I do make notes about what people are saying and whether I can consider them trustworthy on the tasks that information can be applied to.

Are you a secret agent or something? I prefer to build trust with people the regular human way, by getting to know them over a period of time, assessing whether or not they share my general goals and principles and seeing if they live up to their commitments. Whether or not they agree with my interpretation of the legacies of controversial historical figures seems less important to me. I also think that there are valid criticisms of Stalin and the U.S.S.R. generally that aren't based on lies and propaganda, so I wouldn't rush to assume that anyone engaging in that criticism lacks critical thinking skills or the ability to interpret information.