What Kind of First Impression Are You Making?
5 surprising ways others judge you
When you meet someone for the first time or simply pass a stranger on the street, it’s human nature to make assumptions about them: He’s conceited and lazy, she’s rich and friendly, that little girl is a huge brat. And you may have wondered what people think of you the first time they lay eyes on you.
“When it comes to appearance, how you put yourself together matters more than being conventionally pretty,” says Brandy Mychals, author of How to Read a Client from Across the Room (McGraw-Hill, 2012). “A job interview can be over before you even sit down because the person has already made snap judgments.”
Some of the ways others come to those opinions aren’t what you may expect. Check out these five things people rate you by so you can make that tenth of a second count and wow everyone at first sight.
Brushing on a little shadow or blush can not only up your attractiveness factor, it can make you appear more confident. In a 2011 study funded by Proctor & Gamble and performed by Harvard University, people said women wearing a little makeup were more likeable, competent, and trustworthy than those with bare faces.
But don’t use a heavy hand with that eyeliner: Too much makeup still made women attractive, but they also seemed untrustworthy and dishonest, especially when participants only got a quick glimpse of the woman.
