Trust is obviously crucial for building a solid relationship, so how do you know when you’ve truly established it? Well, you simply don’t care about these things.
- You aren’t jealous of their friends. If you get jealous when your partner gives someone else their attention, it’s not a good sign. When you really trust someone, you don’t mind if they hang out with their friends. You don’t feel jealous of their other relationships or feel threatened by others, including friends your partner could be attracted to. You know that your partner is only interested in you.
- It doesn’t bother you if they go out without you sometimes. If you don’t trust your partner, you probably get nervous when they go out without you because deep down you’re scared they’ll meet someone else, or maybe they’ll realize they’re happier without you around. When you really trust someone, this shouldn’t bother you at all because you know your relationship is solid.
- You aren’t focused on what they like on social media. If your boyfriend likes other girls’ pictures on Instagram, for example, it shouldn’t bother you (unless he’s actually hitting on them, of course). You know they don’t mean anything by what they’re looking at. It’s really not a big deal if you genuinely trust them.
- You don’t care what they’re doing on their phone. If you have trust issues, you might also be worried about what else they’re doing on their phone. You shouldn’t care who they’ve been talking to that day or what they’re doing on the internet. When you have full trust, it’s not critical that you know every detail.
- You don’t constantly suspect them of cheating. For example, you wonder if they’re cheating every time they stay late at work. My partner frequently works late because it’s how his job works. I trust him, though, so I never assume that he’s not where he says he is. If you truly have trust in your relationship, you shouldn’t doubt your partner unless they give you a really good reason to.
- You don’t freak out if they don’t answer their phone right away. If you have trust problems, you might expect your significant other to answer the phone no matter what they’re doing. If they don’t, you immediately assume the worst and think they must be cheating. If you really trust them, you should give them the benefit of the doubt and believe that they’re probably just busy and unable to answer. It won’t be a big deal if they have to call or text you back later.
- You don’t expect them to call/text you all day long. If you’re at the exciting beginning stages of your relationship and are trying to build a connection with the person, I get it. But other than that, it’s not necessary to talk constantly with your partner all day long. It’s a sign that you’re insecure and untrusting. If you really trust someone, you should be able to give the person a little space during the day.
- You don’t feel the need to ask them for a play-by-play. If you’re having a problem trusting your partner, you might interrogate them about what they did that day, either to confirm they were where they said they were or to make sure they weren’t doing anything you wouldn’t approve of. If you truly have trust, you don’t feel the need to know what your partner did every second of every day.
- You don’t need constant PDA. It’s perfectly fine if you want to show your partner you care by showing affection in public, but if you only want it because you need your partner to prove something, you might not really trust your partner. You should already know that they’re with you and only you. You know you have full trust when you don’t need that constant reassurance and it doesn’t matter to you what other people think.
- You aren’t afraid to argue. I’m not saying you should fight all the time or look for things to get mad about, but if you’re afraid to tell your partner when something’s bothering you because you don’t want to piss them off or are scared they’ll break up with you, then you don’t trust them to stick around through the hard times. You shouldn’t be afraid to argue sometimes because it’s one way a relationship grows.