When it Hurts to Trust so Much

My general disposition has always been to believe people. That is what my instincts tell me to do. I always give people the benefit of the doubt. There have only been a handful of times when my initial reaction was to be skeptical rather than trusting. Even when people are joking with me I believe them. Yes, I am gullible. I always have been. It is something I have come to accept about myself over the years. When the joke’s on me, I have learned to simply laugh and shrug it off. Until now.

This time, I can’t seem to shrug it off. This time, I am angry. This time, I wonder if I need to change my trustworthy nature to one of doubt and suspicion. How could he do this? How could he lie to so many people, making them believe that he was an amazing athlete, an amazing cancer survivor, and an honorable man? How could he lead so many people to look up to him, to believe that he was a superhuman, knowing full well that it was all a scam?

Back when I was taking Exercise Physiology for my Master’s degree, my professor made reference to Lance Armstrong many times. His physical fitness abilities were a model example of how the human body can change and adapt through training. The statistics were awe-inspiring. Lance Armstrong became a person I admired both for his physical talents and for his perseverance through his bout with cancer.

Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/lance-armstrong-fall-grace-gallery-1.1241359?pmSlide=2

Last year when news reports started to surface about Armstrong’s doping and use of performance enhancing drugs, I didn’t believe them. I thought there must have been somebody out there who was simply out to destroy him for some reason. He couldn’t have done such a thing. He couldn’t have knowingly betrayed so many people.
Now, we all know how truth. I cannot begin to explain the disappointment I feel in him as a person and the hurt I feel for his deceit. I put my faith in him. We all did. He took advantage of it and made us all look like fools.

Source: http://www.thehungryandfoolish.com/2013/01/15/lance-armstrong-told-oprah-he-used-performance-enhancing-drugs/

Now, I can’t help but wonder who else out there is doing the same thing. Who else is pulling the wool over my eyes? Who else is using my gullibility to their advantage? Who else is falsely trying to prove himself as a hero and an idol? Perhaps it is time for me to stop believing and start questioning.  


How do you feel about Lance Armstrong's deceit?