Opinion: Keep an open mind when meeting people
Opinion Editor Emma Crampton believes keeping an open mind is key to any relationship.
The very first time you meet somebody is much more long lasting than you might think. The impression gather during that first interaction with someone new will be one that they will associate you with for a long time. This can sound sort of scary because what if you’re just having a bad day or experiencing something that could alter the way you act in that moment vs. how you would act on a typical day? This is what some people need to take into consideration when holding a first impression against someone.
Although first impressions can give you a good idea of somebody’s character, it’s never going to be 100% accurate. When you meet somebody, the impression you get is very surface level and rarely gives you a proper insight of who that person really is. It is important to be able to grasp and understand this concept fully, because you could be missing out on great people in your life if you allow the skewed interpretation of the first impression dictate your opinion on that person for life.
Keeping an open mind is key here. For instance, this year I met a girl who initially I thought, honestly, that she was not a nice person. However, as I gave her another chance and actually got to know her personality, I grew to really like her and accept that everyone has bad days and that was likely the case when I first met her. It upsets me because I know I’m able to comprehend that, but not everyone is. Either that or they choose not to. I know countless people who will go on to say that they don’t like someone they have barely even properly met. I even have people say it about me that I either barely know or don’t know at all, and it just blows my mind how you can form such a strong opinion about someone that you don’t know.
People will hold grudges against someone for years based on something as small as this. People will say that they “just have never liked” someone for no particular reason at all. It’s okay not to like somebody, as obviously everyone can’t enjoy everyone’s company. It is one thing, however, to know somebody and have an opinion on them and to not know them and have this sort of opinion.
It can even go in the opposite direction of the spectrum. People can idolize and form this loving and adoring impression of people that they don’t know as well. While this is a positive thing, it is often times for the wrong people and the wrong reasons. This can stem from social media, as someone with a lot of followers and people who idolize them on the internet can often develop that persona and carry it with them offline as well. When people get noticed on social media, people notice and people tend to go along with it. The issue with this is that the reason for being popular on social media is typically due to outward appearances, and people who have exterior beauty don’t always contain the same beauty inwardly. People then naturally associate them as a higher level of social class simply due to looks. It’s also not always on social media. Sometimes people just have a certain reputation of being “popular” and liked by a lot of people, so outsiders just automatically like them as a person without knowing who they truly are.
The best way to avoid these misinterpretations of our peers is to simply get to know people fully before making an informed judgement on their character. Doing otherwise is like taking a test that you didn’t study for; you are unaware of what you’re being presented with and you just use basic knowledge to subside for it, and that is not always the right information.
Emma Crampton is a senior (finally yay!) who loves writing, singing, and being surrounded by people she loves. She loves just about everybody too so chances...
