Appearances

““You’re not going out like that, are you?””

I heard my friend call out to her 20-year-old son as he headed out the door. Her son, a responsible young man, was headed out to a friend’s party in an outfit that his mother felt didn’t portray his true character. She was frustrated by his inability to acknowledge the role our appearance plays in how we are perceived by others. Studies have shown that first-impressions of us are made within seconds of first meetings, mostly based on our appearance.

Assessments are already made before we have had the opportunity to demonstrate who we are and what we are capable of.  Knowing that others will assume that the tiny percentage of us they first observe reflects 100% of our personality, empowers us to be careful about the information we present. This is why it’s important to get the initial meeting right – because “we don’t get a second chance at first impressions.”