To trust on the first impression or not

To trust on the first impression or not   

 

      Five years ago, I saw someone at a bank, waiting his turn in line. I thought him a poor person because he wore dirty clothes and his appearance wasn't good. No one in the bank paid attention to him until he reached the teller. He wanted to deposit a million dollars in his account. The teller was shocked and brought the customer to the manager's office. However, after they saw his deposit, they changed the way they dealt with him as the situation had suddenly changed. Therefore, the first impression doesn't necessarily mean a fact, it just a possible indicator. It is important not to judge the people from the first impression for several reasons. First, the physical appearance doesn't show the real character of the person. Second, people’s judgment on a first meeting can be too quickly drawn. Third, a single impression or meeting is transitory and doesn’t reflect the true depth of a situation or a person’s nature.

     Physical appearance is often critical in making a first impression. It takes just a quick glance to make a whole series of assumptions about a person therefore physical appearance plays an important part in determining what relationships between people might unfold. Such an impact can set the stage as to whether one trusts a person or not. This can mean that judgments as to character can depend only on the physical appearance. However a rush to judgment can get things terribly wrong. For the physical appearance doesn't show the real personality of the person. For example, when I was in a high school, I met someone whose appearance wasn't attractive to me but after I got to know him and studied with him, he became one of my best friends. Therefore this first impression resting only on physical appearance wasn't correct in the longer term. I agree with the people who say one shouldn’t judge people just on the basis of the first impression.

     In addition, making a judgment of the people from a first meeting is far too fast for certainty. The first impression may take only three seconds to evaluate a person, and it doesn’t give the observed person enough time to express himself. This can happen at a job interview when decisions are made depending upon a candidate’s CV but also on the first impression a candidate makes. Trusting in the first impression can sometimes be correct because there are some cases that justify the theory of quick judgments. However, in many cases it isn't fair to evaluate a person in just several seconds to determine if an individual is a good or bad person. In most instances it requires considerably more time to make a complete evaluation of the person.

    Finally, there are occasions when a first meeting can be important if this meeting reflects serious behavioral issues. Both people might have preconceived notions and a first impression can either confirm or reverse these notions if there is time for more serious reflection and thought. Some individuals because they are shy or nervous might not make a good first impression in a first meeting situation; however, more extensive examination of the individual will allow for the emergence of the fuller personality and character. In certain situations the person may have some problems in their life and these problems might affect their behavior at the time of the first meeting. Due to other preoccupations, the person isn't on their best stride because there are other factors affecting their mood. Therefore in some instances a first impression can reflect the actual personality but not in all cases. Often judgments need to be held back until fuller circumstances are discovered. It can be unfair to jump to conclusions based solely upon a first impression. Avoiding quick personal judgments based on first impressions might be a good rule of thumb.

     In conclusion, a first impression isn’t always reliable or does it reflect the person’s true character or behavior. It is just an initial impression and nothing more, and might possibly be totally incorrect. Therefore decisions need to be more comprehensive and to do this requires time and a more penetrating view of an individual.