Here´s a thought

Hows this for an experiment. Let’s start with a cosmopolitan, well-cultured, educated city of moderate size somewhere in South America. Then let’s subject this city to the most horrific violence in modern human history. Car-bombs would be a daily occurrence; assassins would roam the streets with virtually no opposition; police, drug-lords and vigilantes would do battle in the even the most affluent neighborhoods; innocent people would be killed in unimaginable numbers; judges, politicians, clergy, no one would be off-limits. In fact the violence would escalate to such a degree that this city would by far be considered the murder capital of the world.

And then after two decades of this living hell we would institute law and order. The thugs would be run out of town. Heavily armed police would be highly visible throughout the city. Civil liberties would be highly curtailed, but the level violence which plagued this city would be a thing of the past. Surely not every criminal would disappear, but the difference would be dramatic.

After about five-years what do you think would be the state of this city? Here’s my hypothesis (based on some empirical evidence.) The vast majority of people in this city would be thrilled. The happiest, most friendly and amazingly helpful people you could ever hope to meet. But their collective psyche wouldn’t forget the times they just went through. Trust would be non-existent. At the same time that people were going out of their way to help you they would warn you not to believe anything anyone says to you.

Anyone you stopped on the street for directions would gladly help you figure out where you really want to go and tell you the best way to get there, tell you how much the cab should cost; even going so far as flagging down a taxi for you, talking to the driver and letting him know the directions and warning him not to screw you on the fare.

If you were looking to buy something the cab driver would figure out exactly what it was you wanted and find the best spot to go and tell you how much it should cost; even going so far as to walk into the store with you and negotiate a price.

If you stopped at a restaurant on the street and they didn’t have what you wanted, the owner would figure out the closest store that did, call them up and have them deliver you food, and charge you nothing extra for the service. And then of course warn you not to go to any place else because they’ll screw you.

They’d do all of this even if your Spanglish was broken to the level that it took 5 minutes to get across simple points, and you couldn’t understand their answers until they walked you through the explanation.

It’s so much easier to assume the worst in people than to naively believe the best. I’m not sure which option is really superior.