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Who can you trust?

January 27, 2023   ·   0 Comments

By Anthony Carnovale

True story:

The other night, there was a knock at our door. I was busy cooking, so my daughter answered it. I grew concerned when I didn’t hear any voices, so I decided to have a look. There was a man, young; he was tall, burly, in a tracksuit. I couldn’t see his face — it was early evening, and the outside lights weren’t on. I asked if I could help him. He stuttered and tripped over a few words. He could have a) been nervous

b) anxious c) had a speech impediment. I chose (a). He asked if we had received a package from Canada Post in error. My guard went up immediately. Another scam? Someone trying to take me for a ride? My daughter beside me. My house. Between clenched teeth I asked him, again, what he wanted. Before he could finish, I shut the door.

Most of the following is true:

This past week, my grade 12 students shared their final assignments with the class. They were instructed to write, and share, a poem that demonstrated their knowledge and understanding of the major themes of the course. Man, the kids stepped up. They were brilliant. Almost too good. Almost. And then something happened. I started to think that some of the poems may have been plagiarized. A few days prior to the reading of their poems, we had discussed ChatGPT. ChatGPT is a learning model that uses AI technology to hold text conversations that feel natural, as if you’re communicating with an actual human being (it is so much more than this). Students have been using it to plagiarize.

It was too late. A seed had been planted; a seed began to sprout. My initial enthusiasm was followed by pangs of doubt. I felt something begin to fracture inside of me, like an invisible thread being stretched and the longer I stayed in this mind-set the less I could trust the authenticity of their work. I forced myself to come back to that initial feeling. I had to — for my sake, and theirs. I needed to trust them because what’s a classroom without trust?

Trust is a vital part of our lives and is essential for healthy and meaningful relationships. It is the foundation of any strong relationship, and without it, nothing can be achieved. Trust helps us form and strengthen our relationships with others, and it helps us to rely on others in times of need. When we trust someone, it helps us to put our faith in them, knowing that they will be there for us and that they will remain loyal. Trust also helps us to be more open and honest with one another, allowing us to share our thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment or betrayal. Trust is not only important in relationships; it is also important in the workplace, as it helps to build a team atmosphere, where all team members are valued and respected. Trust, therefore, is an essential part of our lives and without it, relationships, whether personal or professional, cannot survive. Note: The paragraph you just read was not written by me; it was written using ChatGPT. I prompted it to write me a paragraph about trust and community.  

The following is mostly true:

A few weeks ago, my email was hacked. Last week, I received seven phone calls that were identified as “Likely Fraud”. Recently, there were fraudulent charges on my VISA: one, at a Brampton Shopper’s Drug Mart for $3600; another, for $60 at a pizzeria in Montreal.

Is it me, or is it getting more and more difficult to trust people? Everyday I’m reading and watching and hearing of people’s personal data being compromised, seniors being taken advantage of, houses being sold by people who don’t even own them. Locally, I walk into a coffee shop and wonder why their bags of coffee don’t have the weight marked on the bag. I pay what I pay elsewhere for a one-pound bag of coffee. When I weigh the bag at home it’s only 350 grams. I’m not surprised. We pay more for less, while billionaires, and banks, and grocery store owners and oil companies pull in record profits. It’s like the very act of living is just one big hustle.

Trust is like air— we take it for granted. We only see the value of it when it’s no longer there. Mistrust inevitably takes us into a confusing world of insecurity and second guessing. We look for hidden agendas, unexpected consequences, sinister motives. We become paranoid and turn away from one another. We’re always looking over our shoulders when we should be looking at one another in the eyes.

There are some very good reasons as to why some people don’t trust others. But I don’t like what’s happening to me. I’ve always trusted people; not because I’m naïve. I trust others because I’ve learned to trust myself (it also comes with being privileged). That’s how I roll. When someone tries to pull one on me, I try to respond with kindness, with love. W.H Auden wrote: “If equal affection cannot be, Let the more loving one be me.” But it’s getting harder to do this. I don’t like being played with; I’m not a toy. But it’s like I’m being beaten into submission, like I’m being forced to relent, to be afraid. And I don’t want to be afraid.

True story:

A few days after the young man came to our door, I found a notice from Canada Post in our mailbox. The address was my mine; the name was not. My heart broke.

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