Without a doubt, one of the best life skills there are is the ability to gauge a person's character and personality accurately. It'll help you find stronger relationships and avoid a lot of pain and frustration.

Of all the many different methods, I've learned seven over the years that have helped me tremendously—either they were the sign that led to a long, fulfilling friendship or they were the warning before things fell apart.

Note: Please don't use these to condemn or judge people. Everyone has bad days and our personalities can change. (If anything, we should look at our own character before evaluating others.)

Also, keep in mind each thing on its own might not say much; but together, they can reveal a lot. From there, it's up to you to decide whether you want to be friends, clients, or lovers with them—or not.

They're not always big — like swearing under oath or wedding vows—but we actually make a lot of commitments in life like:

• "I'll let you know about the meeting by Friday."
• "I'll be there in 5 minutes."
• "I'll call you at 6 pm."

Yet we don't always keep them. Now, life happens and it's important to give some leeway, especially for things outside of our control. But if you notice a pattern where someone fails to follow through with any of their commitments—or regularly changes them—it can reveal someone who isn't reliable, doesn't hold themselves accountable for the things they say, or doesn't value you all that much.

A common test is how people treat service staff at restaurants, cafes, etc. It's a decent one, but to me, I think the bigger picture is how people treat those who can do absolutely nothing for them or to them. (Waiters, on the other hand, can definitely do something to you if you're a jerk so it pays to be nice.)

Strangers on the street. People selling flowers on the sidewalk. Janitors. People "below" their position at work. How does someone treat those people or talk about them? It can tell you a lot.

I remember being at a cafe on a Friday night that was packed with people going to bars and clubs. A homeless man walked in selling flowers and people started rolling their eyes and laughing at him. Sure, they laughed, but what did their actions say about them?