Ten seconds.

That’s how long it takes to make a first impression.

But why do people bother with first impressions when they say that personality counts? Why do people judge others that fast? When you meet a person for the first time and notice that he/she is fat, do you immediately assume that he/she is sluggish and unhealthy? When you see someone with tattered clothes, do you conclude right away that he is poor?

No you shouldn’t. Your clothes, your look or your choice of sexuality does not define you wholly as a person. Your physical traits are not representations of who you are.

Wouldn’t you be outraged, too, when you find out that someone made a snap judgment of you? So why do we have to be hypocrites and do it anyhow? Maybe it makes us feel better. It gives us an excuse to hide our insecurities by picking out on others. Maybe snap judgments are just our way of gaining insight of a person for a short period of time. After all, when we only have a few seconds to get to know or impress a person, it’s better to rely on first impression right?

But remember that as you are doing this to others, the more others are doing it to you. You don’t know whether the first impression they get of you is good or bad. So the next time you walk down the street and meet somebody, take a moment to see the person deeper and set aside your insecurities. Don’t look for the negatives in him but instead start looking for the positives.