English poet John Donne wrote in 1624, “No man is an island entire of itself.” However, today this memorable assertion of our mutual dependence is frequently displaced by insularity—a psychological condition molded by fears and crises. This insularity adversely affects us both personally and societally.
The reveals that 70% of our 33,938 survey participants across 28 countries are now reluctant or refuse to trust individuals with differing values, information sources, approaches to social issues, or backgrounds. This majority view remains consistent across income levels, gender, age demographics, and both developing and developed markets.
This pattern indicates we are selecting a closed trust ecosystem that enforces a constrained worldview, opinion narrowing, intellectual stagnation, and cultural inflexibility. For most, distrust has become the default setting; merely one-third of participants report that most people are trustworthy. Insular respondents indicate they would exhibit significantly diminished trust in institutions under leadership different from themselves (-28 points or more, versus those with open trust perspectives). All too frequently, we retreat from conversation and compromise. We favor the security of familiarity over the apparent gamble of innovation. We choose nationalism above global engagement. We prioritize individual gain over collective progress.
How did we arrive at this point? Over its twenty-five-year history, the Trust Barometer has documented an unstoppable decline in faith in institutions and their leadership. Trust is growing increasingly localized—centered on one’s employer, CEO, and social network. We observe a 15-point trust disparity between high and low earners globally, with the U.S. showing the widest gap at 29 points based on income. Anxieties about declining economic mobility and globalization-related job losses have intensified political division. Covid-19 generated uncertainty about government mandates and scientific credibility, triggering an existential struggle over truth. Geopolitical strains have fueled nationalism, opposition to international agreements, and a of trade flows.
Last year, the Edelman Trust Barometer recorded a slide into grievance, with six out of ten respondents reporting they believe business and government actions have damaged them, benefited only select groups, and that the system unjustly privileges the wealthy. Presently, our collective consciousness has retreated from outrage and fury into the protective armor of insularity.
Currently, we all face the repercussions of insularity. First is opposition to change. For example, our November flash , Trust and Artificial Intelligence at a Crossroads, revealed that by a margin exceeding two-to-one, the U.S., UK, and Germany oppose the expanding use of AI. Seventy percent of Americans believe CEOs are not being truthful about AI-related job losses. Second, we witness widespread nationalism, with strong preferences for domestic versus multinational brands (31 points in Canada and 29 points in Germany). Third, societies are forfeiting their ability to take action, with climate initiatives halted in deference to short-term economic priorities and critical local projects like affordable housing obstructed. Fourth, and most concerning, is a worldwide erosion of optimism. On average, merely 15% of individuals in developed markets think the next generation will enjoy better circumstances, while APAC leaders Singapore, Thailand, India, and China each exhibit double-digit drops in this optimism compared to last year.
Thankfully, a method exists to combat insularity: trust brokering. A trust broker facilitates pathways for advancement and collaboration despite insularity by identifying shared interests and interpreting realities. Employers have a significant opportunity to serve as trust brokers because they are both accessible and dependable. While every institution is expected to mediate trust, employers represent the sole category where a majority reports effective performance. The workplace is now viewed as the securest venue for discussing challenging subjects due to established conduct guidelines. It is within work settings that we confront issues like AI, globalization, and cost-of-living directly. And importantly, observable changes materialize in daily life when leadership embraces new directions.
Why should employers adopt this trust broker role? Insularity constitutes a financial concern, eroding productivity, generating turnover, and jeopardizing fundamental leadership capacity. Candid workplace conversations must be spearheaded by the CEO or other executives.
However, business leaders shouldn’t combat insularity alone. Prominent community figures such as physicians or clergy should serve as trusted allies in advancing dialogue. Addressing insularity will demand that all community stakeholders rise to meet this challenge.
John Donne correctly ended his poem with a warning: “Therefore send not to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” We are growing rigid, intolerant, and irrational within our protective shells. The societal dangers—from volatile shifts in public opinion to the dismissal of innovation—are genuine. We must guarantee that self-righteous viewpoints yield to faith in tomorrow.
Everyone shares responsibility for building trust and overcoming insularity within our communities. Yet employers particularly have a chance to pioneer this effort.