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Trust in relationships is key to its growth. Consider what it might be like to live a life without trust: you want to share a secret with your spouse but feel unsure; your spouse checks their messages from a friend, and you think they are lying, and so on. Relationships are difficult to maintain. Every minute of your life becomes a nightmare if you don’t trust each other.
In fact, a relationship without trust is quite chaotic and becomes dysfunctional. The post elaborates on the necessity of trust in a relationship and how to create and rebuild it.
What Is Trust In A Relationship?
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Trust is the faith you have in someone that they will always remain loyal to you and love you. To trust someone means that you can rely on them and are comfortable confiding in them because you feel safe with them.
It is the building block for any relationship without which the foundation will always remain shaky.
Why Is Trust Important In A Relationship?
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Trust is that foundation upon which your relationship can survive the hardest of times. In fact, without trust, you cannot sustain your relationship for a long time. Lack of trust is one of the reasons for relationships to fall apart. Here is why trust is the driving factor in relationships:
- You cannot love without trusting a person. As mentioned earlier, trust is the building block of love. Just like how a child trusts her mother and thereby loves her, your partner needs to know that you are trustworthy and won’t ditch them in difficult times. This feeling is one of the most important things in a relationship.
- Trust helps overcome obstacles. It is the binding factor for all cracks and differences in a relationship. You know deep down that you can overcome the problems and feel safe and secure with your partner.
- Trust helps in healing. When you get hurt in your relationship, the deep trust that you have in your spouse helps in trauma healing.
- It helps control your emotions. The degree to which you trust a person determines how much of yourself you want to give to him/her. If you are hurt or annoyed at them, it is only trust that tells you that there must be some reason behind their annoying behavior.
- It is reassuring. Trust gives you the reassurance that your partner loves you despite the arguments and fights that you might have. That is the key to a long-lasting relationship.
- You don’t need justifications. When you trust your partner absolutely you don’t need to explain or justify everything. You know that your partner will understand and trust your actions and decisions.
- It teaches you about personal time and space. You don’t feel insecure about giving your partner their space. In fact, trust helps you stay close in spite of the obstacles and reduces dependability.
So, how do you know whether you can trust your partner or not? It can be a tricky thing, but you can look for some signs.
Signs You Can Trust Your Partner
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Trust in relationships is a dicey thing. Even when we have burnt our fingers in the past, we tend to trust people repeatedly. Learning from our mistakes is a wise thing, and these signs tell you when you can trust your partner:
- Open conversations: He keeps his conversations open and transparent. He is casual and comfortable in his talk; lets his guard down with you and shares his deepest secrets and fears. That’s a sure sign you can trust him. Reciprocate his feelings by letting him know that you trust him.
- Admits mistakes: She admits her mistakes without any inhibitions. She is honest about them and does not try to cover them up with an explanation. Honesty even in the situations where it can get uncomfortable. Like answering the questions akin to “Am I getting fat?”. Answering them honestly even with knowing that other person might not like it.
- Shares his bank account: Sharing your expenses is one thing but sharing a bank account and being open about his finances is another. In the latter, he is transparent about his financial worth, and that he can do only if he trusts you. This is a signal that you can trust him.
- You are her priority: She puts your needs and interests before hers and makes you feel comfortable. She makes it a point to introduce you to her friends and colleagues and lets everyone know about your relationship.
- Listens actively: Most often we tend to interrupt our partner’s talk or have the urge to offer advice. But when your partner is listening intently to whatever you have to say, shows that he cares for you and respects your feelings, then you can trust him.
- Physical intimacy: It’s not about sex alone, but little things such as a good morning kiss, holding hands, or hugging shows the strong bond she shares with you. She can do such acts only if she has complete faith in you.
- Maintains eye contact: If he looks into your eyes while talking to you, be assured that he is trustworthy. It shows that he has nothing to hide from you. If he is unable to meet your eyes while talking it could mean that he is hiding something from you.
- She takes care of your interests: She takes a keen interest in the happenings in your life whether it’s about friends, work, or anything else. She pays attention to your talk and wants to know you better than anyone else.
