How Do You Know If You Can Trust Someone?

"Some people just come off as more trustworthy than others. It's hard to put it into words, but with certain people, you might find yourself spilling your guts upon first meeting, feeling a sense of safety and comfort that puts you at ease and lets you relax. Others might put you on guard in a visceral way-you don't know exactly what it is, but something about them makes your nervous system vigilant, and you start to second-guess what you tell them or how close you let them get."

"Malcom Gladwell's classic book Blink detailed a series of studies that show that our split-second judgements of someone's trustworthiness, based on the tiniest of verbal and nonverbal cues, are often surprisingly accurate. In fact, these unconscious, rapid assessments can be just as valid as careful analysis. We are more likely to trust people who exhibit the following qualities: A calm, confident demeanor Open body language (such as leaning slightly forward, uncrossing arms, and not fidgeting too much) Facial expressions that convey positive emotions (such as a genuine smile) Eye contact that is present but not too intense A warm vocal tone Consistent, predictable emotions and behaviors"

People form rapid, intuitive judgments about trust based on subtle verbal and nonverbal cues. A calm, open, emotionally consistent presence typically signals safety and trustworthiness. Split-second assessments can be surprisingly accurate and sometimes match careful analysis. Trust cues include calm confidence, open body language, genuine positive facial expressions, moderate eye contact, warm vocal tone, and predictable emotions and behaviors. No single cue reliably predicts trustworthiness because deceptive people can mimic cues. Intuition provides useful information, but trust must be verified through consistent, caring actions sustained over time.

Read at Psychology Today