On Maintaining Trust
Trust is the most frequently used word when we are talking about interpersonal relationships. However, it is hard to build trust but easy to destroy it. Therefore, how to build and maintain trust is very important for us. In my opinion, some factors play a primary role in it.
First comes honesty. There’s an old saying in Chinese: once bitten, twice shy. Thus, never lie to your partners. If they find out you’re lying or cheating, the existing trust will be broken. Once broken, it’s always hard to rebuild it. Promise-keeping is the second one. If you always break your promise, you will not be trusted by others any more. Another important aspect is attitude. People with good attitude are always welcome. They show their good manners, patience, modesty, willingness to communicate and, most important of all, sincerity to others, which contributes greatly to eliminating apathy and coldness.
There are, still, other influential factors. However, from my perspective, honesty, promise-keeping and good attitude stand out among them.