Even the best judge of character can misjudge

Being a good judge of character is a really useful skill.
And some people are better at it than others.

This intuitive skill usually gets honed over many years, as a result of life experiences.

But here’s the thing: even the best judge of character can get it wrong.
Not because they are a bad judge of character or their intuition was bad.
But rather because human beings are incredibly unpredictable, and can (and do) change.

Has happened to me — and I am a fairly good judge of character.
But I’ve been taken advantage, and even scammed, by people I believed were trustworthy.
For all intents and purposes, these people were trustworthy. There was even evidence to support that assessment.
But then they deceived me.
It’s unfortunate but happens.

Greed, especially, is a dangerous thing.
And human nature is unpredictable.
So it’s important to be aware of human nature and its fallibility.

Yes, being a good judge of character is useful, but do not let your beliefs blind you.
Believe people and use your intuition, by all means.
But also make sure that in case you are wrong, you have backup plans in place.
Especially when it comes to trusting people with money.

Hope for the best.
But still, prepare for the worst.
Just in case…

Originally published at M’s Blog.