One of the 3 contributing factors to “accepting a message” is about trust. Do you trust the source of this information? Is the medium helping you trust the message, or a distraction? If you trust the source on one issue, do you trust them in another?

Sometimes it’s easy to think of trust like a magnet. There are things you trust, and you are inclined to listen to them (attraction). Others you completely mistrust, and you are inclined to block them on any topic (repulsion). You can trust your friend on every subject, and they trust someone else, so some of the trust gets transferred - but after a few “connections,” the trust begins to fade.

• Your trust should be earned (not forced or assumed.)
• Discussion - where does faith fit in with critical thinking?
• Your trust should be bounded (not complete trust on all subjects to any one person, information source, or institution). You can trust your parents’ intentions to be perfect, but it doesn’t mean your Dad can teach you chess or your Mom can perform a root canal.
• Your trust should also be maintained. Once given, trust can be eroded or weakened.