Even after being burned more than once by people who it seems are just bad people after all, I still believe the default should be everyone is a good person with good intentions.

When you interact with people in this way, you have their best interests at heart, and it’s mutually beneficial for both. In most cases this is a win-win.

The problem lies in the people who don’t have this predisposition. How do you weed them out?

Still default to everyone is a good person with good intentions, but have more of a vetting process on your behalf. Only let them into your inner circle when you feel you have grasped who they are as a person.

While there may still be cracks, it’s much better than the opposite, being on the alert for everyone you come across. Not only will you tire from the effort to do so, people will see you in a different light and treat you suspiciously.

That’s why it’s best to default to everyone is a good person with good intentions.

If you want an excellent book on this, I highly recommend Malcolm Gladwell’s Talking to Strangers.