How to Read People at Every Stage of a Relationship — From an FBI Hostage Negotiator

When you first meet someone, most people think the question is: Do I like them?

It isn’t.

The more important question is whether you can trust them.

But that is not how most people listen on a first date.

They listen with hope.

With chemistry.

With the part of themselves that wants this person to be good news.

So the yellow flags get explained away.

The snide comment.

The moment that feels a little off.

The small thing that bothers you, but not enough to ruin the date.

The part of you that notices — and then immediately starts talking yourself out of what you noticed.

That is how people get in trouble.

Not because the red flags were obvious and they missed them.

Because the early signs looked subtle enough to dismiss.

And when someone is charming, charismatic, or emotionally fluent, it gets even easier to doubt yourself.

We’re bringing this conversation back for the holiday week because it is one of the clearest episodes we’ve done on trust, character, and what people show you before you are ready to see it.

Listen to “How to Read People at Every Stage of a Relationship — From an FBI Hostage Negotiator” → Spotify | Apple Podcasts

If you have ever ignored what felt off because someone was charming enough to make you second-guess your own instincts, this episode will hit hard.