Building a strong and healthy relationship requires complete trust, openness, and honesty.
In a world where deception and dishonesty seem all too common, finding someone who values truthfulness is a true blessing.
If you’ve found that special someone and believe them to be a truly honest person, here are 10 signs that can help you recognize their authenticity and appreciate the bond you share.
1) Open communication
A truly honest person will always place open and transparent communication at the forefront of their interactions with you.
They encourage you to share your opinions, deepest thoughts, and innermost feelings. And they value your every word.
They listen attentively, without judgment or rude interruptions, and provide sincere responses that come straight from the heart. With them, you feel comfortable discussing any topic — even the sticky, icky ones.
2) Consistency in words and actions
The old saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words.” The resonance of this wisdom cannot be overstated, especially in relationships.
An honest partner doesn’t just pay lip service to their feelings and intentions; their actions echo their words.
For instance, they don’t merely say they respect your career; they show it. They take an active interest in your work, remember the little details you’ve shared, and respect the boundaries you’ve set around your work time.
They don’t make promises they can’t keep, they will do their utmost not to let you down, and their actions align with their words.
You can rely on them to follow through on their commitments to you and the relationship, no matter how big or small. It’s also why it’s easy to trust them.
3) Genuine trustworthiness
Does your partner make it easy for you to trust them? Do you see no reason to doubt what they say?
If the answer is yes, chances are, you’re in a relationship with a truly honest person.
I was once in a relationship with a guy who’d say one thing, then do another. He’d promise to go with me to an appointment or meet me for lunch, then ditch at the last minute.
The more this happened, the less I felt like I could trust him. And that distrust extended to other areas – when he’d say he was just hanging out at his friend’s house, I’d have a tiny seed of doubt in the back of my head.
That was my gut telling me that he wasn’t as honest as I wanted him to be.
Trust, the bedrock of any relationship, takes time to build, but an honest person will make it seem easy. It comes with consistency in words and actions, as I mentioned earlier.
And you know what else an honest person does that makes it easy for you to trust them? They have the…
4) Willingness to admit mistakes
Nobody is perfect, and your partner is no exception. But what sets an honest person apart is their willingness to admit when they’ve messed up.
Not only that, but they won’t stop at admitting their mistakes; they work to right their wrongs.
After all, it’s one thing to say, “I’m sorry,” and another to change behavior or make up for the hurt caused.
5) Non-judgmental attitude
Being with an honest person means you’re free to be your authentic self, quirks and all. They don’t judge or try to change you, but instead, celebrate you for who you are.
Let’s say you’ve got an outlandish hobby that your previous partners found ‘odd.’ But your current partner? They encourage it, seeing it as a unique part of who you are, not a flaw to be corrected.
You see, for honest people, authenticity is a core value. So, whatever your choices, values, and beliefs in life are, they will respect it even if they differ from their own.
They provide a safe space for you to express yourself without fear of ridicule or criticism. As long as you’re being real yourself!
6) Empathy and compassion
Another facet of honesty that you’ll appreciate in a relationship is emotional honesty. Emotionally honest people don’t just hear your words; they tune into your feelings.
They can empathize with your experiences and offer comfort and understanding, even when they can’t relate directly.
When you’re going through a tough time at work, they don’t dismiss your stress but strive to understand and support you. There’s genuine care and concern for your well-being.
They value your ability to be in the truth of your emotional state, and they don’t expect you to be all roses and sweetness all of the time.
7) Respect for privacy
While honesty is vital in a relationship, so is respecting each other’s privacy.
You don’t want to come home and find your partner rifling through your childhood diaries or that box of memories you keep under the bed.
This has never been an issue with me and my husband. We’ve never even felt the urge to check each other’s phones.
That’s because we both understand the importance of personal boundaries. For us, trust means respecting each other’s needs for personal space.
8) Consistent honesty in difficult situations
In the spirit of being honest, I’m going to be upfront and say that my biggest struggles have been to stay honest in difficult conversations.
Sometimes it’s tempting to lie just to keep the peace. And there are conversations that are so uncomfortable we’d rather run and hide than have to sit through them.
But for a truly honest person, the approach is the same – no avoidance, no lying, just the plain and simple truth.
Even if it means saying something they don’t want to say, they’ll do it when pressed. No matter how tough an issue is, they’ll stick it out in the spirit of making your relationship work.
9) Consistent honesty in small matters
It’s not just the big stuff that demands a total commitment to the truth. Trustworthy people choose to be honest even in seemingly insignificant moments too.
Most of us have sat with a group who are all talking about a particular book or TV show. And, I’ll bet most of you reading this have nodded when you’re asked if you’ve read the book or watched the show — even when you haven’t.
Truly honest people will admit they don’t know something that everyone else in the room seems to be an expert on. They’ll offer their genuine opinion about something trivial rather than following the status quo.
Seeing someone be truthful even when they could tell a harmless white lie is a sure sign that you can trust them in the big stuff, too.
There’s a bible verse that puts this really clearly: “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones.”
10) Transparency in past relationships
Although living in the moment is important, we have to recognize that we all come to new relationships with a past of our own.
And while our past shouldn’t matter to our current partner, being transparent about it does instill a sense of trust.
That’s why a truly honest person will be totally transparent about their previous relationships. They won’t hide relevant information about their past and are open to discussing any concerns or insecurities you may have.
Again, they’ll make it easy for you to trust them!
Final thoughts
Being in a relationship with a truly honest person is a remarkable gift. Their open communication and the way they value the truth goes a long way in strengthening your bond.
Does your partner meet the criteria in this list? If so, then that’s great! You’ve got a keeper you can trust and build a strong relationship with!
