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Discover Your Deepest Trust Through This Chair Test
Trust is one of those words we use constantly but rarely examine. We say we trust people, systems, relationships, and even ourselves—but how often do we actually test what trust feels like in our bodies, not just our thoughts?
This deceptively simple exercise—often called the Chair Test—has been used in psychology workshops, leadership training, and relationship-building exercises for decades. What makes it powerful isn’t the movement itself, but what it reveals about how deeply we trust others, and how safe we feel being vulnerable.
What Is the Chair Test?
At its core, the Chair Test is straightforward:
You stand with your back facing a chair.
Someone you trust (or think you trust) stands behind you.
You close your eyes.
And then—you let yourself fall backward.
The person behind you is meant to catch you before you hit the chair or the floor.
That’s it.
No complex rules. No elaborate setup. Yet for many people, this moment is surprisingly intense.
Some freeze.
Some hesitate.
Some laugh nervously.
Some refuse outright.
Each reaction tells a story.
Why Such a Simple Test Feels So Big
On the surface, the Chair Test looks harmless. You know someone is there. You know the fall is short. Logically, the risk is minimal.
But trust is not purely logical.
Trust lives in the nervous system. It’s shaped by memory, experience, trauma, and intuition. When you lean back without seeing what’s behind you, your body has to decide: Am I safe enough to surrender control?
That split second—between standing and falling—is where the truth shows up.
The Psychology Behind Trust and Vulnerability
The Chair Test strips trust down to its most basic form:
You cannot see.
You cannot protect yourself.
You must rely on someone else.
This triggers the same internal systems we use in emotional trust:
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