- He mingles with your family and friends: He has no qualms interacting with your family and is friendly with them. He has good intentions for your family and considers them to be a part of his family. You would be lucky to get a guy like that.
- She doesn’t mind you checking her phone: If she snatches her phone when you randomly check it, it’s not a good sign in your relationship. If she is answering the phone and checking the texts in front of you, it means she has nothing to hide from you; it’s a healthy sign.
- He is confident and comfortable: He is his usual self and comfortable with you as he is confident about your relationship. If a person is uncomfortable in his relationship, it shows that he has something to hide. When you can confess to him without any hesitation or fear of being humiliated, it shows deep trust in your relationship.
- Consistency in actions: In the initial days, she might put her best foot forward, but once you are well into your relationship you get to know if she is respecting your boundaries, being honest and open, and taking care of your needs or not. Check if she shows consistent behavior over time. Her words should match her actions, creating a sense of reliability and assurance. Also the person doesn’t make empty promises or promises that are very difficult to keep.
Trust cannot be demanded, it has to be earned. It does not come easy but takes time and effort to build.
How To Build Trust In Your Relationship?
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Building trust is a two-way process, it is important to trust and equally important to be trusted. That requires mutual effort and commitment. Before building trust, you need to understand each other’s expectations and what trust means to you. Here are some ways to build trust in your relationship:
- Admit your mistakes: It’s natural to make mistakes, but owning them is not easy. The first thing on your agenda of building trust is to admit your mistakes. Don’t try to cover up your mistakes; the situation becomes messier if you do so. Repentance shows that you want to build trust and mutual respect.
- Forgive each other: And when your spouse owns up his/her mistake, be humble enough to forgive. Don’t hold on to past fights, let go, accept, and make the most of ‘now’.
- Earn your trust: Trust is not readily available in any relationship. You need to earn it by being accountable and taking care of your behavior and actions.
- Be exemplary: Behave the way you want your spouse to be. It’s as simple as that. Be truthful, responsible, faithful, caring, and honest and respect each other’s personal values. All these will influence your spouse to reciprocate.
- Listen actively: When your spouse is talking to you, listen actively and without judging. They will also listen to you when you talk. This habit lays the foundation for establishing trust.
- Keep your promises: When you make a promise make sure you stick to it. Don’t make promises just for the sake of keeping your partner happy because breaking a promise is one the easiest ways to breach trust.
- Show interest: Know your partner’s tastes and hobbies. Show your genuine interest by being inquisitive, ask questions, and learn from them. If your spouse gets the vibes of your sincerity, you will earn their trust.
- Be empathetic: Empathize with your partner, understand and fulfill their needs. Try to understand their problem by putting yourself in their shoes. That can help you gain a perspective and build trust.
- Communicate transparently: Talk openly and honestly and make sure that you discuss important things in person instead of texting or talking on the phone. Messages can be misinterpreted. Talking face-to-face is easier as you can understand each other’s intentions, emotions, and body language. Effective communication is an important element in building trust.
Point to consider- Resolve rifts: Address the conflicts quickly as and when they arise. Don’t brush them under the carpet and let them pile up. Resolve them and move on.
- Clear your doubts: If you have any doubts in your relationship talk to your partner about them instead of hesitating to ask them, as this may lead to jealousy and fights.
- Keep secrets: Keep your private space private. Guard your secrets and don’t let outsiders intrude.
- Judge less love more: Don’t criticize or judge your partner. Instead, put forth your opinions in a constructive way with the intention of helping your partner grow. Respect each other’s differences without judging.
- Support each other: Being supportive is a given in any relationship. When you provide moral and emotional support to your partner, they would want to try new things and are not hesitant to take up risks because they know that they can fall back on you for support.
- Prioritize quality time: Spending quality time together shows your commitment to the relationship and provides open and honest communication opportunities. You can build emotional closeness by listening and supporting each other during shared moments and taking part in relationship-building activities.
