a curious question

does anyone ask questions without being curious?

regardless. i have a question.

how do you get to know your characters? when the idea for a story begins to unravel in your head, you begin to imagine what kinds of people inhabit your imaginary world, living out the fascinating sequence of events...characters are necessary. no story would exist without them (whether they be rabbits, elves, or fish).

but how do you get to know your charcters REALLY WELL? like, to the point:

where you think, "Oh, Ryan never would have done that--he's much too cautious," or "Lydia, what are you doing?? Can't you see that you're supposed to be doing THIS. You are so stubborn!!"

where they begin to take the story out of your hands and begin to carve their own little paths (characters REALLY DO have their own minds. non-writers laugh at me when i say this, but it's TRUE)

do you perhaps write up a list of the character's life history, likes and dislikes, catch phrases and personality?

i like to imagine a random situation that may never even occur in the story. then, i place the character in that situation and let them figure out how they want to react. it helps me round out the character before i've started the story and helps prevent unwelcome surprises later on.

what do you do?
perhaps you do not even know what i am talking about???