How do you feel about first impressions?
Do ya mean like, "how do you feel about first impressions" as (a) a commonly accepted ideological consensus?—or (b) in a subjective case by case experiential context?—or (c) the going about wilfully interpreting internal emotive pressures as a means to ascertain an accurate measure of an-other individual?
Ahh, nevermind i'll roll with it...imo...
(a) illogical.
(b) variable & limited overall.
(c) difficult, yet very useful for detecting potential deception.
Do you believe they are important and can influence future interactions?
[Hope ya don't mind that i would prefer to switch out terms such as "feel" & "believe" for 'think' before proceeding.]
i do not believe "first impressions" are important or influential upon future interactions anymore so than any impression at any stage of familiarity with respect for those subjectively gauged preceding any subsequent interactivity.
i think to 'believe' otherwise so would be illogical.
Eg: When i first joined AJs, "Maul" initially DM'd me and presented himself very—very differently than i have come to know now.
Up until two-three days ago i was still erroneous in my conceptions of this individual.
i thought he genuinely was an innocent victim of what has eventuated between us...
...yet i now recognize the intentionality behind his actions since and that this strongly indicates he may likely be possessed of a cluster B personality as demonstrated by his disregard of his own accountabilities and his behaviours presented whenever confronted with the most basic of moral & ethical scrutiny.
Were i more foolish than i already am and chose to disregard all of the impressions since the very first DMs—i might fail to accurately discern the reality of the now.
That is to say, i might not recognize the truth of what has occurred up to the now—that he is proactively predatory upon those whom are of generous character.
Another example could be earlier today i commented on the Last of Us opinion thread and shared my opinion of the young man pretending to be a female.
Objectively, the immediate response to my shared opinion appears to be an automatic passive-aggressive attempt at antagonism—veiled within a murky haze of calculated pseudo-"ethical" rhetoric.
The response asserted that apparently the young man pretending to be a female prefers to be referred to as "they".
Which is absolutely his choice, he can freely refer to himself as anything he feels like preferring.
Just as i prefer to refer to all external things as i perceive they are—and not as any preferences of the external things.
It seems that the initial response to my opinion may have been interpreted as something other than the frank reality based logic with which my opinion was intended.
i simply stated the overt truth.
The response instead seems to imply as though my opinion were somehow intended as offensive.
Furthermore the response was clearly loaded with subtle antagonistic intention seeking to provoke either a defensive reaction or submission and conformity.
So the young man apparently prefers self reference as "they", good for him.
i prefer not to be passive-aggressively threatened to acquiesce unto perpetuating nor proliferating enablement of some young man's sexual delusions.
i prefer not to participate with that particular mass social ideology psychosis.
Does that mean i intend offense against those who do participate?
No.
However it seems the response to my opinion on that subject—was itself the result of a "first impression"—which erroneously assumes the answer would instead be "yes".
Regardless, the response demonstrates an irrational interpretation due to it's presentation of an irrational conclusion—of which ironically is no less than hypocrisy.
Eg: i am expected to comply with an-others subjective preferences—while this other is not expected to reciprocate compliance with my own preferences.
my "first impression" of the responder to my initial opinion is much different to the impression interpreted from the response in question.
my "first impression" suggests reasonability.
my impression from the response suggests irrationality.
Do you make an effort to create a positive first impression when meeting new people, and if someone makes a negative first impression, would that negatively impact the potential of forming a friendship?
😄No way man. i act as i am and surprisingly more often it's those individuals whom have initially impressed negatively upon me who have actually turned out to be the most authentic.
(*i can give several current examples too.)
Fact is that a truly authentic relationship of any kind can only be established and developed upon an authentic foundation.
Exerting effort to create a positive "first impression" implies presenting a false impression intended to deceive those upon whom it is impressed.
Essentially a fancy lookin paper-mache foundation that will rapidly crumble under pressure.
Are there any specific experiences or stories you have related to first impressions?
🤭Yep, my "first impressions" of Aerodynamic, although positive, were very different to my current impressions of Cedric—which are also positive—yet by several orders of magnitude greater.