Can You Trust Your Partner? - 10 Questions You Should Ask Yourself

Trust is an important part of any relationship. Without trust, most relationships will fall apart and eventually end, leaving one or both partners wondering what happened. But how do you know if you can trust your partner? It's not like untrustworthy people walk around with a sign so you can tell and if the person is untrustworthy, they're not going to be honest when you ask if you can trust them. These ten questions will help you read between the lines to determine whether you can trust your partner.

Are they evasive about their past?

There are a variety of reasons why someone might be evasive about their past. They may be a private person or shy about talking about themselves. They might have had a bad experience in their past. Or it could be something more troubling. Look at the reasons they're giving.

Does they close browsers or hang up quickly when you walk in the room?

While this could be something as innocent as them planning a surprise for you, it's a good idea to pay attention. If a surprise isn't forthcoming, you may need to start questioning your trust and questioning why they didn't want you to see what they were doing online or find out who they were talking to on the phone.

Do family and friends hate them on sight?

It's possible that there may have been a disagreement at some point, but odds are everyone shouldn't be hating your partner. If they are, it's possible they have saw or heard something that you don't know about. When in doubt, ask a trusted friend why they dislike your partner.

Do they suddenly cancel plans without reason or with vague reasons?

Sometimes things can come up and plans must be cancelled. If it happens a couple times, it's probably not an issue. However, if it happens on a regular basis or the reasons you're getting make no sense, your partner could be up to no good.

When caught in a lie, do they try to turn the blame around on you?

The average person when caught in a lie will fess up and apologize. If your partner attempts to twist things around to put the blame on you, you have a problem on your hands.

Did they suddenly start spending more time on their appearance?

If your partner has always been casual about their appearance when running errands, it will probably catch your attention when they do an about-face and start taking more care with how they look. Look at where they're going. Is it really necessary to dress for a night on the town if they're going to the grocery or home improvement store?

Did you come across something suspicious in their pockets or car?

You may have stumbled across something on accident and wondered about it-a hotel receipt when their job doesn't require travel or a movie ticket stub when they claimed to be visiting their sick aunt. These are things that should have you wondering if they're really trustworthy.

Do friends act confused when you ask them about time they claimed to be spending with them?

While some people will cover for a friend if asked, a partner that's up to no good may be keeping quiet about their extracurricular activities. If your partner has claimed to be spending time with a friend, but the friend has no idea what you're talking about, this should ring alarm bells for you.

Do callers hang up when you answer?

If you've had a phone for any length of time, chances are you've had a wrong number call before. Most people apologize or let you know they misdialed, but there are some that just hang up when they realize they reached the wrong person. One or two hangups over a period of time is generally not something to be concerned with. However, if you're finding that it happens a lot, especially at times when you would normally be sleeping or away from home, it bears looking into.

Does their story change with each telling?

If a partner tells you three versions of a story, all different, you will probably be wondering which, if any, you should believe. While it's normal to have small variations in a story over time, the majority of it should stay the same. If you're constantly getting several versions whenever you ask questions, it's time to start thinking about whether you can really trust your partner.

These are all things to consider when determining whether you can trust your partner. Taken singly, it may be innocent, but if you're finding more and more of the signs, it's time to take some steps to find out the truth.