Everyone does something for the first time.

The relationship. The business. The creative venture. The single wants to commit. The employee wants to start a business. The attorney wants to be a comedian. Will they succeed or fail? I don’t know. What are the metrics, anyway? Are they your metrics, their metrics, or metrics made up by someone else at some random point in history?

In any case, the best way to guess what someone will do next is to look at what they’ve already done. Aside from that, character and competency, I think—that’s pretty much it. As in, what do we know about that person? Who are they? How do they live? What are their values? And strengths?

It’s easy to not believe someone will succeed. Why would we? History has shown us the odds are slim for people on new journeys. Life is riddled with disappointment, sadness, and failures. And with relationships, businesses, and people who don’t “make it.” Let me be clear. We don’t have to believe in anyone. It’s not an obligation. It’s a choice.

So why make the choice? Who cares, right? Well, maybe you should consider an alternative. Not choosing (or being willing) to believe might be more of a reflection of who you are than on who they are. Probably just as much one as the other.

But if you do believe in them, with so many non-believers or faux-believers, perhaps more than ever, they need you. Because waiting around to see if maybe they do, maybe it works, maybe it’s good, maybe they win...well, that’s not belief at all.

And there are plenty of people doing that.

*This article is part of the ongoing Morning After series: short, reflective pieces on thoughts, feelings, and ideas about life. They’re kind of like well-manicured journal entries, written the morning after a night out.