I know people like that too .

I think a lot of it is gut instinct, initially, because if you don't feel the trust is there, it doesn't ever seem to be.

Hmm. I don't know for sure because there are a lot of instances where it just happens (the decision to trust or not to). I don't think it's something I'm always really conscious about as soon as it happens. Lol.

I guess I would say I've been pretty accurate with my intuition on whether or not a person's trustworthy. There have been times where I went ahead and stupidly chose to trust them anyway, even though I had that feeling. You know? I did that quite a few times in the past actually & I'm even more careful after that, so I have learned to listen to that very first instinct and go with it because it's always right. If I get that feeling, I might as well not bother because they are not trust worthy and they always prove it.

However, if I don't "get that feeling" then it seems they're usually fairly trust worthy people, or at least as far as I know.

I really don't know what criteria have to be there or be absent in order for me to make the decision. It just seems more like a feeling for me. It's like hmmm.. could I trust this person with ... & I'll either feel that it's risky or not risky. That, I think is probably a contributing factor in how I make the decision (trust worthy or not).

I think, as far as the criteria they need to posess in order for me to feel I can likely trust them I'd need to feel comfortable being around them in general. If I have any discomfort being around them, I probably won't trust them as much as I am capable of.

I can say one thing for sure, if they have something sneaky about them or they act in a way that really screams sneaky or shady (I am thinking of one particular case) I do question whether or not I should trust them. This doesn't mean I choose not to trust them, because there is a situation where the person definitely has something sneaky or "hidden" about them and for some reason, I still am trusting them very, very much. Perhaps it's just that they don't trust me enough, as much as I trust them.

If someone shares equally intimate details about themselves with me as I have with them, I think I automatically feel a bigger sense of trust between us.

Most of all, I don't know that it's something that I really do consciously when I do decide. I think it's mostly just that feeling. There's a feeling you get, or maybe I'm weird.

Spiced & Gunsmoke: That is really good! Those are great methods there. In fact, my partner does the exact same thing as you, Gunsmoke! It works. & Now that I think about it, you are totally right -- he's never been screwed twice by the same person! That must be a really good way to go about it.

Trust has always been a sore spot for me. I was never very good at pushing people away, and as such I get hurt a lot. Due to this I have made a list of rules for when I meet someone. 1) Get to know as much about their personality and habits as they are willing to tell me. 2) Spend alone time with them, to see if they are any different when around just me and 3) Always take everything with a grain of salt, because even with a list of tests, some people are just... to good at tricking you. All in all, it takes me months to years to fully trust someone, and once that person hurts me once, just once. I'm twice as cautious as before. Forgive, but never forget i say, and remember the three strikes your out rule. If someone in your life hurts you seriously more then three times, they are not worth your effort, love or trust.