The strongest commitments are those backed by self-interest rather than willpower.

Evidence

Few of our commitments ever have such force as Alberich’s curse supposedly had. Our strongest commitments are often merely those that are clearly backed by our interests. For example, Alberich might have been governed by some magical power that would have taken back the Rhinegold if he ever acted on his lust. Then, at least, perhaps he could have ended the Ring cycle without the Rhinegold but with the renewed possibility of love and lust. (Romantic love may be characterized as an exquisite combination of lust and devotion—Alberich evidently would have settled for lust.) Our task is to contrive realworld substitutes for such magical powers as Alberich may have faced to keep us in line. — Russell Hardin, Trust and Trustworthiness, 202

Categorization

• XREF: Supports Hardin’s interest-based account of trust — commitments hold when interests reinforce them, a mechanism that presumes observable constraint, tying into the Luhmann familiarity framework.