Does trusting someone to be honorable help them to be honorable?

(After reading The History, by Herodotus [c.484-c.425 B.C.], Book 4, chapter 196)

Herodotus tells us that the Carthaginians told of a country they made trade with in northern Africa beyond the promontories of the Strait of Gibraltar. The custom with this country was that the Carthaginians would take the wares out of their ships and put them on the land along the beach and then return to their ships and raise a great smoke. The natives, seeing the smoke, would come to see what wares were laid out for them and would put an amount of gold out and then retreat. The Carthaginians would come ashore to see how much gold was laid out; if the amount was sufficient in exchange for the wares, they would take the gold and depart in their ships. If the amount was not enough, the Carthaginians would leave the gold on shore and go back to their ships and wait. The natives would bring more gold and lay it out and again retreat. The Carthaginians would again come and see how much gold was laid out, and if sufficient, they would take the gold and leave. If not, the Carthaginians would leave the gold there and go back to their ships and wait while the natives brought out more gold. This process would continue until the amount of gold came up to the value of the wares. After the Carthaginians departed with their gold and their ships, the natives would take the goods.

Apparently, the Carthaginians never touched the gold until enough was there to pay for the wares, and the natives never took any of the wares until the Carthaginians had taken away the gold.

This story may or may not be true; Herodotus simply tells us what he was told. This story, whether it is true or not, is a testimony to believing in the good will of people and of trusting one another. If nothing else, it testifies that someone was willing to believe this story long enough to tell it, and that Herodotus considered it at least possibly true, since he included it in his histories. I want the story to be true, because it sings good tidings. It says that if we trust someone to be honorable, he will be honorable. It speaks of the honor system, something many of us have forgotten about with all the bad news we hear on television and internet.

Do you think this story is true?

Do you think that if we trust someone to be honorable, it will help them to be honorable?

I would love to hear your comments. I encourage you to reply to this post with some thoughts of your own.

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