“When you try to make an impression,
that is just the impression you make.”
~Poster in my classroom in high school

I just changed my avatar. It took me the better part of an afternoon to locate all the online places I needed to change it, and that’s not counting the time it took for my sister and my niece to take 150+ photos of me and help me narrow the choices down to one! Is making a good first impression important to me? Yes, it is.

Why? I think the way we present ourselves is meaningful. The way we dress, how we carry ourselves, how we speak; every little thing about us creates an indelible first impression.

But are we really fooling anyone with the impressions we try to make? Davina’s Guest Post sparked a great discussion about our online personas and we’ve talked at length about the masks we all wear. How much of our desire to make a good first impression is perceived as just that?

First impressions are lasting. Anthony DeMello says that once we’ve collected all we need to know about someone by way of the processing of the impressions we receive we no longer really see them. We only see our image of them. We see people through the lenses we have for them and it’s really difficult for anyone to change that. When is the last time you changed your mind – about anything?

No one can consistently be at the top of their game. Sometimes we’re tired or busy and therefore less resourceful. We can have an “off” day – or month. What does that say about our chances of always making a good first impression?

How important are first impressions to you? Do you and should you trust them? Do you take pains to ensure your first impression via your avatar, the way you dress and your manner of speaking, portrays you in your best light?

photo credit: Robert Bejil