Time Reveals What First Impressions Cannot

I know a lot of people agree that first impressions last, but then, it can also be deceiving, and while I agree that first impressions are vital, I have had life experiences that practically taught me that first impressions don't always tell the whole story about a person.

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When you quickly judge someone due to his first impression, it might turn out that you are wrong or right. Only time can tell before a true identity of a person will start revealing itself. In some cases, the person you looked down upon may end up surprising you positively, whereas the one you had high expectations for, may turn out to be a wolf in sheep's clothing. I am talking from experience, and of course I have had both experiences in the course of my life journey so far.

Without going far, let me relate to the current experience I am still battling with over this subject matter. I remember in one of my blogs, or two, I talked about a new business I opened, sachet water production to be precise. So far, I have been having driver challenges of different colors. Different drivers with a lot of headaches that I don't want to rant about here, but the summary is that I am yet to get a good driver suitable for the job.

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So the last two months, someone recommended one for me with a lot of hype; that's expected anyway for someone who wants his friend to get a job. My husband took over the interview on the first day this driver came to my house, and I was seated, watching the guy, observing his responses and body language.

What baffled me was that this guy came with evidence of what he has done and what he can do, including bank transactions showing full payment receipts of the number of products pure water drivers normally load in trucks. He showed us that he had different cages from his customers, where he supply water and returned without spending much time each day. The interview was something I felt that God had finally answered my prayers without knowing that all the guy did was packaging.

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People can really go the extra mile to impress you. The part that caught my attention was that he made us believe that he understood trucks very well and could quickly detect errors, which was our bigger challenge with previous drivers. Other drivers managed our truck badly to the extent that the engine knocked, and we spent 1.3m to replace it; it was a painful expense.

So hiring this guy came easily; he impressed us smartly, but only two weeks into my business, this guy's character was revealed so greatly that I shed tears🥲. I don't even know where to start typing my ugly experiences with this driver because it's a whole lot and mentally and emotionally draining.

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I know I have also perceived someone wrong due to her first impression. It was an experience that reminded me how dangerous it can be to judge people too quickly.

Of course, first impressions still matter, but in everything, be yourself without pretense. I have to learn by force not to hold on too tightly to my first opinions about people but rather be open-minded, giving people the benefit of the doubt as well.

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Some people impress you at first and turn out being a bunch of disappointment, just like my story above, while others may not shine out at first but turn out to be a great resource person along the line.

Image was taken from canva