There are moments that hold a special place in our hearts forever. The "firsts." Your first real love, the first home, the first major success—these moments profoundly shape who we are.
And then there is the first impression. The tricky thing about the first impression isn't that it's unnecessary, but that it's incredibly difficult to change later on. It's the unspoken, yet crucial, starting line for every new relationship, every encounter, every change.
We all know this feeling, especially in the professional world: In the first week of a new job, people feel they have to push their absolute hardest. They're not just showing who they are, but who they aspire to be. They're essentially putting on a "show"—that intense urge to constantly prove themselves and over-impress.
For more expert advice on the initial seven seconds, see this guide from TIME Magazine on How To Make The Best First Impression
But no matter how hard you try to "sell yourself" or "put on a performance" in that initial phase, it always comes down to the same thing: People see you, and they immediately make a critical assessment: "How much respect am I going to give this person?"