Does what someone has done in the past, whether it be their profession or perhaps something they did when they were young and crazy influence how you look at them as a potential friend or partner?

Depends Luka. If they were the female version of Sweeney Todd, then yeah, I might hold it against them.

I think the past is just a sum of our lessons, it doesn't equate to who we are in the present. It makes us wiser, well hopefully.

If someone has a sordid past, whether it be sex, drugs or bad choices & has learned what they needed to, to make them a better & stronger person then I take my hat off to them, all I ask for is honesty if it's something that may come back to haunt them & I'm involved with them & I don't think that it's my place to forgive, all I can do is try & understand or at least be unbiased & a good listener, we are much harder on ourselves than anyone else could ever be anyway.

The politically correct answer is no, it shouldn't be a factor. But would I want to be involved with someone who had a history of dishonesty, cheating etc? Nope, sorry. Would I date someone who had say stripped to support themselves? Yeah, no problems.