Ted Gioia — Stanford alumnus, jazz musician, professor, and venture investor — offered eight observations for assessing a person’s character.
1. Look at their partner
The person they choose as a life partner reflects their thoughts, feelings, and hidden desires. A partner is the clearest mirror of who they are. If they aren’t married, observe a few close friends; the people they keep around long-term will share aspects of their personality.
2. How they use money and time
How someone spends money reveals part of the lifestyle they seek. How they spend their daily time shows what they value most. For example, if they spend most of their free time reading, they likely love learning and self-improvement.
3. How they treat service workers
Servers have no personal stake in us, so watching how someone treats people who won’t benefit them indicates whether they’re motivated by self-interest or by finer values.
4. How they talk about their childhood
Asking about past hardships and how they overcame them reveals their resilience and capacity to handle difficulties, useful when choosing an employee or partner.
5. How they react to unexpected problems
Problem-solving ability is a key soft skill employers look for. If you’re considering getting to know or working with someone, observe , or, if possible, create, small unwanted situations and watch how they handle them. If they panic and can’t handle minor issues, they’ll likely struggle with bigger ones.
6. Whether they cheat on small things
Small dishonest acts, like slightly moving a golf ball during play, may seem harmless but can signal a willingness to cheat on larger matters. Honesty in small things and doing the right thing when no one is watching mark a trustworthy person.
These ways of judging others are also a valuable chance to examine ourselves. They may show where we fall short and why fewer people trust us or want long-term collaboration.
Reference:
Ms. Ruby. (n.d.). [ĐỘC QUYỀN GJW]: Sự trùng khớp kinh ngạc tinh hoa thuật nhiên người Đông Tây Phương [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/CYyn8TZZxzc