Former Secret Service agent reveals foolproof method to test if someone's 'taking advantage' of you

Evy Poumpouras, a former special agent with the United States Secret Service, believes people are too naive, and that's why they often fail to spot someone who approaches them with nothing but a selfish agenda. In an interview with Lewis Howes, Poumpouras also discussed a simple way people can avoid being taken for granted, provided they pay attention to little details.

Poumpouras, previously a polygraph examiner, explained that we often think of others in our own image; if we are good and don't have an agenda, we usually perceive the other person to be exactly like that, but this may not always be true. "The mistake we make is that we think there is good and there is evil," the woman, who is also a journalist and author, shared. Poumpouras then explained that good people can also do evil things; in fact, they are the kind of people we must be more conscious of. "Good people do bad things. Good people do take advantage. Good people will hurt you," she said, warning everyone not to fall for a general perception. But does that mean we always have to have our guards up? Well, not really, but the only thing Poumpouras insisted on was paying attention to someone's behavior. "You need to be aware; you need to have your brain on; you can't turn it off," she added.

The former special agent also explained how even when people are nice to you, they can potentially harm you, so it's always better to be aware of them. "If you become the giver, giver, giver, they are taking, taking, taking, you have helped create that imbalance. You also played a role in that," Poumpouras explained. Next, she shared that we must not label people; rather, we must label their behavior and judge them accordingly. Poumpouras also quoted President Ronald Reagan to prove her point and said, "Trust but verify."

What Poumpouras said is especially more important in today's world because the cases of cheating in any form of relationship are on the rise. Be it at home, office, or anywhere, people are scared to trust others. In fact, Hogan's survey of over 700 individuals found that more than 80% of respondents reported they had been lied to, stolen from, cheated, or treated dishonestly by a supervisor or coworker. Likewise, in romantic relationships, 57% of women and 44% of young men say that infidelity among committed people is extremely common or very common in American society.

Meanwhile, reacting to Howes' hack, Christelle Maginot commented, "The better, kinder, and more honest you are, the less prepared you are to suspect deception. Unfortunately, it often takes painful experiences to learn how to protect yourself from takers. Trust, but verify!" Shelba Rhode agreed, "She is spot on! Always watch the behavior because they will show you exactly who they are!" Danielle Joy shared, "Learning the act of discernment is a brutal lesson. People will pretend like they want to help you because they have an agenda for their own benefit every time."

You can follow Lewis Howes on Facebook for more such Inspirational interviews. 

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