Finding guiding rules for life is a complex task. Entire self-help industries exist to promote principles people should embrace and to help people find what brings them the most joy. Some people turn to religion for guidance, others to pop culture academics like psychologist Jordan Peterson and philosopher Slavoj Žižek.

For me, one of the most important principles that can guide action is the concept of good faith. Engaging with people in good faith is a central mantra that underlies not only the success of interpersonal relationships, but also the functioning of society at large. 

To act in good faith means a few things. First, it means to act honestly. That requires individuals to be honest with themselves and others, and to give their best effort to understand others. That extends into the second premise, which is to extend the benefit of the doubt to others. Someone being short with you in line at the coffee shop or bumping into you in a crowded bar is rarely a reflection of their character. Finally, acting in good faith means behaving in ways that would be sustainable should everyone engage in them.

On a micro-community level, acting in good faith is critical for the functioning of any organization. From clubs to sports teams, there needs to be an underlying assumption that everyone involved is working together in a genuine fashion, as being honest with each other promotes a culture of trust and support. Absent that, social groups can’t help their members when times are tough, which moots the whole point of finding community. 

That spills over into the larger Northwestern community. The greater goal of an educational institution seems to be lost when people no longer act in good faith. Professors start to assume every student who doesn’t attend class must be lazy and not actually sick, and students are put in a place where the educational process becomes wrapped up in competition, which discourages genuine collaboration that would further everyone’s interests. 

Beyond just those student-professor relationships, acting in good faith is important to help avert a cynical perspective on the world that can quite literally shorten life. Looking for the best in people helps color life differently. No longer is everyone out to get you. Not entering every interaction with the assumption you are going to get screwed is necessary for a much happier and more peaceful existence. 

This is absolutely not to suggest life should be approached with some sort of blank-slate naivety. When approaching the world in good faith, there is still ample room to be skeptical. It remains necessary to be vigilant, and if in any negotiation or interaction the other party doesn’t seem to want to act in good faith, then perhaps you don’t owe it to them. However, when the waiter makes a mistake with your order, life is better when you assume the mistake was just that, rather than some sort of targeted action.

The last principle, to behave responsibly, is a critical touchpoint. The best example of this is when there’s construction on a five-lane highway that takes it down to one or two lanes and everyone is merging all the way over. Some people will speed ahead to the very point where they have to merge, and then hope some good citizen allows them in. Ultimately, when only a few people do this, it doesn’t totally ruin the flow of traffic. But if everyone were to drive with ignorance for common decency on the road, traffic-guidance systems would collapse. If only one or two people abuse the system, nothing goes wrong. But it becomes wildly unfair when some portion of the people within a system can abuse it with no consequences while others play by the rules.

None of this means I always act in good faith. I’ve ignored these principles many times. But when it comes down to it, I try my best to be responsible, extend the benefit of the doubt to people and always forefront honesty. That process undergirds social cohesion in all the micro-level interactions we participate in on a day to day basis. 

Jack Landgraff is a Weinberg sophomore. He can be contacted at [email protected]. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.