> The reality is that as you move up the social hierarchy in modern human society, trust tends to vanish and is ultimately viewed as something only a rube would

> The reality is that as you move up the social hierarchy in modern human society, trust tends to vanish and is ultimately viewed as something only a rube would rely on. This is why contract law exists, doesn't it? I thought about this in such framing, too. My observation was exactly this: in “higher classes” it looks like trust is implied, and in lower classes everybody is verified. My logic, however, runs such that we need to elevate the entire society to that level, rather than drop it to the level of “rubes” you mention. I.e., treat everyone as a respectable individual—a mentally healthy person tends to behave the way they are perceived by others—and by working on general well-being eliminate mental constructs that push people to secure themselves at the expense of others. Does this make sense?