Are first impressions of people always right?

A first impression is often said to be a lasting one. To define the phrase, a first impression of someone is the immediate judgement of character or personality we often bestow upon people after initially encountering them. We often construct these opinions from the way a person carries themselves or through their opinions and speech. Whether at a formal job interview, or more laid back occasions like a party, it is hard to come away without forming a general view of another person. However, the perennial question of the social world is: are first impressions always right? In my opinion, while first impressions may sometimes correctly reflect the nature of a person, they are by no means a foolproof way of determining a person's characteristics. This is due to the factors of circumstance, time and nature of the initial meeting. Therefore, it is my belief that at times, first impressions can be grossly inaccurate.

An assessment of someone’s demeanor can prove to be erroneous based on the circumstance that the meeting takes place. I recall meeting a young man at a social gathering and thinking him to be extremely dull, rather morose and lacking a sense of humor. As I callously aired my views, I found out that he had in fact lost his grandmother to cancer the week before and was probably in no mood for cheerful banter that night. People often act, respond and express themselves reflecting the situation they are in. For example, someone who has just been laid off their job may not be in the most optimistic mood if you struck up conversation on the train. Likewise, if you have had a long, strenuous day at work, it might be an uphill task to muster your usual bubbly smile to the lady on the bus ride home. In fact, to her you are in danger of seeming cold, curt and uninterested. Therefore, while first impressions can’t be avoided, circumstances of the meeting often prove our judgements to be false.  

In addition, we may fail at correctly determining a person’s persona when the time we have spent together does not suffice. In this crime thriller analogy, the villain places a threatening call to investigators and they immediately activate call tracing. However, there is a catch. This high-tech device requires the call to be ongoing for at least 30 seconds before it can accurately judge the location of the caller. Similarly, in social situations, if our appraisal of a person is made within too short a time frame, it may prove to be misleading in the end. An example of this is knocking into someone at the supermarket. While they may offer to help you pick up groceries scattered around you within the next 30 seconds, it hardly guarantees a benevolent, selfless heart which you may be inclined to believe of them. Undeniably the plotline in many romantic comedies, it can hardly be a course to emulate in real life. In short, first impressions if made in a short space of time often can lead to an oversight in preliminary character analysis.

Finally, the nature of a meeting can always render a first impression useless. To elaborate, people are often their sincerest selves in informal settings with low social pressure. While people can be trained to present themselves in a certain way at a formal job interview or meeting, it may not be reflective of their real attributes or shortcomings. To illustrate the point, at an interview for a managerial post, a candidate might falsely relate an impressive experience to appear proactive and able to take charge and conveniently leave out the fact that he was merely following the orders of a superior. In this scenario, the interviewer is forced to form an impression in order to make an important decision for the company without the benefit of knowing the speaker’s background. Hence, this shows that although first impressions are unavoidable, they may not be a projection of a person’s actual disposition.

In conclusion, it is hard to argue a case for the accuracy of a first impression. There are many factors that affect an impression you create for yourself, whether it is the circumstance you are in, the length or the nature of the interaction. Due to these aspects, the inevitable truth is that not all first impressions are right.