Don’t Let Disappointment Stop You From Trusting People

When was the last time your trust was broken? 

On Aug. 28, SM Entertainment, a South Korean entertainment agency established in 1995, released a statement on X about K-pop boy group NCT127 vocalist Moon Taeil:

“This is SM Entertainment. We have recently confirmed that Taeil has been implicated in a criminal case related to sex crime. … We have discussed this matter with Taeil and it has been decided he will be removed from the group.” 

Fans were shocked. Taeil was the group’s eldest member. He is known for his quiet nature and strong vocals, and had never been involved in a scandal before. 

This controversy has sparked a conversation on idolatry, but deep down, it’s about trust. 

Many people feel it’s foolish to trust celebrities without knowing them personally. While this may be true, we must consider how quickly we trust others daily.

We put our lives in the hands of engineers, technology developers and CEOs, despite never having spoken to them directly.

Although these authorities are bound by master’s degrees, contracts or the law, they break their promises frequently. Buildings collapse, technology fails and CEOs commit fraud, yet we continue to believe in them.

The Taeil controversy has also revealed people’s cynicism.

Whenever a headline about a celebrity in hot water comes out, many take pride in claiming they “always had their doubts” about the person in question, as if they were wiser than those who chose to have faith in them.

However, these comments are baseless. Withholding trust does not make you superior to someone who trusts blindly. 

Humiliating people who were deceived by their idols doesn’t undo the damage done, nor does it encourage people to manage their trust responsibly. Instead, it breeds insecurity and shame.

Regardless of how close you are to someone, you can never know them completely.

Criminals like Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer had friendly demeanors that made them easy to confide in, but once their murders came to light, people saw their true colors.

Deception is a skill; it allows people to stay close to their loved ones while concealing their true nature. Relationships can stay strong for a lifetime, yet crumble in a second. 

However, if we were to doubt every move we make, we’d never make progress in life. Every decision requires a leap of faith; that’s why we must learn to trust unapologetically. 

Trusting less doesn’t save you from disappointment, and avoiding deception does not make you superior to someone who falls for a lie. 

Fans who trusted Taeil are not inferior to those who “never did” because trusting is part of human nature.