How well you know someone and can interpret their actions may be a matter of perspective and circumstance. This is why the dating landscape is often difficult to navigate.

Let’s say that you meet a stranger at a bar, they seem carefree, or is that merely a byproduct of the environment? They’ve had a few drinks, which isn’t a problem because its the weekend, they’re with their friends who endorse them as a good person, all positive signs.

So what’s the problem? There isn’t a visible red flag.

However, the issue is not what you see; it’s what you don’t know.

The beginning of many relationships thrives on the unknown as couples learn more about each other. This period of discovery seems adventurous as you reach benchmarks or stages that if they go off without a hitch propel you forward. Things start off fast and hopefully stay fun as you progress at an organic rate into more serious territory.

A class reunion can represent a social checkup. People whom you once rubbed elbows within the hallways, competed with academically in the classroom daily and sought out in a romantic manner reconvene after a length of time.

It can have the feeling of entering a time machine equipped with the experience and knowledge of the future.