Can a Friendly Lie Become the Truth? On the Formation of Cooperation and Trust

This paper proposes a hypothesis about how cooperation and trust may emerge from relationships that initially involve self-interest or calculation. Friendly behavior does not always begin with genuine affection. Through repeated cooperation, consistency, and mutual support, an attitude that initially appears to be mere pretense may gradually generate trust, familiarity, and genuine closeness. The paper explores how behavior can not only express trust, but also contribute to creating it.