Broken Trust

Photo by Fabian Gieske

The thing about broken trust is that not only does it hurt your relationship with the person who had managed to break it, but also every other relationship that exists or follows. When someone betrays your trust, it makes you doubt your own ability to make informed decisions about the world and the people in it. You can’t help but wonder: if you could be wrong about this one person, who else are you wrong about?

The betrayed individual begins to question their judgment and instincts, wondering how they could have misjudged the intentions and character of the person who broke their trust. It leaves an indelible mark on one’s sense of self.

When we choose to trust someone, we rely on them for safety. So when trust erodes, so does our sense of safety. There’s more than anger, disappointment, and sadness—there’s a profound sense of uncertainty and danger. Broken trust is a violation. It shatters our vulnerability.

And when it happens more than once, it makes you feel li…