Jelena Dincic
If you’re trying to figure out if you can trust someone, look no further!
In this article, I’m gonna share 10 key traits that are commonly associated with trustworthy people.
From honesty to accountability, these traits will help you identify someone who you can truly count on.
Let’s jump right in:
1) Honesty
Let’s start with honesty.
Whether the person in question is a potential romantic partner or a business acquaintance, the first thing you should look for is honesty.
Now, it’s not always easy to tell when someone is being honest and when they’re lying because some people are difficult to read. However, there are some traits that you can look for.
- First, check to see if they’re making eye contact. One of the first tells of someone lying is that they have trouble maintaining eye contact.
- Second, look at their body language. Do they look at ease and comfortable, or are they unable to be still? Are they biting their nails or cracking their knuckles? If so, these are signs that they’re nervous which could be because they’re lying.
- Third, if they keep changing their story or there are inconsistencies in what they’re saying, it’s another sign that they’re not being entirely truthful with you.
- Fourth, you’ll often find that people who are lying are defensive. They’re nervous and probably scared of being found out, they may even turn the tables and accuse you of lying!
The bottom line is that if you want to know if someone is trustworthy, you should start by looking to see if they’re being open and honest with you or if they’re keeping something or outright lying to you.
2) Reliability
Next, I have to mention the importance of reliability when it comes to trustworthy people.
Now, whether you’re looking for a partner for life or a partner at work, you want to know that you can count on this person when you need them.
Reliable people show up on time for dates and meetings, they meet deadlines, and when they say they’re going to do something, they do it. You can trust them not to forget or be late or come up with some lame excuse as to why they didn’t do something they promised they would.
In short: Reliable people are trustworthy because they follow through on their commitments and promises and you know they’d never leave you hanging!
3) Consistency
Look, I’m not saying that everyone needs to be consistent and predictable 100% of the time.
In fact, I have a few friends that are totally unpredictable. One minute they’re planning one thing, the next, they’ve changed their minds…
And do you know what? As much as I care about them, I wouldn’t trust them with anything important. I don’t even expect them to show up when we make plans to meet up for coffee.
So, if you want to know if you can trust someone, ask yourself if they’re consistent in their behavior and decision-making. If they’re not, I wouldn’t rely on them if I were you.
4) Responsibility
And here’s another thing, trustworthy people have a sense of responsibility. They’re accountable for their actions and they make damn sure that they fulfill their duties and obligations.
What’s more, responsible people take initiative and proactively address problems as they arise, instead of waiting for someone else to fix them.
In contrast, people who are not responsible tend to act on a whim and don’t really care about how their actions might affect the people around them.
And when something goes wrong? It’s someone else problem!
5) Integrity
The truth is that when someone has a strong set of moral and ethical principles that they adhere to, it’s automatically easier to trust them.
You see, when someone has a strong sense of integrity, you know that they will act in a principled and ethical manner, even when it’s not easy or convenient, even when no one is watching.
Basically, people with integrity are honest, dependable, and hold themselves accountable for their actions. The fact that they live by their principles makes them good role models for others and it means that people respect and admire them.
So, if someone has integrity, I’d say that makes them pretty trustworthy.
6) Transparency
We all have that someone that we just can’t read…
I’m talking about that person that we’ve known for years and yet we still don’t know what they’re thinking and whether they really like us.
These are the people who smile and act like everything is okay but make us feel uncomfortable because we know that there’s something else hiding behind that smile.
In other words: They’re not transparent, they’re wearing a mask.
I don’t know about you but personally, I can’t trust people like that. Even if their intentions toward me might be good, there’s no way of knowing for sure.
In fact, I have a much easier time trusting someone who’s straight with me and tells me “the ugly truth” or is willing to get into an argument with me than someone who is all smiles.
You know what I mean?
It’s quite simple really. When someone is transparent, it means that they’re open and honest about their thoughts, feelings, and intentions.
And the result?
We know that we can trust them.
7) Loyalty
There’s a lot to be said about loyalty.
I know that it sounds like an old-fashioned and even archaic word but it’s as relevant today as it was a hundred and even 500 hundred years ago.
Think about it:
- When it comes to friendship, you want someone who is committed to your relationship and who will stand by you through thick and thin. Someone who will defend you, support you, and keep your secrets. Someone who won’t abandon you when a shinier and more popular person comes along!
- And when it comes to romantic relationships, you want someone who is committed, devoted, and faithful to you, right? You don’t want someone who keeps secrets, flirts with others (God-forbid cheats), or bails on you when things get tough.
- Even when it comes to working relationships, loyalty is essential because you want to know that you’re working with someone you can trust – someone who is committed to the goals and values of the organization and who is a real team player!
8) Accountability
This is another trait of someone trustworthy…
That’s because accountable people take responsibility for their actions.
When they accomplish something – when they achieve their goal – they’ll happily take the glory that comes with success.
But, the opposite is also true.
When things don’t go according to plan, when they make a mistake or seriously mess up, they won’t try to downplay it or blame it on someone else. They’ll readily own up to their mistakes.
But that’s not all! They’ll work hard to make amends and they’ll be sure to learn from their mistakes so that they don’t repeat them in the future.
That’s why you can trust someone accountable, because you know that they won’t run away from the truth, even when it’s not pretty.
9) Empathy
Yet another way to tell that you can trust someone is if they have a high sense of empathy.
Look at it this way: When someone has empathy, it means that they’re able to put themselves in your shoes and understand how you’re feeling. In other words, they’re able to connect with you on a human and emotional level.
Turns out that that connection is pretty important because it’s what makes someone more likely to do you a solid and act in your favor instead of doing something that might hurt you.
Does that make sense?
10) Confidentiality
Finally, I’ll end by mentioning the importance of confidentiality.
It’s actually pretty straightforward: if you confide in someone and then you find out that they told someone else your secrets, they’re not trustworthy!
And if someone likes to gossip – they’re not trustworthy. Think about it – if they’re talking sh** about someone else, how do you know what they’re telling others about you?
The same thing goes for the workplace, if they like to gossip, you can’t trust them to keep sensitive information confidential.
All-in-all, when someone is truly trustworthy, you won’t even have to ask them to keep your secret because it’s something that’s a given!
