From Handshakes to Footprints by Joe Hogan
Impressions transform bare canvases into elaborate, personally-illustrated portraits. Masterpieces quickly form without the influence of evidence, or perhaps in contrast, the work itself serves as evidence. A rough sketch determines the fate of one’s career and can rally a nation against itself. Archeologists scavenge the earth for the ancient designs of history while dentists mold similar fossils every day. A first impression can depict the scene of a successful job interview, but a lasting impression portrays a more permanent, persuasive mural. Often, the essence of an impression paints an image of a solid handshake, a hasty presumption, or a footprint of the past.
“A good impression is great. But a bad impression is even better." - Ted Cruz
First impressions solidify swiftly and mightily. During the brisk moment of a single firm handshake, job interviewers and auditioning directors graffiti in the expansive, unknown gaps of a stranger’s life with a swift blast of initial judgement. Estimating the entirety of another’s qualities and personality “takes just a quick glance, maybe three seconds” (“Making a Great First”). First impressions never qualify as factual but instead blind over the facts. They cannot be discovered as a written document in a file of notes either. Timeliness, appearance, and clear confidence all supply another’s brain with the pen to etch a branching web of engravings into its memory, requiring a mere moment of time and remaining permanent for a lifetime.
Perhaps the speed in which impressions mold stems from an ancestral self-defense mechanism. Rapid judgements may have instantly informed cavemen which predators signified a threat and which humans sought harm. Unfortunately, studies reveal subpar first encounters stick longer than positive ones (Vanderkam). A simple greeting piles on pressure and beads of nervous sweat. How can a random hodgepodge of opinion and perception paint over a new person with such vibrancy? Is this evidence to believe humans are more likely to judge and less likely to forgive?
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged” - Luke 6: 37
Recklessness and prematurity often streak the mental animations of the mind. Subjective impressions are never a truth and never a reality. Like comedic impressions of celebrities or politicians, the brain exaggerates what it can snatch in the first few moments. Facts infrequently voice their opinion. In the modern political bouts that plague the United States, many citizens grasp at a single attribute to map an entire story. Dots of bias infect impressions. Hasty judgments of strangers on the street aggressively interpret attributes like race, clothing, or religion as villainous. In January 2019, newspapers and media sites plastered Nick Sandmann’s face on public pedestals. Citizens splattered hatred and slander toward this young, Catholic-school student for a simple smirk captured during a congested confrontation with a Native American man (“Judge Reopens”). Perhaps the smile had not sketched such a hateful, shaming portrayal for most but instead his “Make America Great Again” hat. Nick Sandmann now leads a hefty lawsuit against The Washington Post because video evidence following the chaos exposed the media for its misconceived judgments and reckless broadcasting. Still, the evidence failed to alter a malicious impression for some. Mysteriously, these mental depictions have more strength to convince the mind than truth itself
“Footprints on the beaches are now footprints in the frost” - Babylon and On
In contrast, impressions chisel their mark in visible reality. A pair of feet tracks prints in the sand, and typewriters slap permanent letters on paper. An impression not only conjures cognitive canvases but also stamps solid surfaces. Stains, scratches, and etches are never a cause, only an effect of the past. Diving into a cradling memory foam mattress imprints a rough impression of a body. Orthodontists wedge paste along the arc of the upper and lower teeth in order to mold dental impressions for retainers. In addition, fossils, animal tracks, and ancient rock engravings all encompass the value of impressions. Current knowledge of history has relied on humans leaving behind their imprints on this earth. Although fossils of the past serve as concrete evidence, the recently discovered jaw of a prehistoric human has left a variety of scientists with an array of contrasting conclusions (Wong). Impressions possess a unique ability to slide between the lines of abstract idea and concrete reality.
Many interpret impressions as significant to both the mind and the earth by establishing powerful depictions in seconds, manipulating the ability to see the truth, and preserving evidence of the past. A simple handshake can paint an elaborate picture of an unknown life in another’s mind while a lone presumption can erupt a volcano of controversy. A single footprint supplies the evidence to revisit the past. Impressions occur so commonly and subconsciously, who is to know if these mental canvases still shade over the truths of one’s closest relationships or experience of life as a whole.
