Such instinctual considerations are arguably a compelling part of an account of knowledge, including knowledge that backs up trust, knowledge of the reliability of any particular other and of others in general. That kind of knowledge is inherently inductive, and one might suppose it wise to be skeptical of inductive knowledge until the run is fairly long. Our normal, biologically inherited proclivities may be to make an optimistic assessment of a short but so-far positive inductive run. If we live in a culture in which that optimism typically is justified by longer-run experience, we develop rich relationships from trusting others. Still, although it befalls us rather than being chosen by us, trusting depends on objective data and is subject to correction if experience recommends.

Russell Hardin, Trust and Trustworthiness, loc. 359