The Power of First Impressions

October is the month to focus on the power of first impressions. Last year, I stated that it takes three seconds to form a first impression. Now I read that a 2006 Princeton University study found that it takes a mere one-tenth of a second for us to make judgments about a person based on their facial appearance. That is hardly enough time to plaster a smile on your face! Pretty scary fact, isn’t it?

Though it is difficult to detect many aspects of a person’s personality, researchers found that attractiveness and trustworthiness are the qualities we judge most quickly. I’m certainly not surprised by physical appearance being considered, but trustworthiness as an easy detection is most interesting. With that said, it is clear that we must always be aware that people around us are forming opinions about us, whether or not they know us.

Now I digress into a new and somewhat misunderstood territory of creating first impressions through the power of digital presence. Unless you live in a remote area in some corner of the world with no means of communication, you are out there somewhere on the web. The reality is that we have accepted and, more often than not, embraced the internet as a way of life to communicate.

Social media has become pervasive universally. I find it quite intriguing and a little frightening. We are now being judged by our presence on the web and by the way we communicate through social media.

I recently attended my nephew’s wedding in California. Countless photos were snapped to capture the glorious weekend. It didn’t take long to realize this wedding had gone viral. Waking up the morning after the wedding with 100+ emails in my inbox commenting on the wedding photos posted wherein I had been tagged was a reminder of the immense power of social media. Fortunately, I have seen nothing but beautiful people having a beautiful time, all very tasteful – thank goodness. That is not, however, always the case, and you must be careful.

Our private lives are now public. I think this example of a professional who enjoys a “different” means of expressing himself outside of work speaks volumes. Is it anybody’s business what people do outside of work? It doesn’t matter. It’s out there for all to see.

Let’s go a step further. Perhaps a first face-to-face impression was good, but what are we doing these days? We’re confirming our first impressions by going to the internet and checking people out. Rather than featuring someone, I’ll share a story a friend just related. She and her company were ready to hire someone who looked good and interviewed well. This person would be perfect for the job – or so it seemed, until the Google search that inevitably took place. A Facebook page reflected a totally different side of this person, which subsequently led to no job offer.

The phrase referring to a person as “an open book” is more literal today than ever before in our history. We all are subject to being open books. How do you feel about that? I, for one, don’t like it!