320. Jimmy Wales with Mónica Guzmán: The Seven Rules of Trust

As we interact with endless sources of media and news every day, we tend to recognize the big names presenting to us and often have an opinion at the ready in terms of credibility and preference. But why did we develop those opinions in the first place, and how do we move forward with confidence when processing the continuous supply of new information gets more challenging all the time? According to Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, it all comes down to something innately human and critical to our collective success– trust.

In his upcoming book The Seven Rules of Trust: A Blueprint for Building Things That Last, Wales unites the origin story of one of the internet’s go-to information sources with observations on how the guiding principles of the platform can be applied both on and offline. With 11 billion views every month in the English language alone, Wikipedia may be ubiquitous to us now, but it was a tough pitch at the beginning. Facing doubts from fellow professionals and concerns about the open user editing, Wales emphasizes that the core of the experiment was building a sense of trust. Not only getting strangers on the Internet to trust each other, but the institution itself trusting that people would not be abusive or uncivil, that they wouldn’t unfairly change each other’s contributions – ultimately trusting that people as a whole had good intentions. Wales continues to stress that trust is not inanimate– it is a living thing that can and should be cultivated.

The Seven Rules of Trust implores readers to use these central principles of trust, collaboration, and respect that helped found Wikipedia to maintain connection and critical thinking now in our modern age. While access to Internet resources, accurate citations, and other people’s expertise has grown into what many view as a utility like water or electricity, Wales expresses concerns about the global crisis of credibility and knowledge. Wales considers how his organization– once an industry punchline– has become a worldwide presence in the same two decades that the public’s trust in everything from information to government to social media has trended backwards. Compiling insights gained from years of experience and reflections with candid lessons learned in the early days of Wikipedia, The Seven Rules of Trust aims to act as an approachable guide to reinforcing a positive loop of accountability and creativity that can stand the test of time.

Jimmy Wales is the founder of Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation. Named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People, he has been recognized by the World Economic Forum for his contributions to the global public good. He lives with his family in London.

Mónica Guzmán is the author of I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times; founder and CEO of Reclaim Curiosity; advisor at Braver Angels; and host of A Braver Way podcast. A Mexican immigrant, Latina, and dual US/Mexico citizen, she lives in Seattle with her husband and two kids and is the proud liberal daughter of conservative parents.

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