Baier (1985, 61) says trusting someone is always a risk "given the partial opaqueness to us of the reasoning and motivation of those we trust and with whom we cooperate." There is an "expected gain which comes from a climate of trust"—hence, in trusting we give up security for greater security. But, again, it is not trusting that is risky, it is acting on trust that is risky. Trusting is merely a bit of knowledge, and, of course, knowledge is fallible. Fallible trust can seem to give us grounds for acting when the acting will turn out to be harmful to our interests.

DEFINE: Distinguishes trusting (a knowledge state, fallible but not risky) from acting on trust (where risk actually resides).

Russell Hardin, Trust and Trustworthiness, loc. 937