Belief - A Two Way Street

Belief is a strange thing. People often believe what they hear, assuming it’s true, sometimes without questioning its credibility. It’s fascinating how trust works, and today, I want to talk about how I manipulated the trust some of my closest ones had in me.

An Unforgettable Night

This story takes me back a couple of years when I was living far away from home. Only a handful of people (three or four, maybe) knew what really happened. Not my parents, not my friends, not my colleagues, not even my cousins. But now, I’m ready to share it. If you’re one of those people, brace yourself.

One fine evening, I decided to go out alone. I needed some time to think, to process the events in my life and clear my head. A long ride to nowhere in particular. As I headed back to my place, I wasn’t paying much attention to the surroundings, just me and the road, lost in my thoughts. It was a pitch-dark night, no moonlight, with only faint headlights in the distance. And yes, I was slightly intoxicated. Not the best decision. Everything felt fine… until it wasn’t.

In a split second, everything turned upside down. Before I even realized what was happening, I felt my body being dragged across the road. I’d been hit by a vehicle.

What happened next was a blur. Time went by but not my consciousness. When I woke up, I found myself in a hospital bed. The nurse’s hurried footsteps echoed in the quiet ward. The sterile smell of antiseptic hit me as I opened my eyes. I turned my head to figure out what had happened. There was an IV in my arm, and I noticed an empty blood transfusion packet beside me. I began checking myself, feeling each part of my body to see if anything was broken. Surprisingly, apart from few bruises everything was fine.

My roommate was sitting by my side. As I opened my eyes, he assured me everything was okay. The blood transfusion wasn’t even for me, it was for another patient in the same ward. Later, I learned that I had suffered a major concussion, and to be on the safe side, the doctors had sedated me to manage the pain and help my body recover. That explained why I had been unconscious for so long (~26 hours). But here’s where things take a turn.

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The Web of Lies

After being unconscious for so long, I called my mom. I wasn’t ready to explain myself, so I lied about why I hadn't called her the past day or two. I told her I’d been on a sudden trip, a forest camp where there was no network. I even added that I’d planned to surprise her with pictures once I got back, but things hadn’t go as planned. She believed me, and for a moment, I felt the weight of my deception.

That was the time I felt I’d broken the trust my parents had in me. They’ve always had blind faith in me, and I let them down without them even realizing it and I feel sorry about it.

A few days later, I told my cousin about the accident. But this time, I skipped the part about being intoxicated. I didn’t want to embarrass myself. Once again, I tweaked the truth, breaking her trust without her knowing it.

The list didn’t end there. To my close friends, I shared yet another version of the story - one where I was just the victim of a horrible accident. I didn’t tell them I was heartbroken or emotionally distressed that night. Back then, I wasn’t ready to admit what I was going through.

All I did was balance the fine line between trust and deception - at least, that's what I believed back then.

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A Lesson in Trust

Looking back, I realize how easily trust can be manipulated. People often hide their true stories, not to lie, but to mask their vulnerabilities. And in doing so, belief and trust get tangled up.

All I want to convey is this: blind faith is and always will be dangerous, as it leaves no room for questioning or understanding. Do not believe everything you hear. Ask questions. At the same time, be mindful of the trust others place in you. Don’t build trust easily, but once it’s built, don’t lose it either.

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Now, here’s something to think about. Most of you reading this have some sort of relationship with me. Maybe you trust me, and you probably believed everything I just shared.

But what if I told you this entire story was scripted? What if I was bluffing, and none of it ever happened?

Did I make you believe something based on the trust we share? Yes, I did. And that’s the point. I wanted to make you feel something, I tried to exploit your trust in me by adding an emotional layer that you would find relatable.

If you believed my story without question, it's not because you're gullible, it's because belief often hinges on trust. But as you've just seen, belief can be manipulated. So, if you ask me how to navigate this two-way street, I’d say: Don’t accept things at face value. Just because you trust someone doesn’t mean everything they say is the truth, and just because someone trusts you doesn’t mean you can make them believe anything you say.

I’ll leave it at that for now.

Have you ever twisted the truth to protect someone or yourself?