Am I a good judge of character?

Daily writing prompt

Are you a good judge of character?

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“Red flags don’t disappear when you ignore them.”

I used to think being a good judge of character meant I could spot a bad one instantly—like some kind of human lie detector. The truth is, most people reveal who they are pretty quickly. The problem isn’t seeing it. The problem is explaining it away.

We tell ourselves they’re just having a bad day. Or they didn’t mean it like that. Or everyone deserves another chance. Before you know it, you’ve ignored three red flags, defended behavior you wouldn’t accept from yourself, and convinced yourself your gut needs more evidence.

So yes, I think I’m a good judge of character.
I’ve just learned that my instincts are usually right… and my excuses are usually wrong.