In this essay I offer a somewhat detailed description of Essence as this key feature of any system relates to the management of tensions which inevitably exist within Essence–and provide Essence with “Vibrance.” I describe the nature of a lens through which one can view Essence. In providing this more detailed description, I attend to one of the most important forms of Essence. This is the Essence of Trust. I believe that Trust represents one of the most important Lens of Essence that we engage during our life.
Trust represents the Essence of our engagement in the world. As is the case with most (perhaps all) forms of Essence, Trust comes in several, often contradictory forms. One of these forms resides in a strong desire on our part to find Home. We look to Trust as a critical outcome of this search for Home. The second form is to be found in the midst of our desire to engage in a Quest. We wish to establish Trust prior to engaging a Quest.
I propose that the vibrance of Trust is created in part by the dynamic interplay between these contradictory forms. We direct the Lens of Trust to the matter of both Home and Quest. It is also important to note that Trust is both a desired outcome of many engagements with the world (Home) and a pre-requisite for successful engagement of many other initiatives in the world (Quest). Many (perhaps most or all) Essences within a system serve both of these functions. Freedom, as an Essence, for instance, can be a desired outcome as well as a pre-condition for important initiatives. Similarly, Health, as an Essence, is a desired outcome and a critical pre-condition for our successful accomplishment of many tasks.
Three Facets in the Lens of Trust
Facets in the Lens of Trust are each directed toward one of three aspects of Trust: competence, intention, perspective (Bergquist, Between and Meuhl, 1995). We “trust” someone because we believe they are competent and can “handle” our relationship with them. We also “trust” someone because we believe they are “on our side” and wish us well. Their intentions are “pure” and consistent. There is a third facet of trust. We trust another person because they share a similar set of perspectives and values with us. We tend to understand one another and clearly comprehend what they have to say and how they “speak” in a nonverbal manner.
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