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First Impressions

Science bears out the common wisdom, "You only get one chance to make a first impression." While that statement must be true by definition, the deeper meaning is that first impressions are sticky. People have long understood this, but in recent decades research has shown that first impressions are hard to change. People tend to stick with their first impression of someone else, and even contrary facts are often not enough to change the initial perception.

It's not surprising that both scientists and business leaders are interested in first impressions. "First impression bias" is a known cognitive bias, and it can lead to sales failures, poor hiring choices, and many more negative outcomes.

On the plus side, making a good first impression will help in any business or personal situation - problems that might occur later will be less likely to disrupt the relationship. These articles and conversations with experts will help optimize your first impressions to gain benefits that last over time.