Five reasons you may be judged untrustworthy
Knowing whom to trust is an important social and business skill. But it’s not that simple – although it’s fast. It took me just seven seconds to assess your confidence, competence, status, likability, warmth and, yes, your trustworthiness.
You can’t stop me (or anyone, for that matter) from making these snap decisions. The human brain is wired that way.
Whenever we meet new people, our brain automatically and immediately begins to categorize them in some way – male or female, same or different, friend or foe – in order to predict what’s likely to happen next.
Because few of us have the mental agility to consciously perceive and process all the factors needed to make these calculations, we rely on estimates, or guesses, based on our past experiences and preconceptions.