Knowing a persons true character is easier than you think, if you would pay attention.
Here are four most trusted methods;
- Watch how the person behaves and treats you, when in the presence of their own closest friends; i.e. their closest friends which you do not know personally. In general, people are less likely to pretend in front of close friends who already know them inside out, they’re more likely to be in their natural behaviour. If you notice that the person does not treat you as nicely as they do when you’re alone with them, then you should know something is up.
- Listen, when they speak about polarizing topics, or when they give opinions on other people’s situations, etc. This will give you a better idea of how they think and their personal values. There is a popular saying “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh”. People will always speak the true feelings in their hearts. You just have to listen and you better believe that’s how they truly feel.
- Watch how they treat you when they think they cannot gain anything from you. If a person believes he/she cannot gain anything from you, they will have no reason to pretend around you and you’re more likely to see their true nature. You’d be surprised by how unkind most people are.
- Most important method is…. ASK QUESTIONS (indirectly) THEN LISTEN AND OBSERVE; A person can only pretend/lie for so long, the truth always comes out. Take some time to ask questions about the person, or just bring up their name in a conversation then listen and observe as others talk about the person. You will surely hear more about a persons past, their true character, or even their real intentions.
At the end of it all, if you are lucky to get a glimpse of a person’s real character, you need believe it and take action accordingly. The signs are always there, but all too often we give excuses for a person’s behaviour or we just ignore the signs until things get really bad. In the words of Maya Angelou, “when a person shows you their true character, you should believe them”.