“The quality of our relationships determines the quality of our life.” (Esther Perel) [1]
“The good life is built with good relationships.” (Robert Waldinger) [2]
Our life primarily focuses on four different relationships:
When people are asked about their relationships, they reply with family, friends and their loved ones. Work relationships are not on people's top of mind, although we spend about one third of our lives at work. What all these different relationships have in common is that "trust is at the heart of all these connections." [3]
To find out if the person is trustworthy, the following 15 cues and traits might provide some guidance.
- They are consistent.
- They respect boundaries.
- They're relaxed (and so are you).
- They show compassion and humility.
- They compromise and don't expect something for nothing.
- They are respectful when it comes to time.
- They show gratitude.
- They give up all the facts, even if it hurts.
- They confide in you.
- They aren't materialistic or desperate for money.
- They're right a lot.
- They skip the water cooler gossip.
- They're learners.
- You know who they're connected to, and they try to connect you.
- They're there for you and others.
Trustworthy people usually display the same behavior and do not pretend to be someone else. They care about other people and do not impose their will and ideas on others. Trustworthy people are also willing to sacrifice and tend to be calm as they do not have anything hide and are honest and open.
Trustworthy people are also considerate of your time and value support and teamwork. Further, they appreciate honesty and transparency, open up and are vulnerable once they trust you. Also, they put people ahead of materialistic stuff.
Due to the fact that trustworthy people appreciate truth, they are likely to do their research and therefore they know a lot and also do not like to be involved in negativity and rumors but rather use their time to learn and improve themselves. They have your best interest at heart and want you to succeed and will always be there to support you. [4]
- Chatterjee, R. (2021). Esther Perel: How To Strengthen Your Relationships and Enhance Your Life I Bitesize. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76_svwCtZTk
- Waldinger, R. (2015). What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness. https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_waldinger_what_makes_a_good_life_lessons_from_the_longest_study_on_happiness
- Dutton, J. E.(2003). Energize Your Workplace: How to Create and Sustain High-Quality Connections at Work. Jossey-Bass.
- Thibodeaux, W. (2018). Want to Know If Someone Is Trustworthy? Look for These 15 Signs. https://www.inc.com/wanda-thibodeaux/want-to-know-if-someone-is-trustworthy-look-for-these-15-signs.html?cid=sf0100