First Impressions: An Unfair Judgment.
Imagine a lady sitting in traffic for forty-five minutes and arriving late for an appointment. Her hair is disheveled and she has sweat stains under her arms because the air conditioner in the car died. By this time, she is in a foul mood and not at her best. The prospective employer she is meeting takes one look and forms an impression of her that is not very favorable. This example illustrates why first impressions are often the worst means of judging people. Circumstance, nervousness and bad days affect all of us some time. In these cases, first impressions are rarely accurate.
Like the example above, circumstance is often to blame for us being judged unfairly. Arriving late sends a bad message to the person we are meeting. Promptness is a desirable trait, but circumstances beyond one's control are occasionally the reason for tardiness. Some examples of such circumstances are flat tires, sick children and traffic accidents. So, being judged by a first impression obtained under these conditions would be unfair.
Nervousness can also prevent one from presenting a favorable first impression. When we are nervous, we are more likely to stumble on our words or babble incessantly. To someone we are meeting for the first time, this may raise questions about our intelligence, if not our sanity. Talking too loudly is another example or nervous behavior that would project a false first impression. It is better not to rely on an impression given in this case and base one's opinion on a subsequent meeting to determine the person's true personality and demeanor.
Finally, plain-old bad days will affect the impressions we portray to others. Imagine a woman having a terrible day; everything has gone wrong. She is irritable and to make matters worse, her husband has invited a co-worker to dinner. The woman's bad day continues as she burns the meatloaf and forgets to make tea.
