First Impressions

Some people trust their first impressions about a person’s character because they believe these judgments are generally correct. Other people do not judge a person’s character quickly because they believe first impressions are often wrong. Compare these two attitudes. Which attitude do you agree with? Support your choice with specific examples.
- When has your first impression of someone been wrong?
- When has your first impression of someone been correct?
- Which attitude do you tend to rely on?

Expression	Definition
impression	(n) the idea, feeling or opinion about something or someone, especially one formed without conscious thought A first impression can be important or not at all.
appearance	(n) the way someone or something looks Some people base their judgments on the appearance of someone.
positive	(adj) no possibility of doubt, clear She was positive that he was a good guy.
accurate	(adj) correct in all details His impression of her was accurate – she was down-to-earth.
judge	(v) form an opinion or conclusion about someone or something She was sure not to judge someone before getting to know him or her first.
encounter	(v) to unexpectedly experience something He wasn’t ready to encounter his elementary school bullies.
appeal to	(expression) to be attractive or interesting Her fun, outgoing personality appealed to the other girls in the group.
make sure	(expression) to verify, double check He had to make sure that the facts were correct before saying anything.
size up	(expression) to examine someone or something closely Before the game started, he sized up the competition.
judge a book by its cover	(expression) to prejudge the value of something based on outward appearance When making new friends, she knew it was important to not judge a book by its cover and base her thoughts on outward appearance.

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