ONE WORD IN FOUR HUNDRED WORDS – FIDUCIA (TRUST)

The word fiducia (trust) derives from the Latin word fides, which had the meaning of “confidence”, but also “courage, security” and in the legal lexicon that of “pledge, guarantee”. Therefore, it does not come from the Latin fides (‘faith, conviction, belief’), as it might seem at first sight. However, the verb fidere is at the origin of both words: fides and fiducia are therefore sisters and not mother and daughter.

The juridical meaning of trust perhaps helps to grasp what is at the heart of a concept that is so difficult to define in relation to its sister faith. The “guarantee” is in fact the concrete sign of commitment, unlike faith which is instead a reliance without guarantees. However, it would be reductive and wrong to conceive of trust as a commercial transaction with a contract and a ledger: trust is two-way and necessarily involves at least two parties, two human beings. We speak of ‘mutual trust’, not ‘faith’. Faith is a surrender to invisible, intangible and imponderable entities.

Trusting someone, be it a friend or a caregiver, requires courage. It is a gesture that exposes, based on the concession of a piece of oneself to the other. It is no coincidence that the verb that most commonly indicates the beginning of a relationship of trust is to dare (give), and the verb that marks the end is to perdere (lose).

Moreover, the basis of a relationship of trust is constantly put to the test: every action or word is subject to the judgement of the other party, and, if it is not considered to be in conformity with the tacit pact, the very foundation of the relationship of trust is lost and reconquering it is a difficult process that is not always feasible.
But it is not only the negative, the possible loss, that must be considered. A relationship of trust is above all also a strong bond, which unites people precisely because it is a giving of oneself to the other and at the same time an act of care.

In the clinical relationship, for example, the patient entrusts the caregiver with a part of his body, his mind or even his life. Literally, the patient “puts himself in the hands” of the caregiver, he makes an act of trust in the other’s competence. The caregiver, on the other hand, must be up to the task, must not promise miracles, and must relate to the patient by remembering that they are a person, not a collection of symptoms. It would be a mistake to confuse the patient’s trust in the doctor with faith; the close pact, in fact, involves both parties and is not unidirectional.

Please leave us a word for your feelings of fiducia.

Enrica Leydi

Born in Milan, she obtained a three-year degree in Modern Literature at the Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna. She is currently completing her Master's degree in Italian Studies at the same university in Emilia. She has been collaborating with ISTUD since April 2021 as coordinator of the journal "Cronache di Sanità e Medicina Narrativa".

This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. Mylee

    Greetings

    Personally I have been living by these words all my life or “Fiduciary Living”

    Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;
    I find that the word fits it

    Your writings are very helpful. I ran a summarizer on it and this is what it gave me.

    The word fiducia derives from the Latin word fides, which means confidence, courage, security, and in the legal lexicon, pledge, guarantee.
    The juridical meaning of trust helps to grasp what is at the heart of a concept that is so difficult to define in relation to its sister faith. Trust is two-way and involves at least two parties, two human beings.
    The basis of a relationship of trust is constantly put to the test, and if it is not considered to be in conformity with the tacit pact, the relationship of trust is lost.
    In the clinical relationship, the patient puts his body, mind or even life in the hands of the caregiver. The caregiver must be up to the task, must not promise miracles, and must relate to the patient as a person.

    any insight as to minimizing, to very simple and to the point definition for all work and applications.

    Is ike with faith, rather a long set of rules, i say, Love God & Love your neighbor. .. (this is the law & the prophets)

    I find the lack of Fiduciary in our society

    I look for your reply

    Always, At Your Service, With Grit & Love”

    lee

  2. Mylee

    ps
    I just sent an email.
    I think you for your insight.
    I think many of us live in ignorance.

    Long ago I grabbed a Hebrew Dictionary, and looked up “Salvation” and it means to be delivered, to have victory
    Other things like “Believe” means to believe in adhere to rely upon
    the Greek word for Hypocrite is “Actor”

    I find breaking out of our social bubble and getting to the history of a word, can help to get to the essence

    So I am not advanced like you, but I have Great Grit, and you may find Dr. Angela Duckworth book Grit a worthy read.

    thank you again

    Always,Gratefully, At Your Service, With Grit & Love”

    lee

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