How Trust Works

Published: Dec. 27, 2023, 8 a.m.

Everyday, we're being asked to trust in something. We trust that our jobs will pay us on time. We trust that our partners will come home in the evening. We trust that our apartment won't suddenly collapse on us, that our neighbors won't steal our mail, and that our kids will be safe at school.

But what happens when that trust is broken?

According to one 2013 study from the Journal of Couple and Family Psychology, 60 percent of couples cited a partner's unfaithfulness as the reason for their divorce.

Trust isn't just an issue in relationships. A 2022 Gallup poll found that Americans' trust in major institutions like the Supreme Court and Congress is at a historic low.

How can trust be repaired once it's broken? And why is often so easy to lose in the first place?

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