Seneca said in his Moral Epistles (III) that “it is a vice to trust anyone, as much as not to trust anyone”. The lack of trust makes the pillars that sustain society become fragile and pessimism spreads. The Dictionary of the Royal Academy of Language defines trust as “firm hope that one has of something”. The hopeful context of trust contrasts with the social climate and public opinion.
Uncertainty, fear, and even hate are widespread emotions. The generalization of distrust causes situations where discouragement and paralysis infect the economic, social and political environment. It is the context that I have just described in the book Crisis of Confidence (2007-2022). The discredit of the media (Pamplona: EUNSA, 2022) .
One of the references in the study of confidence is the Edelman Barometer, which has been presented on the occasion of the Davos economic summit since the year 2000. The report glosses a survey carried out on 32,000 people in 28 countries of the five continents.
In 2022, the Barometer alluded to the growing obligations of companies . His duties increased as a consequence of the crisis of government leadership. Trust in business (61%) outranked NGOs (59%) and governments (52%). Respondents trusted their employer more (77%) than other institutions.
Citizens said they would buy and support brands that match their principles (58%). They searched for workplaces in line with their convictions (60%) and were willing to invest in brands and companies in line with their beliefs and values (64%). For 88% of institutional investors, ESG (environmental, social and governance) factors should receive the same attention from companies as finance or operations.
Navigating a polarized world
The 2023 edition of the Barometer abounds in several ideas that appeared in 2022. Companies improve their ethics score for the third consecutive year and are the only institution considered both ethical and competent. There is a gap of up to 11 points between trust in companies (62%) and trust in governments (51%).
The report shows a collapse of economic optimism. Only 40% of those surveyed say that they and their families will be better off in five years, ten points less than in 2022. In 21 of the 28 countries, trust is uneven. There is a gap between “winners” and “losers”, with different perceptions based on income level.
The Barometer considers the polarization severe in six countries: Argentina, Colombia, Spain, the United States, Sweden and South Africa. Eight others, Germany, Japan, Italy, Mexico, South Korea, France, the United Kingdom and Brazil, are at risk of also reaching that level.
Distrust of governments, the lack of a shared identity, systemic inequality, economic pessimism, social fears and mistrust in the media are the factors that drive polarization.
The report highlights the tendency for ideology to become identity. Those who are willing to collaborate with people with different visions are a clear minority. The deepening of divisions tends to weaken the social fabric, which no longer serves as a basis for unity.
65% of those surveyed worldwide say that the lack of civility and mutual respect is today the greatest they have seen in the course of their lives. For 62%, the social fabric that traditionally supported the countries has become too weak to serve as a basis for unity and the common good.
Citizens think that not facing divisions has consequences. The five most cited are worsening prejudice and discrimination; slowdown in economic development; the possibility of violence in the streets; the inability to face social challenges, and the damage to personal finances.
The media are also responsible for the confrontational landscape that the report depicts . In a situation of financial panic, communication companies, in need of an audience and with difficulties aggravated by the pandemic and the subsequent economic crisis, seek quick solutions, appeal to partisanship or fall into clickbait . This context has not served to improve economic results in the media and causes distrust, lack of interest and fatigue in the news in audiences.
trust transforms
In her excellent book Who Can You Trust? (2017) , Rachel Botsman explained that, like energy, trust is neither created nor destroyed, it is transformed. The general mistrust in social institutions is not accompanied by mistrust in other instances. In the report, trust is linked to proximity: those who work with me, the neighbors, the leader of my company, people from the community itself or the country itself.
The report also singles out scientists and professors as trustworthy sources. Furthermore, as shown by Airbnb, BlaBlaCar or Uber, technology is facilitating new modalities of trust.
The difficulties for coexistence, the fears and the pessimism that are glimpsed in the Barometer data are disturbing. In Spain an electoral year awaits us, a time that is not usually favorable for thinking about the common good. But the results of promoting polarization and partisanship are not being good, neither for the political class nor for the media.
The responsibility of companies seems greater every day, but it is not clear that they are prepared for the high expectations that they arouse. The Barometer indicates a relevant fracture of the social fabric. Now it is up to everyone to build an ecosystem where you can breathe.
Read the original article in Spanish The Conversation
