Today I learned about first impressions. First impressions are so important because the initial category that someone places you in can be a container that can be hard to escape. This is because of the fundamental attribution error.
The Fundamental Attribution Error is the human tendency to associate behavior with character. In reality we all have the capacity to be as good or evil as we know how. It's much easier to meet someone and put them in a box than to constantly look at them with beginner's mind (acknowledge that each moment can be entirely different).
So, armed with this knowledge that most people make the fundamental attribution error, we can se why the first contact we make with people is likely to lay the foundation for the rest of that relationship.
Remember that people care more about the way they emote around you than the content of the communication. Although, those are related as well. Be willing to take the path that makes the engagement pleasant even if it might be at your risk of personal expense. Why? Because you never know if you can trust someone until you trust them. Better to find out today than in many years, and if the risk is rewarding instead of a lesson, then you are on a great path to a successful and healthy relationship built on trust and interest in each other's well being.
"My first impressions of people are invariably right. right, people." - Oscar Wilde
Remember, every interaction is either a blessing or a lesson. There is no failure because it's either grow by yourself or grow together. The best way to do it is to touch lives along the way. Love yourself and it will come more naturally to you.