The very word "society" conjures up images of cosy togetherness, welfare, and the ability for individuals to co-exist alongside each other. This much is true whether you subscribe to a right-wing, anti-immigration stance that finds solidarity through segragation, or you believe in more liberal diversity. The crux of the matter is that the ideal state is one in which all act as one. Harmony reigns, either through a dictatorship, or a utopianism.

But this is very much an ideal, and a powerful one at that.

As it is, the truth as it stands today is that the majority of those in which we place our trust (and, indeed, more) are only looking out for themselves. This is quintessentially the pivotal point of capitalism - that every individual acts in his or her own interests. And in a society run through economics, with rules set out to this effect, all instances of negotiation involving exchange should be considered in such a light.

Once this point is realised, a healthy layer of sceptiscm can happily grow around any individual that must make their way through the pitfalls of modern society. Having achieved this glow, it is far easier to assume that a person acting on behalf of a business will screw you over given a chance, and then re-assess their intentions as a relationship progresses. This way, behaviour that displeases the individual will be almost expected, whilst naturally altruistic partnerships will come as a pleasant surprise.

This is not to say that such scepticsm should be a detrimental, de-personalising facet to an individual. On the contrary, it is mere common sense to apply a more central line of bias for-or-against people that one interacts with. It is unfortunate that we are sold "trust", when really all we are doing is buying false confidence.

(See also: Language To Control Fears )