First Impressions

As the old saying goes, “you only get one chance to make a first impression”. From the moment we come into contact with others, what we say and do will give them an immediate impression of who we are and what our values are. It is more important than ever to remember this with the prevalence of social media.

We should be very cautious and protective of our social media presence. Although we may think that only our family and friends can follow what we do, the reality is it goes much further than that. Prospective employers, current employers, and co-workers may have the ability to see what we say and how we interact with others. A joke that we find amusing and share with our contacts, the casual acquaintance or stranger may not necessarily find humorous. They may misinterpret what they see on social media and take it as a very literal representation of who we are.

When we meet others in person we have a tendency to behave differently. There is something about being seen that compels us to put our best foot forward in order to make a good impression. We want others to see us in the best light. A visual presence also encourages those we encounter to take a bit more time to interact face-to-face before making a decision on what type of person we are.

None of us should make rush judgements on others. One never knows what someone else has, or is, going through in their life. What we see is truly just from that one moment in time and is not a full representation of everything they have encountered along their journey. And yet, human nature prompts us to make a judgement on very little information.

Depending on the circumstances in our lives we will not always be able to make a great first impression. We all have our good days and our bad days. However, whether it is in person or online, we should strive to put forth the best of who we are. Let others see what we know to be true about ourselves.