08/20/2026
Trust isn't a feeling you either have or don't. It's something you can actually evaluate by looking at four specific things.
Consistency asks whether their words match their actions over time, not just when it's easy. Transparency asks whether you know who they actually are, or just who they perform to be. Accountability asks whether they own mistakes and actually change behavior, or just apologize repeatedly until you drop it. Reliability asks whether you can count on them during hard times, not just the convenient ones.
These four things together are what trust is built from. You can assess each one independently. And you can notice early when one of them is missing.