Bohemian like you

Isn't it funny how we see other people as what we want them to be? I see a pretty girl, instantly in my mind she's got an entire personality, history, circle of friends, drug of choice, music preference, etc. based only on my first impression. Sometimes I'm even right. No, that's a lie, no-one is shallow enough to figure out that easily. I know other people do it too, psychologists even have a word for it, projection, they call it. I wonder how many times I've passed on talking to a stranger, or offended one, just because I've made stupid assumptions about them.
It's not just first impressions either, until we really get to know someone on a deeply personal level we continue to make these assumptions, projecting flaws, characteristics, talents, quirks, etc. on to them. Think about it, have you ever had a crush on a friend of yours, only to realize later that you completely romanticized their personality?
I actually have a theory about that. I think it's a biological thing, Mother Nature trying to push us towards a mate. Who knows?
It bothers me, thinking back on people I no longer know and wondering whether I ever really did or whether I'm just remembering how I wanted them to be. Or, friends I do still talk to, how many of them do I really understand? I've always prided myself on making good character judgments but what if I'm just more deluded than the average sap?
Oh well...