I would call you a liar if you could honestly tell me that you have never met someone that for whatever rubbed you the wrong way the moment you met them. Sure, maybe your opinion changed of them when you got to know them, but for whatever reason, they just didn’t sit well with you when you first laid eyes on them. This happens all the time, and how you judge people could help you see how others might judge you.
What causes this to happen? Maybe its the way that they looked at you when you first met them, maybe they gave you some sort of glance, or maybe didn’t even look at you the first time you passed them in the hallway. Maybe this person is your new boss, or just is new, and you are threatened by the fact that you don’t know what that person intends to do. For whatever reason, they aren’t necessarily interested in winning a popularity contest.
It seems wrong to judge someone at first glance, without even knowing them, but more often than not, your first impression is a correct one. If someone looks at you funny, or as if you don’t exist, chances are that they really think that they are better than you, and probably won’t pay you too much attention. You might be proven wrong, but even if someone does end up liking you that you didn’t like at first, does that mean that they aren’t still just playing you?
I had a boss that as soon as I saw her I knew I didn’t like her. I wasn’t sure why, but she seemed so arrogant, and acted as if she was the best thing in the company. I cut her some slack because she was younger than me, and like myself, was new to the whole concept of management, so maybe she wasn’t trying to be a jerk, just being assertive.
As I grew to get to know her, I learned that although we managed to get along, my first impression was correct. She knew she was a little arrogant, and a control freak, and so I could respect the fact that she could admit it. However, after awhile, the style grew old to me, and I couldn’t take it anymore. That and I believe she was sort of a brown noser, which bugged me as well.
If you see someone and you immediately dislike them, chances are there is a good reason why. While I would suggest that you let your first judgement be the one you rely on, don’t discount the significance of it either. You could change your mind about this person, but let the person sway you, don’t change your mind just because others don’t see what you see.
