“First impression matters” or “There is no second chance to make a first impression” seems flawless. But this is more about convention than hundred percent precision. Is first impression or one-time encounter with a person(s) enough to make realistically correct, not convenient, conclusions about him/her/them? My answer in the negative seeks to show reliance on aforementioned clichés can mislead you.

First, vulnerability to deception. Fraudsters, unscrupulous politicians, fake clerics, robbers/shoplifters, terrorists, unfriendly friends, ritualists, insincere lovers know how thoughtlessly people cling to first impression. Hence, they wear a harmless mask to perpetrate their intentions. This is courtesy of understanding that human nature tends to prioritize perceptions over critical judgments. Not succumbing to their theatrics depends on you de-idolizing first impression and reevaluating their words, actions or offers with little or no bias. You must be intentional to succeed here.

Second, presence of circumstantial factors. Cases where unexpected events impede a person's availability or capacity deserves consideration. For instance, vehicular accident could have befallen a potential interviewee for a vacancy or ill-health decelerated a student's mental sharpness in a nursing entry exam. That most interviewers and examiners are constrained by their organizations to adjudge them “unserious” makes their inferences convenient, not accurate. Many things can go right the second or third time. Therefore, your obsession with first impression can blind you to delusions that could ruin you and unexplained unpredictable circumstances that mark our daily existence.


©Kelechi O. Naze (KON)

Appearance is hardly reality.

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