DO NOT JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER
“You may not have a second opportunity to make a first impression” suggests that you should always be at your best when meeting and interacting with people because it forma the basis of their perception of you. – Oluwatosin
When people interact with you for the first time, they are often interested in your appearance, body language and cognitive level. They assess you based on some preset standards they have set in their minds. It takes a couple of ticks on the assessment chart before one is referred to as a cool guy, a responsible lady or an intelligent individual. As good as this impression may be, if subsequent actions do not align with the existing impression, the perception of the onlooker is reviewed and disappointment soon follows.
Have you met someone before and he/she looks appealing- well cultured, good appearance, and so on but as time goes on, you begin to see traces of qualities that counter the one you got from your first impression? Then you wonder if you were wrong during your first encounter or you were unlucky to meet an impostor.
Perceptions could also change positively. You could meet someone today and notice a major turnoff which changes for good with time. The person might have been undergoing a hard time as at when you met which accounted for his or her high-hat attitude. Drawing up all the conclusions in one day because of a set of actions or reactions may be too hasty. Real people are often imperfect; they are cool on several sides but they also have their not-so-cool attitudes. If you are faced with the odd side during your first encounter, you might not have the pleasure of enjoying their cool selves if you draw the line immediately. Give people time to prove themselves.
On the other hand, total perfection is a pointer to pretense. When a person is always on time, no angry side, no provocative attitude, no weakness, be cautious- you might just be on the path of being taken in. Everybody is a work in progress. However, some people have accomplished more than others, there is no unit standard for assessment. Accept each person on a new page, allow them the chance to describe themselves and do not be hasty in judgements.
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