Why is Trusting Again So Hard? Have you ever wondered why it's so hard to reestablish trust? Just last week a couple in my office struggled with this reality. Johnathon felt he had displayed amazing progress with his attentiveness and follow through in the marriage. Sue, on the other hand, still saw him as self-centered and felt that he'd made no improvement at all. What makes our points of view differ so radically when it comes to behaviors within the marriage? (Please note: names have been changed to protect identities.) Sanctity of the Topic Couples fight because they are both right. I learned this long ago. No one would argue a topic, knowing they're wrong. Plain and simple, we fight when we believe we're right and the other person is wrong. The problem stems from the fact that we're not always on the same topic. Typically, one party speaks from the perspective of how they've been hurt, while the other party stays fixed on their intentions. It is impossible to agree if you're not even on the same subject! For example: Once when Stephanie and I were late to an engagement because she was still getting ready, I suggested she skip the make up so we could get on the road. I tried to accomplish my goal by complimenting her beauty and stating she didn't need even need make up. Somehow, my words got tangled and it came out more like, "Don't waste your time on the makeup. It won't do any good." My misstated compliment left her deeply hurt. She responded with, "I can't believe you just insulted me." I responded with, "I didn't insult you; I was trying to pay you a compliment." I began to argue my intention, which was to pay her a compliment, and she kept right on making the point that I had insulted her. It was a "right fight." We were both 100% right in the points we were making, but we certainly weren't talking about the same topic. This common dynamic reveals one of the difficulties in reestablishing trust. Cover more ground faster with the life-changing experience of EMS Weekend for couples. Learn More | EMS Weekend Follow Through Is Paramount In order to be considered trustworthy, the rate of follow through has to be extremely high. If an individual fails to do what they say they will do, especially on a consistent basis, they will be considered untrustworthy. If the individual is occasionally trustworthy, their partner will likely struggle to trust them. Typically, the unfaithful spouse evaluates their performance based on their intention. Past behaviors, to the unfaithful spouse, are just that—past behaviors. So in their mind, it feels like they have a clean slate since the infidelity has come to light and they are working towards recovery. By those standards, they often feel they deserve the Most Trustworthy Citizen of the Year Award. Remember, the betrayed spouse is evaluating trust by their behavior (the infidelity) while the unfaithful spouse is evaluating trust based on their intentions (recovery), so you can see how the fight for trust can feel like a losing battle. Understand Where Frustration Comes From Here's the problem: in the betrayed spouse's evaluation system, intentions carry almost no weight and current behaviors are viewed through the lens of past failures. The betrayed spouse wants action. Even more, they want a clearly visible, pure, and right motive for that action. It's one of the few measures they have. It may feel as if actions done with the wrong motives don't count. The discrepancies in the scores awarded by both sides create a great deal of consternation. The unfaithful spouse may feel misunderstood and like nothing they do counts, while the betrayed spouse lives in fear that things will never change and their spouse will never truly change. Unfaithful spouses, I'd recommend you take a hard look at your behaviors, not your intentions. I did insult Stephanie when I tried to pay her a compliment. I had to take responsibility for my failings even when it wasn't intentional, and this is a huge piece to the puzzle of reestablishing safety. At the same time, Stephanie had to be willing to let me make amends. It's good to note your progress in recovery but remember the weight of your actions. If you acted out for years and now have five months of good behavior, do you think that's enough "good time" to shift your mate's perspective of you? Can you blame them for being leary? You know your heart and your intentions, but how can your mate believe you when you've spent years deceiving him or her? You're going to have to be consistent in what you say over 90% of the time if you want them to consider you trustworthy again. Be patient with each other. If you stay the course and become the person YOU can respect, then odds are that your mate will eventually join you. This is not about just "saving the marriage," but it's about getting your life back. It's about getting healthy for yourself first, then for your mate. If you don't respect or love yourself, how can you expect your spouse to do the same? Betrayed spouses, I'd encourage you not to discount the positive. Given the betrayal, it's natural to see the negatives and to mistrust your spouse's actions. No one wants to be played the fool twice. However, if their heart is soft and they're taking responsibility, try to see that. Changing lifelong behaviors takes time. If you see heartfelt effort toward change, please don't consider it meaningless. The goal is progress, not perfection. It will certainly take time before you can trust their heart but try to be objective as you walk this road of recovery. As Leslie Hardie, co-author of our Harboring Hope says; "Don't use the pain of the past to amplify the fear of the future."1 If you're exploring the possibilities of reconciliation, be cautious, but try to live in the present. Anything else will rob you of life. Sections: NewsletterFounder's LaptopFree ResourcesHot Off the PressRL_Category: For The Hurt SpouseFor the Unfaithful SpouseRebuilding TrustRecovery FundamentalsRL_Media Type: Text
