First Impression Reprise

When meeting someone for the first time, it's like pulling a movie off of the shelf at Blockbuster. The title of the movie is "Bullets and Bombs" and is in the action/adventure section with an 'R' rating. We can assume the film will be full of blood, guts and glory, have a very shallow plot and contain a fair amount of profanity. It's in our nature and nurture to label things. Categories are created to simplify the process, whether that be choosing a movie or deciding what to eat from a menu at a restaurant. Surely one would not find the cesear salad mixed in with the beverage section of the menu. Because our brains are wired for organization, our social interactions are hindered with a non-objectivity that is difficult to alter. The first impression, as previously discussed, applies a categorical label to the subject and only future experiences with the subject can modify the label. Although the label is not directly a fault of our own, it is our responsibility to form a relationship with the subject that destroys the label and replaces it with the individual's name.

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First Impression

The relationship between first impressions and future interactions with the subject is crucial. It is at this moment that your brain collects a variety of subconcious data that dictates the way you will communicate with the subject. Attempting to bypass this function is done so in complete futility. And so the individual is broken down into categories that we can easily recognize for future purposes, such as; socio-economic background, race, personality type and so on. One can claim that objectivity is possible in social interaction, but I propose that due to nurturing effects, socialization, and other factors, we will assign stereotypes, generalizations and categories to any subject upon the initial encounter. After many subsequent meetings with any given subject, our perspective evolves and objectivity becomes more and more possible. The more people we meet and the more relationships that we build, the more complex and objectve our social interactions become and we begin to see faces in the chaotic swirl around us.

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Re-evaluated Annoyances

This morning when I swung my feet out from the sheets and onto the floor, I noticed two things almost immediately. There was light coming in through the window and a frenzy of birds were chattering outside. I continued to the door of the bedroom and experienced a rush of memories from my childhood. I used to hate this time of year because the mocking birds in the Chinese elm outside were loud through the night and my Saturday morning slumbers were interrupted by the rays of spring's sun. It's amazing how time, a change of perspective or new hobby can effect our outlook on life and how we view the world around us. I was waking up early today for a surf and the chirping birds and early morning light meant warmer days and more time in the water. We all have our unique loud birds and rays of sunlight in our lives. Maybe if we apply patience in interpretting these annoyances, we can catch a glimpse of the larger picture.

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