First Impression, Lasting Impression

In this post, I have tried to provide some important points about "First Impression" or "Image" and how it eventually gets perceives as a lasting impression.

“First impressions are a constant in society …. Good ones are pleasant and long lasting, bad ones long and difficult to disprove”

                                                                -- Diego Velasquez

                                                (Spanish painter and leading artist in the court of King Phillip IV)

1. First impressions are impressions that strangers form of you within the first few seconds of meeting you.
2. It is similar to the saying "Judging the book by its cover".
3. Strangers make quick first impressions and use them to derive conclusions about your overall personality.
4. The unforgiving thing about first impressions is that, once formed, they are imprinted on the brain practically forever, making them lasting impressions.
5. While good impressions are long lasting, negative impressions are particularly tough to correct.
6. The Amygdala of the brain forms instant first impressions based on past experience. Hippocampus  region of brain stores this experience for reference in future events.
7. Some of us are easier to judge and some persons are better judges.
8. Rather than concern ourselves with whether the stranger’s first impressions are accurate, it is more practical to understand why and how we form first impressions.
9. An instant decision is based on a first impression.
10. Maximizing positive outcomes and minimizing negative outcomes decide the ability to create positive first impressions.
11. This further decides the future outcome or relationship with the stranger. This is the basis of Predicted Outcome Value Theory at play, introduced by Prof. Michael Sunnafrank.
12. Goal differs with different situations.
13. First impressions are extrapolated to create a prototype of your entire personality in the stranger’s mind and create a comprehensive view for them. The First impression solidifies into a lasting impression.
14. When we form a positive first impression of the person, we are more open to the person and invest our time and effort in creating the relationship that we predicted. On the other hand, if it was a negative first impression, we close ourselves to the person and limit our interaction, giving no chance for the relationship to form.
15. Creating positive powerful first impressions is an art and a science.

The summary is created from the first chapter of the book "First Impression, Lasting Impression".