Do You REALLY Know People?

by minimus 33 Replies latest jw friends

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  freedom96

  I am pretty good at my first impressions of other people.

  That being said, until you really get to spend time with someone, it is difficult to really figure out who they really are.
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  love11

  No... you can't really know people and what they are thinking. But I'd like to think that I weeded out those kind of people in my life. I always trust people, to a certain extent, until they give me a reason not to.
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  Tigerman

  I believe one of the saddest things about being a JW is that they label people. If one fits into their sense of predisposed identification of character ( after ' studying ' ) then one is 'ok' . . . if one doesn't, then it's just too bad . I 've often wondered why JW's are elitist and presumably feel like they really know people, and thus judge others.

  They need to live on the street for a while . . .get a taste of the real deal.
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  diamondblue1974

  I try to get to know people based upon what I see and experience with them; i tend not to go along with what they say too much because that can be deceptive, body language, interpersonal skills tend to give it away more than verbal communications.

  You can never really know people though...and life is full of unexpected twists and turns when it comes down to friendships and relationships.
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  cheeseman

  I always trust people, to a certain extent, until they give me a reason not to.

  That's my philosophy also. Nobody really knows anyone, in my opinion. This is because we are constantly changing and re-inventing our inner-selves. I am not the same person I was a year ago, or two years ago, or...well, you catch my drift. All I can do is give people the benefit of the doubt, and if they surprise me with their actions then I ruminate over what it means and whether or not I have to re-evaluate my relationship with that person.
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  minimus

  Fairchild, I had a very similar experience. My friend and I had lunch together EVERYDAY for years. Suddenly, he stopped coming by and when I called him, he gave me different excuses everyday for his disappearing act. Many months went by until my wife and I saw him and his wife at a local restaurant. He came by, happy to see me, talked to me at length and told me he was coming back for lunch the following day. He's been coming back now for about 5 years.
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  JH

  I like building friendships, and honesty is the best policy. I always say the truth, so people know me well, no surprises.
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  BrendaCloutier

  I've been badly hurt and have hurt others, too.

  BC - that was very honest of you. Most never admit to the second part - and yet most of us have haven't we.

  Thing is, once hurt "we" usually learn how to hurt and how to hurt others. Unfortunatly this is very true of domestic violence victims.... they can become the victimizer, but in more subversive ways. I did. I don't today.
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  love2Bworldly

  What I don't understand about other people, is why so many people lie or exaggerate. I have been lied to so much, and yet I still make an effort to be an honest person. I can't stand playing games either the way people do. And I tend to trust others too much, which has gotten me into so much heart-ache over the years.
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  minimus

  Love----you sound like you were a good Witless.