Have you ever put a tremendous amount of pressure on yourself to look a certain way when you first meet someone? Or, to act in a way that’s aimed to please, rather than be who you really are? Well, we all have. And that’s because of the saying that’s been drilled into our heads from an early age: “First impressions mean everything.”
I believed in this statement for most of my life, until I recently met someone who gave me a terrible first impression, and only later did I find him to be a genuinely very kind person. So, I think we need to do away with this expression that first impressions mean everything – because they don’t. Not everyone is going to get off on the right foot. Some people are going to be too nervous, overly anxious, and many will come off as overly confident, when deep down they are terrified. Lots of people will hide who they really are for fear of rejection or other less moral reasons, but the point is: first impressions mean nothing.
It would be better for all of us to have numerous meetings with others before we expend any energy trying to figure out who they really are or if we really like them or not. Whether it is for business or personal relationships, all true colors are revealed in time. So naturally, the more time you can spend observing and communicating with someone new, the easier it will be to decide if he or she is right or wrong for you. One more tip, notice how you feel about someone in your body – not just your logical mind. Our senses are always picking up information from others, and sometimes the “gut feelings” we get are more accurate than the thoughts we think.