Obvious advice, but the hard part is deciding to follow it. There are so many reasons not to. Here are a few:
(Author’s note, for clarity. Why I might decide to do business with someone I don’t really trust.)
- I can’t afford to be picky – there aren’t enough choices out there.
- I don’t trust any of them, so what difference does it make.
- I trust everyone.
- I don’t trust my ability to make decisions about trusting people.
- They offer the lowest price.
- They are the most convenient to work with.
- I’ve been doing it my way for a long time, and nothing really bad has happened so far.
- I’m smart enough to outsmart them, and I know how to keep from being cheated this time.
- I enjoy taking risks.
- I don’t want anyone to think I don’t trust them.
- I am afraid of making a wrong decision about this. (from a comment by Steve Alexander)
There is value in putting your finger on exactly why you don’t want to do something. You have to accept it for what it is, before you have any hope of changing it. And even then, it can be a long process.
If you can think of more reasons you might decide to do business with someone you can’t really trust, please add them in the comments. Thank you.
Author
I think you left out the biggest reason of all – you do trust them, but you made a mistake in doing so, They are not really trustworthy, and you thought they were. This is one of the worst situations to get into, and the hardest to face and correct. It’s hard to admit you were simply wrong.
Steve – Yes. Trusting someone, and then discovering that they are not really trustworthy can cause you to doubt your ability to make future decisions about whether to trust someone or not. And then you face the fear of being wrong. I will add that to my list of reasons that you might decide to do business with someone you are not sure that you trust. Thank you. – Carl Ingalls