The issue for this chapter is what a new person can do to convince me of his or her commitment to fulfilling my trust. For example, it might have been in Alberich's interest to say he would forswear love forever even if he knew he would later cheat. What could have made his curse credible?

DEFINE: Explores the concept of costly signaling — a commitment is only credible when retracting it is expensive.

Russell Hardin, Trust and Trustworthiness, loc. 199