A Barometer for Whether You Can Trust Someone

How many people are there whom you can truly trust?

People who are good at communication might have many, while those who aren't might only be able to open up to a very select few.

Someone you can be your true self with is truly precious, and your level of happiness is determined by how many people you have built such deep relationships with.

For a state of happiness, better human relationships are truly indispensable. Psychology and happiness studies have reached a certain conclusion on this.

However, I also think that judging whether or not you have truly opened your heart to someone is surprisingly difficult.

If you are consciously opening up, you might know, but if you are doing it unconsciously, it shows in your gestures and the atmosphere, making it hard to judge.

Even if you think you are chatting happily, whether you are fully disclosing your true self is a different story.

It is helpful in such times, but I judge whether or not I have opened my heart to someone by a certain part of my body.

That is,

my cheeks.

You might say, "What on earth is that? (laughs)," but I think this is quite credible.

When I talk to someone I haven't opened my heart to, my cheeks get tired. In the worst cases, I even get muscle pain (laughs).

The reason is simple: I think I am forcing myself to overreact or giving a fake smile.
I am using my cheeks in a strange way.

There is strange tension in my facial expressions themselves, and I might not be showing my true self.

The body is much more honest than the mind.
The range that can be consciously controlled is limited, after all.

I would like you all to try focusing on your cheeks as a barometer to judge whether the person you are talking to is disclosing their true self, including their physical state.

If you have other things you use to judge, I am waiting for your comments.

When do you feel that you have opened your heart to someone?