Trust & Doubt

I was just reading a book on Gilles Deleuze and a friend asked me what I was reading. It was in French, but I translated one phrase for her and she said he doesn’t make sense (it was half a joke as Deleuze is my favourite philosopher). So it started a train of thoughts on trust and doubt, which gets enriched in discussion with a few others. I share the initial components here.

1. “Trust is possible only if the possibility of doubt exists in that situation.” I can doubt another person or God, and so there is a possibility of trusting. I am not sure whether certainty and doubt can co-exist. A ball thrown up will come down (science). Once you learned this, it’s foolish to doubt that theory in ordinary situations. But trust and doubt co-exist at least as possibilities. In some strong moments of doubt, no trust is there (though possibility of trust is there). And in privileged moments of utmost trust, doubt is not seen or felt (though possibility of doubt is there). Probably realising trust and doubt walk together, and needn’t be taken only as enemies can assure our lives.
2. Taking this a step further, “the possibility of trust exists in the parlays of doubts.” This is quite similar to christian thought which says salvation abounded from the trenches of sin. Thus the possibility of trust is there, even when I am at the peak moment of doubt. It is not necessary that I actualise that trust always or in all situations.

Any situation of abuse or trauma is a very complicated situation, and we should be very careful before saying to the victim, with so much doubts on that abuser to trust that person. Sometimes the abuser has changed and is a new person and has given explicit signs of it. It’s still only his or her choice to decide whether to trust or not. None can and should force it to happen.