Everyone has a headline people judge them by. Listen long enough to hear the actual article.

People get compressed into one line, and the line is usually built from the least representative moment available. Whatever someone is known for, the story underneath has causes, sequence and context that the summary drops entirely. Everyone carries one of these, including you, and nobody’s fits. The only way past a headline is time.

When you catch yourself certain about somebody, treat the certainty as a sign you have read only the top line. Ask about the part you assumed you understood. Stay in the conversation long enough for the more complicated version to show up.