The Havamal: A Heathen Path of Living (Part 41)

65.

Everyone should be careful in speech,

And slow to trust a friend too much;

For every word he speaks

A man will pay in kind.

This stanza again warns us to be careful in how we speak to others and what we say. By being “slow to trust a friend”, we are taking tentative steps into building a friendship. As a counselor, I consider a sign of instability in clients is the tendency to launch into friendships or relationships. I have worked with some people who will go out on one date and assume that the person is the new love of their life or that a new co-worker is now their best friend. In reality, a good friendship takes time to build and trust should be earned and not handed out lightly.

We are also reminded that we should take people at their word. If someone speaks negatively or makes threats, even in a joking manner, we should expect those threats to be carried out. We should also expect that if someone makes a promise or speaks well of others, then they will live up to those words as well. As we watch to see if they live up to our expectations, good or bad, then we can truly judge if they are worthy of our trust. Remember, if you can’t trust someone with the small stuff, then how can you trust them with the big stuff?