# Individuals and relationships > We have come to value individuals and relationships over creeds and confessions. **TL;DR** - meet the person not the stereotype. Often we create generalised views of individuals based on their membership of faith community. Such stereotypes help us relate to different traditions by establishing a set of assumptions about their identity, particularly their typical belief and practise. These assumptions play a useful role in navigating the complexity of the world around us, providing simple boundaries and landmarks that allow us to understand our own place in society. However, credal statements of a group cannot capture the nuances of an individual’s experience, belief, and practise. Individuals rarely fit assumptions made about a group. Importantly, an individual may be affiliated with a group while eschewing their position on a particular doctrine or practise. They may identify as a member of a community’s subculture, bring life experiences which nuance their practise, or hold interpretations outside group norms. When we interact with others we must understand them as individuals rather than stereotypical members of a group. Our relationships should be based on authentic mutual understanding rather than assumptions. This approach allows us to cultivate strong relationships despite differences: - We may admire a person’s almsgiving while disagreeing with their theological position. - We may concur with their interpretation of the Bible while finding aspects of their conduct problematic. - We may base our own conduct on interpretations which do not account for life experiences of those in less (or more) privileged circumstances. While a faith community may have its own traditions, creeds, confessions, or conventions which are useful for establishing collective identity, we value relationships which respect the diversity of belief and practise that we find in real individuals.