2

In novels, movies etc. especially when someone asks or tells to do something rather risky, new etc. they say 'you have to trust me' which sounds a bit dramatic to me. What alternatives for this expression for everyday, common usage can you suggest?

  • 6
    That's because it is dramatic. That's the point. You have no evidence you can present, so you're appealing to their trust. As a rhetorical or confidence strategy, it sometimes works because many people find a frank confession of lack of evidence -- giving away a potential advantage, in other words -- more convincing, as if telling the truth once guarantees one always tells the truth. But it's a strategy, not a grammatical phenomenon. – John Lawler May 17 '14 at 16:36
  • "If I always told you the truth, I wouldn't need you to trust me." – Ven May 17 '14 at 22:12
  • That does rather depend on whose "truth" we're talking about. You may sincerely believe what you're telling me is true (for example, if you're trying to persuade me that your god is the only or "best" one to worship). But you might be wrong, and I may have good reason to know or suspect that, without any implication that I think you're deliberately lying. – FumbleFingers May 19 '14 at 18:02

5 Answers5

4

Some possible alternatives :

  • Have faith in me.
  • Count on me.
  • Keep faith in me.

But yes as John said expressions like this will sound dramatic either way so does not really matter which you choose.. just a matter of personal preference.

Invoker
  • 1,148
2

Consider bank on and put/take stock in.

bank on (someone/something): to depend on something happening or someone doing something: They're banking on [=counting on] him to find a solution to the problem.

put/take stock in: to have faith in, give credence to, or attribute real significance to.

Community
  • 1
Elian
  • 43,007
2

to rely on can be a common alternative.

  • put trust in with confidence; "she is someone you can really rely on when times get rough"; "you can rely on his discretion"
2

"Take my word for it," or, perhaps more casually, "You'll have to take my word for it."

user76480
  • 31
1

I think it may sound especially dramatic because you have concatenated, or maybe "portmanteau'd" two similar expressions. Specifically, this

you have to trust me

and

trust me on this

became Alternative expressions to 'you have to trust me'' per your question title. I am not criticizing the combination, but it may lessen the intensity by using one or the other rather than both.

Community
  • 1
Ellie Kesselman
  • 5,992
  • 1
    Your portmantoad idea is quite a hop. :) – tchrist May 17 '14 at 19:59
  • @tchrist Yes, and it isn't even ngram'd for accuracy! I read this, http://www.newrepublic.com/article/117428/limits-digital-humanities-adam-kirsch and am feeling more ad hoc lately. – Ellie Kesselman May 17 '14 at 20:06