In her SuperSoul Conversation, The Anatomy of Trust, Brené Brown introduces an acronym to help people build trust in their relationships.
She calls it BRAVING.
- Boundaries: Are you clear about and respecting each other’s boundaries?
- Reliability: Will you do what you say you will?
- Accountability: Are you willing to own your mistakes?
- Vault: Do you keep what is shared in confidence?
- Integrity: Do you practice your values, rather than just professing them?
- Non-judgment: Can you fall apart in front of each other without being judged? Do you refrain from judging yourselves for needing help
- Generosity: Can you assume the most generous thing about the other person’s intent and behaviors, maintaining a positive perspective?
BRAVING can be hard to do, but the research shows that trust is built in the small, everyday interactions.
Be brave with your partner—to be truly seen is one of the greatest gifts we can offer and receive.
Related blog posts
- How to Build Trust in Your Relationship
- What Does Trust and Commitment Look Like in a Relationship?
- What to Do if You Don’t Trust Each Other
The Relationship Minute From The Gottman Institute, dated 2 May 2019. You can sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning.
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