- Set boundaries: Open communication expresses your needs, expectations, and limits, which fosters trust as it minimizes misunderstandings and promotes a shared understanding. Setting boundaries is a way of respecting each other’s individuality, which shows that you trust your partner to make decisions that align with their values and needs. Clearly defined boundaries can help resolve conflicts and provide a foundation for building trust.
Trust can, sometimes, blind the person and pave the way for betrayal. But if you still want to be in the relationship or do not want to lose your partner then it is never too late to rebuild trust.
Repairing Trust In A Relationship
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Trust is the most difficult thing to establish especially after a betrayal. Betrayal happens when you cross the boundaries, when power is misused, or when you repeatedly deceive or lie to your partner. Such betrayal of trust has to be repaired for the relationship to survive. Here’s how you can do it:
- Be apologetic: If you are the one who has betrayed, you must acknowledge your partner’s feelings and apologize for hurting them. That’s not all; you must take responsibility for what you have done, and make every effort to show your love and care for your partner.
- Make a promise not to hurt again: The promise has to be real — one which you mean and intend to keep. Mold your behavior accordingly, work on your interpersonal skills and show to your partner that you mean what you said.
Quick tip- Analyze your feelings of hurt: If you are the betrayed, then understand your feelings. Do not deny or dismiss your hurt. So introspect on things such as, “How deeply am I hurt?” “Is my hurt staying on for years”? “What do I want from this relationship?” Do not shy away from relationship counseling if needed.
- Analyze your feelings of hurt: If you are the betrayed, then understand your feelings. Do not deny or dismiss your hurt. So introspect on things such as, “How deeply am I hurt?” “Is my hurt staying on for years”? “What do I want from this relationship?” Do not shy away from relationship counseling if needed.
Sometimes betrayal becomes inevitable.
Sample these situations
You may have promised to support your partner financially, but then you had to quit the job to pursue your studies.You have been doing everything your partner wanted but realized that you had suppressed your own voice in the process.You have promised to never leave your partner alone when she is pregnant but you have to be with a friend who is ill and hospitalized.
When you try to suppress your own needs to keep your spouse happy, then it can lead to unexpected outcomes. And someday betrayal becomes inevitable. Here’s how you can rebuild trust after such betrayal:
- Understand yourself and your partner. As you grow in your relationship you get to know each other; you know their strengths, weaknesses, and flaws. Understand and accommodate each other.
- Recognize and accept that your partner has qualities that you do not like. Don’t expect your partner to change as per your liking as you cannot ‘customize’ them. Do not ignore incompatibilities when you are new into a relationship as they could prove to be costly in the long run.
- Experience is a great teacher. Your experiences with your partner will teach you how to behave or react to a particular situation after betrayal. Trust begins to regrow this time with more maturity between the couple.
Do rememberTrust is difficult to earn and once you earn it, make every effort to not lose it, by being committed and consistent in your relationship. Reflect on these quotes!
Thoughtful Quotes On Trust
Here are some quotes that will compel you to value the importance of trust in a relationship:
- “Trust is like blood pressure. It’s silent, vital to good health, and if abused it can be deadly.” – Frank Sonnenberg, Follow Your Conscience
- “It takes two to do the trust tango–the one who risks (the trustor) and the one who is trustworthy (the trustee); each must play their role.” – Charles H. Green, The Trusted Advisor
- “Without communication, there is no relationship; without respect, there is no love; without trust, there is no reason to continue!” – Unknown
- “Trust is built when someone is vulnerable and not taken advantage of.” – Bob Vanourek, author of Triple Crown Leadership
- “Relationships are about trust and if you have to play detective in your relationship, then it’s time to move on.” – Unknown
- “The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.” – Ernest Hemingway
- “Trust each other again and again. When the trust level gets high enough, people transcend apparent limits, discovering new and awesome abilities of which they were previously unaware.” – David Armistead
- “Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.” – Albert Einstein
- “Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.” – Stephen Covey
- You may not always trust the person you love, but you can always love the person whom you trust. – Unknown
- “I trust you is a better compliment than I love you because you may not always trust the person you love but you can always love the person you trust.” – Unknown
