3 Steps to Realize Someone's Character

Ever known someone for a year or longer just to discover that they are really an insensitive, uncaring, egotistical twirp?  Somehow you didn't realize it until so much time has passed and you waisted an emotional investment in someone who ended up only causing grief and maybe even costing some mula for a couple concert tickets.  So, if you want to avoid the bad investment of your time in a person with bad character, try the following techniques.

1)  Spend some good one-on-one time with the person.  I am not talking 2~3 hours only, but rather 2~3 days.  You may have to get clever with how to convince a new acquaintance to spend 2 days with you straight, but you can use the excuse of a broken water heater or something similar to see if they will invite you to stay in their guest room.  What is the point of spending that much time with them?   The reason is that a usual person is able to maintain a degree of 'normalcy' for only so long until their true self comes out.  After 24 hours has passed all the niceties fade away and you know just how far they can be pushed before they flip or before YOU flip out on their habits.  Survive the 3 days and you may be able to survive 3 years without so many issues.

2) Go on a road trip with them.  Road trips bring out lots of behaviors in people... if you are lucky, good behaviors will be shown too.  People have to get creative to keep their minds lively while driving for hours at a time, this all along with your dealings with take out food and the servers that provide it to you, facing crazy drivers on the interstate and maybe some physically draining late night driving.  Road trips can show the worst in people's impatience or show an individual's true light hearted nature.  Also, if he offers his shoulder for you to nap on, he is a keeper.

3) Loan them money.  No, no, not a lot of money, but maybe a $20 or $50 bill. Let them know for sure it is a loan and you expect to be paid back.  You can even note when you would like it to be paid back, like by the end of the week or as soon as they can.  The result is you can find out how genuinely thankful they are for a helping hand and how eager they are to settle the debt and keep things Even Stephen.  If they hold off paying you back, then they not only don't appreciate the help you gave them  but also they can't be trusted to follow through with their commitments.  If they don't pay it back ever, then see that money as well spent in the discovery of a person with bad character.

Try them out on a new friend or even an old one and see if you have made a good call at calling him/her your friend or partner.  You might very well be surprised! :)