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given action we unconsciously confirm a lot of implicit assumptions and predictions. We are
'confident' in the ground, in a chair, in a key, etc. Only when something goes wrong, we
become suspicious and worry about something. But this form of trust is fundamental also in
social life and for the maintenance of social order, which is based on trust and is the basis for
trust (Chapter 9).
In sum, the lack of explicit trust covers three different mental states:
insufficient trust ( X does not estimate enough Y to count on him, she has some negative
evaluation on Y ) (see below);
mistrust ( X worries about Y );
implicit trust , be it either spontaneous, naive and by default (lack of suspect), or be it
automatic and procedural, just based on previous positive experience and learning.
4.6.1 Social by-Default Trust
By-default trust is very relevant in social life, especially in communication: we - for example -
ask for information from people who we have never met before and we will never meet again,
which might deceive us without any external sanction. In general our claim is that Grice's
principles about linguistic communication are in fact two default rules. It is obviously true
that people can lie, but they should have some reason for doing so; it is true that people can
not believe, reject information, but they have to have some reason for this. The speaker's and
the hearer's default rules in linguistic communication are as follows; and the hearer rule is a
'trust' rule.
The speaker's default rule:
'except you have specific reasons for deceiving, say the useful truth'
The hearer's default rule:
'except you have specific reasons for being diffident, believe the speaker'
We justify the existence of this default-rule (to say the relevant truth and to ask for informa-
tion and believe in people) with a form of 'reciprocal altruism' in humans about exchanging
and circulating knowledge (Conte, 1995). Knowledge is such a crucial resource for human
beings and is made more valid by social circulation and sharing, that passing on in a reciprocate
fashion becomes a serious advantage.
An important form of by-default trust is also in 'generalized trust' (see Chapter 6):
'Except you have specific reasons for diffidence towards a given agent, trust everybody in this
context/community/category'
The reason why we are so sensitive to a trust atmosphere is that this is the 'signal' of a diffuse
default-rule, and we can adopt it while greatly reducing the cost of search and monitoring of
information, and our stress and worries.
 
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