DDS (Deep Distrust Syndrome)

Recently while in the check-out queue at a retail store I was watching a couple make payment for their purchases.  The lady took out a fresh packet of one hundred rupee notes and separated a bunch looking at the distinctive numbers.  Perhaps unsure of her arithmetic, she started counting the notes while the cashier and her husband looked on attentively.  Then she passed it on to, no, not the cashier but her husband.  He also counted the notes with the same thoroughness while the wife and the cashier looked on.  Next, of course, it was the cashier's turn to count the notes.  And the couple did focus their total attention at the cashier while he was at it.  And finally with the return of some change the payment was successfully completed and everyone in the queue heaved a sigh of relief.

I think this behavior is a symptom of the DDS (Deep Distrust Syndrome) pervading our society.  The distrust is towards organizations / institutions as well as individuals manning these.  The following also result from this DDS:

• If an accident takes place, the mob adopts a your-money-or-your-life attitude towards the driver  who may or may not be at fault.  No one believes that the system will make insurance company settle the claim of the victim.
• We don't trust our fellow citizens to honestly pay their electricity bills.  As it would be grossly unfair to have to share in the burden imposed by non-payers, we choose to join them by hook or by crook.
• We don't trust any selection process to be fair.  So everyone puts in his best efforts in influencing the process and the selectors.
• We don't trust the government to provide us good governance using the taxes collected from us.  So we try to evade paying taxes if we can.

The list could go on and on.

 

Any prescriptions for treating this DDS?