I was watching a news magazine show the other day. As we know, the CDC has recently relaxed mask rules: if you are fully vaccinated, you pretty much don’t have to wear a mask unless otherwise directed. The host of the news show said to the director of the CDC-

“Aren’t you sort of relying on the honor system: that only fully vaxxed people will go unmasked?”

So I thought about that statement. How often are we on the honor system? How often do we trust those around us?

So today, I’m going to provide you with some prompts/situations, and figure out how trusting you are in each of them.

Do you trust:

• government
• science
• CDC
• vaccines

side note: if you trust vaccines and science and the CDC, are fully vaccinated and are still wearing a mask, I suggest you buy a couple of lottery tickets because you think the odds are fully in your favor

When you get in a car, do you trust:

• drivers to not be under the influence
• drivers to not be texting
• drivers have valid licenses

when you are out, do you trust:

• people to not mug you
• people to not assault you
• people to not pickpocket you

when you go on a date, do you trust:

• your date to show up
• your date to not rob you
• your date to not assault you
• your date to treat you with respect

When you are in a relationship, do you trust:

• your partner not to ghost you
• your partner not to abuse you
• your partner not to take all your money
• your partner not to kill you

Obviously, I could keep listing things….Don’t we always work on an honor system of sorts?

All the things I have mentioned about have the possibility of actually happening. The percentages may be small, but there is still that chance. How do we determine which risks to take, which situations to enter?

Isn’t everything a risk?

Aren’t we always taking a chance?

In your day to day life, how much do you trust people, situations, infrastructure?

At this moment I am trusting that no one is going to set fire to my building, no one is going to drive a truck into the lobby, no one is going to run past my doorman and invade apartments.

I trust my appliances to work. Electricity and gas and plumbing.

I trust all the workers in the building. I trust my neighbors.

Of course we take precautions: I lock my door. I make sure my oven is off. But even with all the precautions in the world, things still happen.

Can we guard against everything?

How do we assess risk?

How do we assess living?