“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” (Will Rogers?)
“My first impressions of people are invariably right.” (Oscar Wilde)
“A good first impression can work wonders.” (J.K. Rowling)
Maybe we put too much stock in a first impression. I’m more interested in people making a good third impression.
First time you meet, everyone is a little tentative, feeling each other out. Second time you meet, you get more information, but are still in getting-to-know-you mode.
Third time, you start to confirm whether your initial impression was accurate. Third time, you have enough context to paint a vivid picture of a person.
Third time, indeed, is the charm.
Be weird, unusual, quirky – be yourself – in your first impression. And then be consistently yourself.
Trust that time and repeated exposure will connect you with the people you are meant to connect with. Make good third impressions and you’ll get to be yourself all the way along.