“Past performance is not indicative of future results.”

If you’ve ever dabbled in investments, you’ve seen this line. It’s the fine print on every glossy promise of return. A reminder that even if something worked before, it might not work again.

Sensible, cautious, responsible. Let’s shift lenses.

“If a friend hurts you once, it’s their fault. If they hurt you twice, it’s yours.” It’s the kind of advice tossed around in moments of disappointment, usually when we are trying to draw lines where we once had open doors.

Both phrases deal in risk, prediction and behaviour. One gives permission to hope for change; the other warns against giving second chances.

So, which is it? Should we believe that people can grow beyond their past, or hold them to it for our own protection?

There’s no easy answer, only context.

In relationships, it’s complicated. Sometimes past behaviour is a red flag. Other times, it’s a lesson learned. People are not stocks, but we often treat them like assets, investing time, emotion and trust, expecting a return.

People can change. I also have learned to believe in boundaries. It’s not my responsibility to absorb harm in the name of loyalty. It’s also not weakness to forgive, if that forgiveness is grounded in real accountability.

Maybe the trick is this:

Learn from the past, but don’t live there.

Let people show you who they are now, not just who they were then.

And remember, the fine print matters, in finance, in friendships and especially in your own heart.