Being skeptical, maybe even cynical, suggests a person doesn't trust anyone, possibly due to some *past Trauma. That is one possible explanation however.

Distrust of others can also be due to an awareness of man's Brokenness and not a Specific Personal Trauma. The reality is we are all traumatized (**broken) because we come into the world disconnected from the Source of life and love, i.e. our Creator.

The truth is man's distrust of others may have more to do with a solid trust in God and what He tells us about our rebellion, not just trauma for mistreatment by someone else. This doesn't mean trauma doesn't exist, it means we look at it from a broader perspective - a bigger backdrop.

i.e. Personal trauma may not be the primary reason we distrust mankind but this may actually be due to a great trust in God - and awareness of our own brokenness - and agreement with him on the **brokenness of humanity.

Unless moved by the love of God, mankind is all about taking what they need to maintain a sense of meaning, value, and purpose versus deriving this from God who is the ultimate source of all things. Again, a healthy skepticism over our own brokenness and that of others could be an indication of maturity, not trauma.

We must be careful not to attribute our skepticism only to a specific personal trauma. Overemphasis on trauma actually plays into a victim mindset and maybe the fruit of it i.e. There is a common narrative being promoted these days that everybody is a victim of personal trauma.

To focus only on being a victim shifts us away from recognizing how we are an offender as well as offended. It removes accountability from us when it belongs. 

We have become so emotionally weak and fragile as a society; we have a hard time handling personal accountability. The further we drift away from the source of love and life, the more fragile we become - or maybe we should say the more obvious our brokenness becomes.

The reality is we are offenders before we are offended. How so? Because we do not give God his due recognition as the Creator, Sustainer, and Source of life, love, and all things.

For a further discussion of the nature of our rebellion click here

For a further discussion on what drives good behavior click here and here 

For a discussion on how to overcome our brokenness click here 

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*I do not intend to downplay trauma. Fpr some it is very real and needs to be addressed. What’s hidden from awareness may potentially be influencing everyday perceptions, beliefs, and relationships. Bringing the hidden into the light of awareness is essential to healing and transformation. 

But I would also propose we can not fully acknowledge our trauma until we know we are fully loved by our Creator. It is in knowing we are fully loved and accepted by our Creator where all healing must begin. 

**By "broken" I mean we are no longer operating as we were originally designed to. We were designed to partake in the life and love of God. But we reject God as the source and now operate contrary to Him and our design. We don't acknowledge Him as the most significant and vital of all beings and seek to find meaning, fulfillment, and purpose in anything but him.

We are meant to be full of love and life - i.e. God - and are now absent this - Him. The enormity of that which is missing - i.e. God Himself - determines the enormity of our brokenness. If God is the Source of all things, being absent Him means we are in the worst possible condition compared to our original design. This is our greatest, deepest, and most hidden trauma above all others. It is the backdrop against which all other trauma occurs. All other traumas are minuscule in comparison and would be of little consequence if this were remedied i.e. if we were fully restored to God.

There is trauma we cause - i.e. from within - due to our willful rejection of God as the source of life and all things. And there is trauma caused by others i.e. from without. The latter occurs only because the former exists i.e. if we are fully restored to the Source of life, love and all things, what others do or do not do are ultimately - i.e. eternally - of no negative consequence but can only advance us.