The first word we here in trustworthiness is ‘trust’. Friedrich Nietzsche once wrote,” I’m not upset that you lied to me, I’m upset that from now on I can’t believe you.” There are many ways of losing that trust and it is not just with words. As we get older, teens and adults, it is not about games, tests and papers any more. The concept of trust goes to a much higher level and becomes very personal in our relationships in love, work and friends.
The second part of that word is ‘worthiness’. Are our words and deeds worthy of trust? If we were to ask ourselves how the other person might feel if we take this action or say these words it will help us to be aware of the affect and consequences of our words and actions. Being truthful with tact and kindness will make all of our relationships much stronger.
While some may be willing to put up with others not being truthful most find it very hard to continue in a relationship where trust has been lost. It simply is not comfortable to be in any kind of relationship – personal or business – that you are suspicious of those that you have interactions with. We can begin teaching our children these values and principles by helping them to appreciate that being trusted is one of our most valuable qualities. By not cheating or taking what does not belong to us in little things we set the course for when we are older and the stakes are higher.