- “Find a partner who encourages you to grow, who won’t cling to you, who will let you go out into the world, and trust that you will come back.” – Unknown
- “Without trust, words become the hollow sound of a wooden gong. With trust, words become life itself.” – John Harold
- “If you love them and they love you, trust them and don’t worry about it. If you don’t trust them, what are you doing with them?” — Charles J. Orlando
- “People who choose to trust tend to be happier, better liked by others, and more ethical than less trusting people.” – Joy Cagil
- “Not being able to let go and trust those around you can be incredibly stressful. You will be constantly questioning the actions of those around you, never feel in control and generally unhappy.” – David Cannell
- “Trust is something that is difficult to establish. It is very fragile that needs to be taken care of. Once trust breaks or shatters into pieces, it is very difficult to rebuild it.” – K. Cunningham
- “Trust is the easiest thing in the world to loose, and the hardest thing in the world to get back.” – R. Williams
- “Respect people who trust you. It takes a lot for people to trust you, so treat their trust like precious porcelain.” – Brandon Cox
- “In order to establish trust, it is first important that you be trustworthy. This means you should be forthright with all your dealings.” – Paul Melendez
- “Trust is like blood pressure. It’s silent, vital to good health, and if abused it can be deadly.” – Frank Sonnenberg
- “Trust is letting go of needing to know all the details before you open your heart.” – Unknown
- “We’re never so vulnerable than when we trust someone – but paradoxically, if we cannot trust, neither can we find love or joy.” – Walter Anderson
- “The toughest thing about the power of trust is that it’s very difficult to build and very easy to destroy.” – Thomas J. Watson
- “Trust is the fruit of a relationship in which you know you are loved.” – Wm. Paul Young
Trust comes when there are no secrets kept, no judgments made, and no lies told.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can a relationship work with no trust?
No. Trust is the foundation of a relationship, and a relationship can’t work without it. When you don’t trust your partner, you can’t fully be in a relationship with them. Lack of trust in a relationship leads to suspicion, resentment, and shutdown of communication. It may drive you both apart and break the relationship gradually.
2. What causes a lack of trust in a relationship?
Causes of lack of trust in a relationship may include personal insecurities, poor communication, attachment issues, or fear of abandonment. It can be hard to trust in a relationship if you have experienced infidelity by your partner or ex-partners.
3. Can couples overcome trust issues?
Couples may overcome trust issues through communication, sharing, and showing love and care. If there are any underlying issues, couple therapy can also be helpful.
By ensuring trust in a relationship, the couple can face even the toughest challenges. But this is not an easy trait to acquire. The tips listed in this article will help you gain trust and maintain trust in relationships. The tip to having a solid bond starts with a few simple steps. You can also fix a broken relationship by working on trust issues. Take a moment to assess how trust plays a role in your relationship and what steps you can take to enhance it. To inspire you, we have also listed a few motivational quotes. Although it is a demanding and life-long task, making consistent efforts toward building trust with each other helps sustain your relationship.
Infographic: What Does It Take To Build Trust In A Relationship?
Trust is just as crucial as love or any other emotion in a relationship. No matter how much you love each other, if there are trust issues, it will eventually weaken your relationship. Building trust is crucial from the very beginning of a relationship, and the infographic below offers insights on developing a trustful relationship. Let’s have a look! Illustration: Momjunction Design Team
Key Pointers
- Trust is crucial for a healthy relationship, as without it, relationships become chaotic and dysfunctional.
- Trust serves as the foundation of a relationship and is essential for love, healing, overcoming obstacles, and controlling emotions.
- A trustworthy partner encourages open communication, admits mistakes, listens actively, maintains eye contact, and shows interest in physical intimacy.
- Building trust requires effort and commitment from both partners and involves forgiving, admitting mistakes, keeping promises, resolving issues, and supporting each other.
- Broken trust can be repaired through apologizing, expressing regret, and promising to improve one’s behavior.
Illustration: Trust In Relationship: Why Is It Important And How To Build It?
Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team
Learn how to build trust in your relationship with this helpful video! Discover the key principles of relationship theory and how to apply them to your own relationship.
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