trust involves trust someone trusting relationship understanding virtue William Frankena