This article deals with a basic concept informing the work of Elliott Jaques: trust which is the social glue that binds people together and has consequences for all social domains. The etymological origins of “trust” connect with major normative concepts, including truth and relying upon others.
People do not have to love each other, or even to like each other, to work together effectively. But they do have to be able to trust each other in order to do so. Suspicion and mistrust are the prime enemies of reasonable human relationships.