Trust is what keeps our society functioning. Speaking from an evolutionary perspective, we must trust to survive. But it can be a slippery thing. What makes us trust people? And more curiously, what makes us trust some people but not others? Trust is based on expectation. You expect something from someone and trust them based on whether they lived up to your expectation. Now, past experiences with a person will determine whether or not you trust them but here are a few things to help you define how and why you trust or distrust a person.
Consistency- The more consistent a person behaves, the easier for you to determine a pattern and form an expectation.
Posture- Standing straight and tall gives an aura of strength and confidence and will be more attractive to trusting.
Transparency- When a person seems to be hiding something, we feel as though we cannot fully trust that person. Self-disclosure builds trust.
Discretion- The ability to keep secret the things you share with a person inspires trust.
Familiarity- The more you know about someone, the more you know if and how to trust them.
Resemblance- Birds of a feather.....If someone dresses like you, acts like you do or looks like you, you are more likely to trust that person because you believe they are most similar to you. In NLP, this is called mirroring.
These are just some of the ways that we form an opinion of trust. Likewise, people are also using these to decide whether to trust you or not. Always remember that what you say and what you do is under constant observation.
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