Preaching a lil', but I'm not sorry

confidence
noun
-the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust
-the state of feeling certain about the truth of something
-a feeling of self-assurance arising from one's appreciation of one's own abilities or qualities
-the telling of private matters or secrets with mutual trust
-a secret or private matter told to someone under such a condition of trust
THESAURUS: trust, belief, faith, credence, condition, confidentiality...

To me, a relationship of any kind, whether it be a friendship, a marriage, or a business alliance, should be built on a mutual confidence towards one another.  There should be no question that anything discussed in private would be passed along without permission.  When that's done, it implies that the person who broke the confidence can no longer be trusted.  Thus, whatever relationship existed (friend, marriage, alliance) is no longer intact because its foundation has been destroyed.  Rebuilding something like trust is probably one of the most difficult things to do.  That's why so many relationships end after a partner cheats, or a friendship falls to pieces after someone purposefully shares information that was given to them in confidence.

I'm writing about this because I think it's important that we all evaluate ourselves and our habits.  Are we being the kind of friend or partner that we want in return?

I think it's important to consider integrity.  Not just in our relationships with others, but in all areas of our lives because there's no room for the alternative.  Integrity can be defined as the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.  There's really no room for the alternative if you want anyone to trust you or find you worthy of their time.