Involuntary signals like blushing solve credibility without willpower

Evidence

One nonabsurd way to resolve the commitment problem is genetically. One who blushes when lying may be able to establish credibility easily without any willful commitment or manufactured disposition. One who does not blush when lying may have to create a reputation for honesty that is worth more than any gain he or she might make from cheating on that reputation. — Russell Hardin, Trust and Trustworthiness, 617

Categorization

• XREF: Reinforces the reader’s core thesis that observable constraints (here involuntary bodily signals) underwrite trust — parallels Hardin’s claim that trust requires observability of opportunistic behavior, and resonates with how the doctor’s wife’s sightedness is the sole observable guarantor in Saramago. — connects to: Visible honesty signals are what keep cooperation stable in populations; Reflexive personal trust becomes trust in tact and disciplined self-presentation — Niklas Luhmann, Trust and Power, 255; Genetically evolved sentiments can motivate action against self-interest (+3 more)
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Russell Hardin, Trust and Trustworthiness, 617

Broader Connections

• Visible honesty signals are what keep cooperation stable in populations #corroborates (0.82)
• Reflexive personal trust becomes trust in tact and disciplined self-presentation #expands (0.75) — Niklas Luhmann, Trust and Power, 255
• Genetically evolved sentiments can motivate action against self-interest #expands (0.72)