Mediate Michigan

Trust is risky business. It involves the risk that the trusted person will pull through for us by safeguarding whatever it is we have put into their possession. Some trust involves relatively minor issues that are pretty straightforward. You take your clothes to the drycleaner and trust that in exchange for $5, you will receive your beautiful cashmere sweater back nice and clean. If the drycleaner messes up and shrinks it to a pre-teen size, you lose a sweater, which can probably be replaced for a reasonable sum.

Relationship-based trust involves higher stakes. In this type of trust, we allow ourselves to become vulnerable to another based on an assumption that this person means us well. When we marry, most people stand at an altar and promise to stay together “until death do them part.” We entrusted our future and our hearts to someone because we had faith they would take good care of what we had given them and “always be there for us.”

When it all falls apart in divorce, we can feel betrayed and our ability to trust others and trust ourselves can be shattered. After all, we picked this person and it didn’t work out. Feeling confident that we have a good handle on when trust is and isn’t warranted is an essential part of moving ahead after divorce. It’s also crucial to the success of future relationships.

via Should you trust them? Ten questions to ask – KansasCity.com.