Good faith

Good faith (Latin: bona fides), in human interactions, is a sincere intention to be fair, open, and honest, regardless of the outcome of the interaction. It is an important concept.

Quotes

• It has been uniformly laid down in this Court, as far back as we can remember, that good faith is the basis of all mercantile transactions.
  • Sir Francis Buller, 1st Baronet, in Salomons v. Nissen (1788), 2 T. R. 681.

• The law merchant is a system of equity, founded on the rules of equity, and governed in all its parts by plain justice and good faith.
  • Sir Francis Buller, 1st Baronet, in Master v. Miller (1791), 4 T. R. 320.

• Practicing the presumption of good faith... means that we should presume, unless we have good evidence to the contrary, that the other person's intent is not to deceive or to offend us, but to learn our point of view. Assuming good faith means that we expect that our conversation partner is interested in learning from us and is seeking to understand our point of view. It means that we should assume, unless we have good evidence to the contrary, that their intent is not to deceive or to offend. We can certainly point out when an error has been made or why offense has been taken, but it should be with the intent of making the conversation better, not closing it down.
  • Why the presumption of good faith can make our lives civil again, Emily Chamlee-Wright, Big Think (31 March 2020)

• A presumption of good faith demands a lot from us. It requires that we suspend judgment long enough to ask questions in a spirit of openness and curiosity... Good faith means that I should take my time to thoughtfully consider his perspective before I decide to praise it or condemn it... Our default should be the presumption of good faith. The practice of good faith is not an obvious remedy. It's a difficult discipline. It offers none of the psychic rewards that moral outrage delivers. But it's a practice that keeps the conversation going. And it's a practice that allows everyone in the conversation to teach and to learn.
  • Why the presumption of good faith can make our lives civil again, Emily Chamlee-Wright, Big Think (31 March 2020)

See also

• Benevolence
• Compassion
• Consciousness
• Detachment
• Diplomacy
• Honesty
• Hope
• Kindness
• Mental health
• Optimism
• Sincerity
• Trust
• Virtues