Mistrust Creates a Self-Reinforcing Spiral

Once trust in a person or institution is broken, it creates a self-reinforcing spiral of increasing mistrust. Any subsequent action, even if well-intentioned, is viewed through a lens of suspicion.

The Dynamics of the Spiral:

Initial Betrayal: An individual feels betrayed by an institution (e.g., they believe the government is hiding information). This initial event shatters their baseline level of trust.
Suspicious Interpretation: From that point on, all actions taken by that institution are interpreted in the most negative light possible. Ambiguity is always resolved as evidence of malice.
Actions Become "Proof": Actions that might seem reasonable to a trusting person (e.g., correcting erroneous data, not revealing national security methods) are seen by the mistrustful person as "proof" of a cover-up or conspiracy.
Mistrust Spreads: The mistrust directed at one institution easily spreads to others. If the FDA is seen as corrupt, it's a small leap to believe that the entire medical establishment, the media, and the government are also part of the same conspiracy. This is a key mechanism behind Loss of Trust Connects Disparate Misbeliefs.

This spiral is incredibly difficult to break. For the mistrustful individual, there is no action the institution can take that would restore trust; every action is simply more evidence for the original belief. This is why simply providing "more facts" is often ineffective at combating misbelief; the problem is not a lack of information, but a profound and self-perpetuating lack of trust.

Tags: #psychology #trust #mistrust #suspicion #cognition #spiral-of-silence #misbelief