I’ve always been the type to sit back. I listen more than I talk. Not because I have nothing to say, but because people will tell you a hell of a lot about themselves if you just shut up and pay attention. Lately, I’ve been listening, and I’m learning things. Or maybe I’m assuming things based on what I’ve seen. Either way, the picture isn’t exactly getting prettier.

I’m learning that I don’t trust many people anymore. Honestly, the only person I completely trust is my wife. People are hypocrites. They’ll tell you one thing and do another. They’ll make rules and then find excuses for themselves. They’ll demand honesty while lying through their teeth. They’ll expect everyone else to follow standards they conveniently ignore when those standards become inconvenient. Somehow, this has become normal.

That’s the part that bothers me. You’re supposed to trust people. Your coworkers. Politicians. Your friends. People you deal with every day. People who are supposed to have your back. But then you sit back and actually watch. You listen. You notice the contradictions. Eventually, you start realizing that people’s actions usually tell you more than their words ever will.

I’m not saying everyone is terrible. I’m saying I’ve learned to pay attention. I don’t need to argue with people. I don’t need to call them out every time they contradict themselves. I don’t need to play detective or start some pointless confrontation. I can just sit back, listen, watch, and remember. Maybe that sounds cynical. It probably is. But there’s a difference between being cynical and being stupid.

Trust should be earned. It shouldn’t automatically come with a name, a job title, a friendship, or some bullshit promise about how someone is “different.” I’d rather watch what you do. Words are cheap. People give them away for free. Actions cost something. And lately, I’ve been paying a lot more attention to the actions.