Sample Student Essay—CAUSE-EFFECT (CAUSAL ANALYSIS)

First Impressions Are Often the Worst Means of Judging People

Experts say that most impressions are made within the first thirty seconds or less of meeting a person.  Often words are not even exchanged, but within these few short seconds, we communicate more than we can imagine about ourselves through our behavior and visual appearance.  Any number of factors can influence our first impression of a person. Mannerisms, vocabulary, physical appearance, personality, social standing; even the way a person smells are often elements we use when formulating our opinion.   There is nothing wrong with allowing first impressions to impact our assessment of a person; the problem lies when we allow it to be the basis for all future relationship.

One of the drawbacks of letting this initial assessment become our final one, is there are many outside influences that could greatly change a person’s behavior.  Not long ago I was introduced to a woman that seemed completely disinterested in our conversation. She would not make eye contact and responded with one word answers to each of my questions.  What a rude person, I thought to myself.  A few days later I was humbled to learn her husband of thirteen years left her for her best friend and she had just run over her daughter’s cat an hour before I met her.  Her actions were greatly altered by the life circumstances she was experiencing.

Nerves can also play a major role in how a person acts during a first introduction.  One of my friends was shocked when I confessed the intense fear that consumed me when I met my sister’s boyfriend for the first time.  Will he like me?  Do I have something stuck in my teeth?  Did I just stutter?  Thoughts similar to these flashed through my head as I reached my trembling hand out to shake his hand for the first time.  I cannot count how many times my shyness has been perceived as rudeness when in fact, I am simply worried about making a good impression.

The primary reason first impressions are a faulty way of formulating an opinion is that people change.  I was first introduced to my now best friend, Bri, when I was a sophomore in high school and she was in eighth grade.  She was a total theatre nerd that marched to the beat of her own drum and didn’t care if she fit in. Sometimes she wore socks that didn’t match, told jokes that were not funny and befriended the class clown.  I, on the other hand, was very concerned with what others thought of me and would not give her the time of day. If something was in style, I had it.  I didn’t associate with anyone I remotely thought was “uncool” and would never admit if I liked something everyone else deemed “uncool.”  A year later both of our dad’s were stationed to the same military base overseas.  Suddenly I had no one I cared to impress and I realized I liked it that way.   As a result of overcoming my insecurities, Bri and I were able to form a lasting friendship.  Two years ago she was a bride’s maid in my wedding. Thank goodness Bri did not hold me to my first impression.

            No doubt we are all familiar with the saying “Never judge a book by its cover.” I believe the same wisdom holds true when meeting someone for the first time. In my experience, there is often so much more to a person than meets the eye and it is worth our time to discover what lies beneath our initial perception.