Having trustworthy friends is so important. No matter how old you are, it’s nice to know that someone has your back. Even though the ability to trust is something you often have to earn, a new study posted in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology reveals that there’s one personality trait that often makes someone come off as being more of a trustworthy source. And it’s something you might not expect.
As humans, we all have flaws. Some of us have vices, while others are constantly a work in progress. Even though it’s nice to put off the vibe that we have it all together (hello, social media), the truth of the matter is that oftentimes, life is hard. Still, we try the best we can. And oddly enough, showing signs of guilt is a huge indicator that you’re trustworthy. Why? Well, it shows you have a conscience. It says that you’re the type to feel bad about a negative decision, even if it’s something small like forgetting to contribute to the carpool gas fund, or not calling someone back.
The study figured this out by testing people with economic games and a survey that helped figure out trustworthy intentions.
According to the study, being prone to guilt “directly relates to one’s sense of interpersonal responsibility.” If you have the responsibility of keeping a big secret, like say a best friend’s pregnancy news, you know that leaking it will be on you. Since you would feel guilty over letting it slip, you’re more likely to keep it to yourself. And that’s why you’re a great friend to have.
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Still, the study pinpoints that being guilt-prone isn’t the key to everything. “People who are high in guilt-proneness are more likely to be trustworthy than are individuals who are low in guilt-proneness, but they are not universally more generous,” the study’s abstract states.
Even so, it’s kind of good to know that feeling guilty actually has some sort of payoff.