How to Promote Well-Being in Relationships of Trust

I have previously blogged about the importance of trust in relationships. Trust allows you to navigate conflict. When you trust your partner, you are more willing to overlook problems or commit to finding solutions to issues because you feel allied in areas that mean the most to you. Even if your partner does something disappointing, you are more likely to give them the benefit of the doubt and see the good in them if you trust them.

Establishing trust according to Very Well,  an online publication, starts with knowing you can trust your partner to promote increased closeness and safety. When you trust one another, you feel safe knowing that your partner has your back and can be relied upon for comfort, care, and support.

Writing for the Centers for Trust in Relationship, Jaimi Douthit  says “trust is about being able to be vulnerable with someone and feel safe, even when that vulnerability is uncomfortable. Trust means that I don’t need to act defensively to protect myself because, well, there is no attack. Trust spends a lot of time with that unconditional love we all hear so much about because trust means we are wholly accepted for who we are.”

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The foundation of trust allows for effective communication, pride in loyalty, and commitment, all of which comes together to create honesty. When there's dedication to respect within the relationship, it's easy to find compassion, empathy, and forgiveness for our partners, according to Jennifer Anderson writing for the Centers for Couples Counseling.

 It is important to embrace compassion and empathy, to strengthen relationships. Sky Yeater addresses repairing trust, which he says is easier to talk about than to do, according to Anderson. Vulnerability is typically incredibly uncomfortable. People usually hate discomfort and uncertainty. It can bring on anxiety, which affects the scope and nature of our reaction to it. Imagine, if all or most relationships don’t have trust, safety or love, then why would I feel comfortable stepping into this unknown territory of honesty and communication - even if it looked or sounded really really good? 

Yeater and counselors have warned that: “As you continue to invest in and fortify the foundation of trust within your relationships, work to embrace the discomfort of growth and change. Lean into vulnerability with the knowledge that it is the gateway to deeper connection and true intimacy. Take time to celebrate the beauty and strength that emerges when trust stands firm as the foundation of our love and partnership." 

Expressions of Trust

There are quite a few famous quotes about trust:

“The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.”– Ernest Hemingway

“Trust starts with truth and ends with truth.”– Santosh Kalwar

Quoting Author and Management Leader John Maxwell:

“Trust is a firm belief in the honesty, integrity, reliability of another person. Trust must be earned-one piece at a time. Trust is the result of a risk successfully survived.”

How does one behave to gain trust?

• Get involved. Ask questions. Start dialogs.
• Follow through on commitment.
• Be consistent. Do what you say you are going to do.
• Say what you mean; Mean what you say.
• Give trust. Reciprocity works.
• Be transparent.
• Look for opportunities to agree. Find commonalities.
• Admit when you are wrong. Mistakes are easy to make. Recognize them quickly and rectify them with a simple and clear apology.

How does one behave so that you never gain trust?

• Say one thing and do another.
• Not keeping confidence.
• Violate confidentiality.
• Don’t follow through on commitment.
• Be indiscrete.
• Be negative.

How do you erode trust?

• Acting superior
• Judging
• Behaving detached
• Ridiculing
• Negativity
• Shoot down ideas.
• Not listening
• Having indiscretions.

How do you regain trust?

• Admit error (in behavior)
• Trust is fragile; take small steps.
• Take great risks.
• Apologize and do it timely.
• Listen verbally and nonverbally.
• Show loyalty.
• Be sincere.
• Create and share an action plan.
• Accept responsibility.
• Follow through.

I agree with these sentiments. In my previous blog, I wrote about the erosion of trust and how it can be regained. First, recall that trust is the foundation of believing in others. Once you feel comfortable believing what they say and do, and how they interact in relationships of trust, you will be able to build strong relationships—one’s that promote wellbeing and advance the cause of responsibility in relationships of trust.

Posted by Dr. Steven Mintz, aka Ethics Sage, on July 2, 2025. Steve is the author of Beyond Happiness and Meaning: Transforming Your Life Through Ethical Behavior, which is available on Amazon. Learn more about his activities at: https://www.stevenmintzethics.com/ and signing up for the newsletter.