Do First Impressions Count?

How well can we know something or someone from a first impression?

First impression counts - to some, it is everything that matters. However, to what extent would we ever want to base our judgement, a final one at that, based on a one-time encounter with a complete stranger? How prepared are we, whether by chance or arranged, at any given moment when a part of our experience in life can be altered solely by a one-time call made by another?

A job interview. A first date. A business meeting. A blind date. Meeting the parents. A greeting at a restaurant.

As life is about learning new experiences, whether they be positive or negative, can we ever be truly prepared for someone to potentially alter the course of a path in which we can end up? How well should we trust our first instinct? Could first impressions actually be used as an excuse for us to discount what we do not want to face?

I am a believer of gut-feeling. And sometimes I second-guess myself once I make a snap judgement on something or someone, based on a first encounter. I would attribute a characteristic, for example, to something negative I have experienced in the past, hence would simultaneously conclude a negative association. Perhaps I am actually not ready to face such potential non-existent issue, thus opt to avoid the entire thing and attribute 'gut-feel' instead as a valid reason for my reaction and decision. I would often ask if such a conclusion would be fair towards the recipient, and often times, I do not want to know the real answer and choose to believe it instead. Some call it 'intuition', some call it 'sign'.

Whatever it is, I ask myself the same question: is it fair?