Considering the places I sometimes find myself in, I've come to appreciate the need to talk to all kinds of people. It's a necessity to be able to survive in any new place I find myself. This means that sometimes, judging a person for me is not an option. I need help and I have to convince whoever has this help to be on my side. So, my motto is no judging until they burn me in some way. Then I'll go like 'don't trust that person, they'll screw you'.
Of course there is a downside to this, since every person has their own motives, and if the motive doesn't fit with yours, you get the short end of the stick. I've had a few moments of having someone hurt people I care about because I trusted that person. While it was unexpected, I try to be more cautious about who I let in the inner circle of family now.
But you're right, people can be surprising, Yettie. I find friends in the most unlikely places and that is a really good feeling. When you connect with someone you never expected to like or to understand you. I might not bring them home to meet the family, but it doesn't mean they don't make my day when I do see them again.
The trick to getting rid of prejudice or judging is to be widely open minded with a healthy dose of skepticism.