Different Angles

Thousands of people can meet the same person but generate a myriad of opinions, depending on the time, environment, and context in which they have met.

You can be praised by someone who may know your calm and kind side, but criticized by someone who had a glimpse of you and was quick to form opinions, for example, let's say they caught you on a bad day, and therefore perceived you as hasty and selfish. You may deem these opinions as unfair as they do not represent your normal self. So, there will be dozens of different beliefs about you, these beliefs and opinions are like snapshots, a mental picture of how you are.

These first impressions have been proven to last months, even if there is evidence that is contradictory to it, this means that even if someone caught you on a bad day, this being the first time they meet you, they will make an inaccurate judgment on you, which can remain even after further multiple actions from you which shows otherwise.

Easier to Get It Right Than To Change It

But let's be honest, you will also be quick to form opinions or at least, inevitably, get a first impression from someone when meeting them for the first time.
After the first impressions, people will form a more solid opinion about you or someone. Then, you may behave in a completely different way, but that first impression is already made and due to the consistency bias, our tendency to accept more easily information that is consistent with our beliefs and reject the ones that are not, it becomes harder to change that first impression, requiring considerable effort, so it's smarter and easier to get it right the first time. This will come initially from your appearance, body language, words, and another form of communication, and then your actions.

Illustration

Charlie’s Unfortunate Day Leads to Quick Judgments:

• In his first three months at a new place, Charlie meets lots of new faces, including those in his neighborhood and workplace.

• A particularly bad day at work starts with his boss unfairly criticizing him, causing him to lose focus and misplace his keys. His annoyance is apparent.

• When the local coffee shop barista, who knows a few of Charlie’s neighbors, sees him in a bad mood, she assumes he’s always irritable. Word spreads in the neighborhood.

• His day gets worse when a friend introduces him to someone at a cafe. Due to his disheveled look and distracted mind, she writes him off as uninteresting and chaotic.

• The reality is that Charlie is a great person, just experiencing a series of unfortunate events. This story illustrates how people form opinions based on limited interactions, not knowing what someone is going through.

Going Forward

By forming accurate impressions you will have a positive impact on relationship development with the people you meet. These impressions can affect the judgment of your education or career, with the potential to influence decisions towards a promotion or even recommendations. It might open doors or shut them in your personal and professional life. So, ask yourself these questions: