How long does it take for you to trust someone?

Answer 1

I would have to say that this is not a black and white issue of "trust" or "don't trust" for me. I might start to trust someone with minor details of my life after a very short time of knowing them (say, a matter of days or weeks).

Then, the longer I know them, and based on the depth and the quality of the interactions, then I might start to trust that person enough to reveal more about myself.

Certain things can cause the progession of trust to move backwards, like if I tell an intimate detail about myself and then that person humiliates me by making fun of me, belittling me, or outright insulting me, then some of that trust is lost. So I might go back to only revealing relatively insignificant information about myself, in order to protect myself from being hurt.

I would say that it takes a long time to fully trust somebody, at least 6 months as a bare minimum and under the most ideal circumstances. Most people start off with a modicum of trust, but there are some people, where I could have known them for a long time and not trust them; therefore, it still depends on the quality of the interaction and it's constantly evolving (or de-evolving as the case may be!).

It might be closer to the minimum if the interactions were really great, and it might take a lot longer if there is a lot of going backwards in the area of trust... There aren't very many people that I can say I have completely lost all trust in them forever... It takes a lot of effort to get that far. It requires the same amount of effort for someone to get me to lose all trust in them as it does for someone to gain my complete trust.

Answer 2

I usually assume the best so I generally trust everyone immediately.

You have to earn my distrust.

But once you do so, it's over.

I know I get taken advantage of because of this attitude, but I strongly believe in karma.

And the funny thing is, people who have taken advantage of me have had really, really bad things happen to them later in life, from having their happy marriage turn to vicious divorce, losing their "life-long" job just as they would earn retirement benefits, getting beaten up by a random mugger, getting into really bad car accidents, and in one case even dying from a freak accident. I had nothing to do with any of it, and generally only hear about it happening years later when I hadn't given them another thought. But I always shrug and just think to myself, that's what bad karma does to people.

What can I say? I'm trusting of people, and the ones that keep my trust, good things happen to them. The ones that don't... I really feel sorry for. Someone is clearly watching over me, and whoever they are, they apparently take no mercy on those who are mean to me.

So it's easy to be trusting and hope for the best.

Answer 3

I barely even trust myself.
I don't trust anyone.
I'll never be one of those people who are shocked by the behavior of someone they thought they knew for 20 years or something like that.

Answer 4

it takes as long as it takes...no particular time line.
It depends on lots of things, like what comes from within you (like if you've had trust issues before, or the person continues to do the same thing to you over and over, or you've been let down in life for anything from the smallest to the largest reason, but until you get over it, the mistrust will remain).

Sometimes you're just in a relationship with someone who has not been fully truthful or honest and you know it and always have that little twinge when certain things happen, and that sparks some protective action in yourself to protect yourself.

Answer 5

It takes me about 3 months to trust someone I'm dating with my heart. I'm always asking 'Are you just saying that? Don't say it if you don't mean it." And just questioning people in general.

With co-workers and friends its probably a month or two. I'll be nice and friendly but no way I'm willing to dish out any dirt.

Answer 6

I generally trust someone until he/she gives me a reason not to. Not trust in terms of I pour my heart out to this person, but just trust in general. Life's too short to always be paranoid of others.

Answer 7

As long as it takes to prove their trust!

Answer 8

i had a series of relationships that were short and without trust.
then i had a relationship that started quickly, gave trust quickly and it all went belly up. Bad belly up.
so, now i never allowed myself to enter into a serious relationship without at LEAST 6mths of dating that person first.
I need that time to ease my way into trusting them. Plus, dating is FUN, and if the relationship is going to work out, then it's a nice memory of 6mths of just laughs and sex before things got all heavy and emotionally attacted.

Answer 9

About three years to really trust them.

Answer 10

Long time