From the moment you walk through the door, your appearance is appraised and this assessment may last for a long time, possibly even forever.
Clothes: Probably the very first factor in first impressions is clothing. While it is commonly a subconscious appraisal, it is the most noticeable thing about a person and makes a powerful impression in a person’s mind. Imagine seeing a naked person, someone dressed like a vagrant and someone dressed like a businessman walking in the street - you immediately make judgments upon these people even though you don’t know anything about them other than what they are wearing.
Face and skin: Your face says a lot about you. For instance, someone who frowns a lot will have a face which seems to be frowning even when the person thinks they are not making any particular facial expression. The face also serves as a general indication of a person’s health and cleanliness. This is why someone with a clear face tends to appear more beautiful than someone with a face full of pimples or blemishes, even though the latter individual may have a more beautiful facial structure.
Mannerisms: Peoples mannerisms also influence their first impressions. For instance, if you see someone walking with a boastful limp your first impulse is to assess this person as being conceited or arrogant. This may be an inadequate assessment however, as the person may have a kinesthetic impediment or even be unaware of this mannerism; perhaps it is a habit that has stuck with him from childhood - while the person may actually not be arrogant at all. Humans pass judgment easily based on mannerisms without thinking that there may be alternate reasons for them - reasons which may be incomprehensible to the judging individual at first glance.
Speech: The way a person speaks has an incredible influence on first impressions. Many people have judged someone with great respect at first glance, but once the person starts speaking the entire model of respect comes crashing down. This is because the way an individual speaks says a lot about the person, specifically emphasizing the person’s culture and educational background. In many regions throughout the world a person’s dialect strongly influences first impressions. For instance, a certain region which is largely gang-ridden speaks a certain dialect which is a mixture of two local languages. If someone passes by a gang and speaks the same dialect, this may influence the gang’s decision to mug the person, because this is an indication that the individual resides in that region.
Behavior: The way people behave is probably one of the strongest and most lasting factors of first impressions. When all other factors have been taken into consideration, the individual’s behavior could possibly be the determining factor in terms of whether or not the person has made a good or bad first impression. If the outcome is negative, this would be the hardest factor to reverse when making subsequent impressions, as an individual’s behavior is often the one thing that is most remembered about him.
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