The Trust Paradox

Being wrong and building trust.

“You can’t build trust if you can’t admit when you’re wrong.”

That might sound simple. Or maybe it feels completely foreign. In either case, how often do we live it out?

Whether it’s in a boardroom, a marriage, or a late-night parenting moment, the pressure to be right is real. We defend. We justify. We shift the blame.

Why? Because it feels safer than saying, “I was wrong.”

When you’re never wrong, you become unsafe. Unteachable. Unapproachable.

Think about the people you trust the most. Odds are, they’re not perfect. But they’re real. They’re humble. They’re willing to reflect, to own their mistakes, and to change.

There’s a moment in Training Day where Denzel Washington’s character, Alonzo Harris, drops this gem:

You gotta have a little dirt on you for anybody to trust you.

Alonzo wasn’t exactly offering a moral lesson—but the words still resonate. People don’t trust the ones who act spotless. They trust the ones who admit when their hands aren’t clean.

You don’t build trust by pretending you’ve never messed up.

You build it by owning the mess and choosing better.

Pride builds walls.

Humility builds bridges.

Trust grows best in the soil of honesty.

The next time you’re tempted to double down, try this instead:

“Let me think about that.”

Or better yet:

“You’re right—I didn’t handle that well.”

It might feel uncomfortable in the moment.

But dropping the facade earns trust—and keeps it.

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