Suspicions are like bats among birds—they only come out in the dim light of uncertainty. They need to be suppressed or at least carefully managed because they cloud your judgment, harm your relationships, and disrupt your work, making it impossible to act with confidence and consistency. Suspicion leads kings to become tyrants, husbands to grow jealous, and wise people to become indecisive and depressed. It’s a flaw of the mind, not the heart, and it can affect even the strongest personalities. Take King Henry VII of England, for example. He was both deeply suspicious and incredibly strong-willed. In such people, suspicion doesn’t do much harm because they question it and test whether their fears are justified. But in weaker, more fearful people, suspicion quickly takes over.
Nothing makes a person more suspicious than ignorance. The best cure for suspicion is knowledge—learning more about the situation rather than letting your doubts fester. What do people expect? Do they believe everyone they work with is a saint? People naturally act in their own interest, often prioritizing themselves over others. A wise person accepts this as a fact of life. The key is to treat your suspicions as both true and false. Act as if what you suspect might be true so you’re prepared, but don’t let it control your behavior. That way, even if your fears are justified, they won’t harm you.
Some suspicions are just fleeting thoughts or instincts—little “buzzes” in the mind. But suspicions planted by gossip or whispers from others can sting and do real damage. The best way to deal with suspicion is to address it openly with the person you’re doubting. By doing this, you’ll either uncover the truth or, at the very least, make that person more careful not to give you any further reason to doubt them. However, this approach doesn’t work with people of bad character. Once they know you don’t trust them, they’ll never be loyal to you.
There’s an old Italian saying, “Suspicion gives a passport to faith,” meaning that once suspicion arises, trust is no longer possible. But suspicion shouldn’t destroy trust—it should spark honest communication to resolve the doubt. That’s the only way to free yourself from the trap of suspicion.
Bacon Blueprint 