<p>Is it wise to be suspicious of the motives or honesty of other people, even those who appear trustworthy? Plan and write essay in which you develop your point on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.</p>
<p>In life, there are always selfish reasons to do things. For the most part, you act selfishly; you should be looking out for yourself. If you aren't, you will be trampled by others who are. Therefore, in life, you should never completely trust someone. Everyone has ulterior motives; everyone will advantage of you if given the opportunity. There is wisdom in having a natural suspicion of others.
A great example of why one should suspicious of the motives of others lies in George RR Martins magnum opus, A Song of Ice and Fire. In the story, there is an important lord by the name of Ned Stark. He is well known throughout the entire kingdom as a fair and just man, and the thus the king makes him his Hand, or second in command. Ned is unlike most lords of the court in that he doesnt jokey for power nor play politics like them. Lord Stark also chooses to trust the realms master of coin, Lord Petyr Baelish. When the king dies, Ned believes Lord Baelish will support him in trying to make the late kings will come true, but finds out that Lord Baelish sold him out to another noble house in return for a higher position of nobility. Had Lord Stark listened to Lord Baelish during their initial encounter, when Petyr told Ned not to trust him, to trust no one in the capital, Lord Stark would have lived.
Another example of why one shouldn't blindly trust others in the non-aggression pact of 1938 between Germany and the Soviet Union. Stalin was under the impression that Germany would be too busy attacking to bother with attacking him, and thus he blindly trusted Hitler. Of course, Hitler broke the pact in 1941 after he conquered Western Europe, and Stalins faith in Hitler almost cost him his nation, as Hitler almost captured his capital.
Trust is something one should not rely on. There is little to gain and a lot to lose when one trusts people who, when given the proper incentive, will cross you, even if they appear to be genuine people. Although suspicion is hard on the soul, it is better that than the hardness of sorrow or death.</p>