Trusting other people is not inherently easy for everyone. In fact, it’s quite a vulnerable thing to do. But closing ourselves off from others and assuming they’re untrustworthy leaves us much worse off. Ernest Hemingway, in a February 1953 letter to a friend, suggested that giving people the benefit of the doubt is the only way to build trust. In a way, extending trust to others demonstrates our own dependability, which may encourage them to reciprocate. Trusting is ultimately an act of courage — one that requires an openness and compassion we can only hope others will extend to us as well.