Recently I went out to dinner with an acquaintance. Until that point we had only exchanged small talk in a quasi-controlled environment. By the end of the first 30 minutes, I had started cataloguing a list of opposing personality traits that we both had and wondering whether our conversation would progress deeper than the superficial.

Half way through the dinner, I decided to take the first step and shared a lesser known fact about myself. The conversation continued as before. But a while later, she responded to a comment of mine with a personal story that showed me a version of her that was vastly different from the breezy carefree person she usually was. The heart to heart exchange continued for a few minutes before moving back to superfluous topics.

This experience reminded me why we should not judge any relationship too early. Nobody is completely superficial. Everyone has ups and downs in their lives, marked life experiences that have shaped them into who they are in the present. Until both parties settle in and feel comfortable enough to set aside their social masks, we will never know what that relationship could evolve into.

Approach every relationship with a blank slate. Give it time to reveal its own future path. And only then judge.