What is a first impression? - Why is it important? - Learn English with Mr Duncan

There is a general

belief in society

that first impressions

are the most important.

But what does it

actually mean?

What are we referring to

when we talk about

first impressions?

Of course,

we are talking about the way

in which an individual person

is viewed

during the first few moments

of meeting them

for the first time.

The person you are meeting

will look at you

very closely.

They will listen to what

you say.

They will scrutinise

your every action.

To scrutinise means

to look closely

or carefully at something.

So when meeting someone

for the first time,

it is most likely that

you will be scrutinised.

Of course,

this situation

will work mutually

if all the people involved

have never met

each other before.

In that situation,

they will all be scrutinising

each other in the same way.

First impressions

include the way

a person appears.

How they are dressed.

The type of body language

used is also very important

when meeting someone

for the first time.

Every action you make

will be observed carefully.

The way you speak.

The words

you use will also form part

of that first impression.

First impressions

during certain

social interactions

are very important.

For example,

if you are attending

a job interview,

it is important that you make

a good first impression.

Those first few moments

as you introduce

yourself are quite possibly

the most important seconds

of the whole interview.

Many employers often admit

that within the first

few moments

of meeting

a candidate for a job,

they have already decided

whether or not the person

is suitable

for the vacant position.

So it would appear that the

first impressions

are important.

Meaning that

it is always best to try

and leave a good impression

after the meeting has ended.

One individual

might ask another

what their first

impressions are

of another person.

You might ask for someone's

opinion about whether or not

a certain

individual is suitable

for that particular position.

Maybe you are meeting

the parents

of your girlfriend

or boyfriend

for the first time.

Once more,

those first impressions

you make

will be

the ones that the parents

will discuss later after

you have left.

So, as you can see in life,

we are always

being judged in some way,

especially when

we are meeting

someone for the first time.

So maybe the expression

is correct.

That first impression

you make on another person

can be the difference between

success and failure.