Can you read people?

Question

When I say read people I mean be able to put yourself in their position so much that their problems actually become your own, because you are able to identify with them that well. I mean that you can look at someone and their actions and understand in pretty clear detail a lot about theri past, and how they might respond in the future?
I'm not asking if you personaly can, just in general- is this something that a lot of people can do? because a lot of people are very shallow and THINK they get people, but are really only thinking of themselves. It's a lot of presure and most people can't handle that.

I'm getting a lot of 'with time' answers. I don't mean can you read someone you know, anyone can do that if they pay attention. I mean like after an hour or two. Just observe enough that you can read that well.

Answer 1

We tend to understand people based on how we understand ourselves. A form of projection is when we attribute our own flaws or our brand of thinking about the world with other people, wrongly. It can be annoying. Some who think they know everything about the world are so dense that they aren't even aware of the limitations of their own thinking. An example I can give is George W. Bush's rhetoric, effectively claiming that terrorists are only jealous of the "freedom" that America has. That terrorists are pure evil, and not motivated by anything more than spreading chaos or something.


Yes, some people are better at empathizing and connecting with other people's experiences. We also tend to empathize better with some people than with others. It's a case of similarity between thinking styles between two persons, and also common experiences. I tend to be able to "read" introverts better, for example, because I'm an introvert. I'm also having some psychotherapy/counseling lessons and practice, so I start to develop a stronger intuition for it. It's actually a type of intelligence. Like all intelligence, practice and continual feedback and self-correction improves our ability to understand people.

It's a fact, though we may not be aware of it, that we are more opaque and ambiguous than we realize. We can't really be "read" through and through. We don't even know ourselves fully.

Answer 2

Of course, they are called psychics. If they're good they're likely very well trained in psychology and understand personality types and the tells that people have as to what's happening in thier lives. Most people are very simple. A single mothers biggest concern? Money. A teenager? Social acceptance.
If you know enough factors about an individuals life, it is generally easy to see where they are coming from, thier concerns, and what they want in life. Think of it this way; If a guy sat down and told you everything about his life for 1 year, would you get him? What if all you did was that? You wouldn't need to talk to people taht long anymore. You'd get people.

Answer 3

Yes I can read people and I have found myself in their shoes. I can identify with them.. i share their grief, their joy and i feel for what they will go through to just get to the next day. I feel a lot of people can and we aren't all shallow there are some people out there that are genuine with people with problems. Just remember don't always judge a book by its covers.There are a whole lot of books with frayed bindings but its those bindings that have been read and enjoyed.

Answer 4

i read people pretty well if i have the time to know them a little it helps out a bit. I just find it easy to connect with certain people and others i cant. its a matching personality type thing. I have to make sure that im not thinking otherwise i may interfere with myself and act like you said. If i really make a good connection with someone then i can sometimes feel what they do. it is interesting and sometimes it doesnt feel good when people are depressed or sad.

Answer 5

I think it's possible, I find people I know easy to read, the longer I've known them the easier it is. With people I've just met It's harder to say.
I imagine most people have similar experiences, and like most things people have varying degrees of it. I know people who are very oblivious to the feelings of the people around them so I guess there would be the opposite type who instinctivly understand how a person's feeling.

Answer 6

Absolutely

Answer 7

I am pretty good with people. It helps in sales and just generally enjoying other people. It is a good question and a good trait to have.

Answer 8

and from there being honest with your self then eventually it becomes 1s t nature>>>>>>>>> versus having To think about it

Answer 9

there are certain people that you think you can "read" however, i am not one of them. on the outside, i seem to be the nice/kind/smart girl. however, no one has any idea of what i am capable of and what i think of them. for me, i can only "read" those whom i can relate to.

Answer 10

Yes i can do it.I try to do it also.I think that's y some person like me.i can also feel their pain.i just put me in their position.