If we reconsider these hypotheses in the light of the information problem raised at the beginning of this chapter, it appears further that a problem of this kind, on which the need for trust is grounded, cannot be solved by tackling it directly. It is not possible to acquire information on the future behaviour of others except in an incomplete and unreliable fashion. But one can shift this problem into a realm where it can be mastered more effectively. One can inform oneself instead about certain structural properties of the system which one shares with others, acquire thereby the supports necessary for building trust, and so overcome the need for information which is lacking. As in many other functional contexts, structure reduces the need for information.

XREF: Echoes Niklas Luhmann's systems thinking on trust and the notion that institutions reduce cognitive load — parallels to bounded rationality in economics.

Niklas Luhmann, Trust and Power, loc. 183