Works Cited
“Judge Reopens Nick Sandmann's $250 Million Lawsuit Against Washington Post.” Www.theepochtimes.com, 29 Oct. 2019, www.theepochtimes.com/judge-reopens-nicksandmanns-250-million-lawsuit-against-the-washington-post_3130414.html.
“Making a Great First Impression: – Getting off to a Good Start.” From MindTools.com, 29 Dec. 1969, www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/FirstImpressions.htm.
Vanderkam, Laura. “Why It's So Hard To Change A Bad First Impression.” Fast Company, Fast Company, 9 Aug. 2016, www.fastcompany.com/3062605/why-its-such-a-challenge -to-change-a -bad-first-impression
Wong, Kate. “Controversial Fossil Hints Homo Sapiens Blazed a Trail Out of Africa Earlier Than Thought.” Scientific American, 26 Jan. 2018, www.scientificamerican.com/article/ controversial-fossil-hints-homo-sapiens-blazed-a-trail-out-of-africa-earlier-than-thought/.
Impressions transform bare canvases into elaborate, personally-illustrated portraits. Masterpieces quickly form without the influence of evidence, or perhaps in contrast, the work itself serves as evidence. A rough sketch determines the fate of one’s career and can rally a nation against itself. Archeologists scavenge the earth for the ancient designs of history while dentists mold similar fossils every day. A first impression can depict the scene of a successful job interview, but a lasting impression portrays a more permanent, persuasive mural. Often, the essence of an impression paints an image of a solid handshake, a hasty presumption, or a footprint of the past.
“A good impression is great. But a bad impression is even better." - Ted Cruz
First impressions solidify swiftly and mightily. During the brisk moment of a single firm handshake, job interviewers and auditioning directors graffiti in the expansive, unknown gaps of a stranger’s life with a swift blast of initial judgement. Estimating the entirety of another’s qualities and personality “takes just a quick glance, maybe three seconds” (“Making a Great First”). First impressions never qualify as factual but instead blind over the facts. They cannot be discovered as a written document in a file of notes either. Timeliness, appearance, and clear confidence all supply another’s brain with the pen to etch a branching web of engravings into its memory, requiring a mere moment of time and remaining permanent for a lifetime.
Perhaps the speed in which impressions mold stems from an ancestral self-defense mechanism. Rapid judgements may have instantly informed cavemen which predators signified a threat and which humans sought harm. Unfortunately, studies reveal subpar first encounters stick longer than positive ones (Vanderkam). A simple greeting piles on pressure and beads of nervous sweat. How can a random hodgepodge of opinion and perception paint over a new person with such vibrancy? Is this evidence to believe humans are more likely to judge and less likely to forgive?
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged” - Luke 6: 37
Recklessness and prematurity often streak the mental animations of the mind. Subjective impressions are never a truth and never a reality. Like comedic impressions of celebrities or politicians, the brain exaggerates what it can snatch in the first few moments. Facts infrequently voice their opinion. In the modern political bouts that plague the United States, many citizens grasp at a single attribute to map an entire story. Dots of bias infect impressions. Hasty judgments of strangers on the street aggressively interpret attributes like race, clothing, or religion as villainous. In January 2019, newspapers and media sites plastered Nick Sandmann’s face on public pedestals. Citizens splattered hatred and slander toward this young, Catholic-school student for a simple smirk captured during a congested confrontation with a Native American man (“Judge Reopens”). Perhaps the smile had not sketched such a hateful, shaming portrayal for most but instead his “Make America Great Again” hat. Nick Sandmann now leads a hefty lawsuit against The Washington Post because video evidence following the chaos exposed the media for its misconceived judgments and reckless broadcasting. Still, the evidence failed to alter a malicious impression for some. Mysteriously, these mental depictions have more strength to convince the mind than truth itself
“Footprints on the beaches are now footprints in the frost” - Babylon and On
In contrast, impressions chisel their mark in visible reality. A pair of feet tracks prints in the sand, and typewriters slap permanent letters on paper. An impression not only conjures cognitive canvases but also stamps solid surfaces. Stains, scratches, and etches are never a cause, only an effect of the past. Diving into a cradling memory foam mattress imprints a rough impression of a body. Orthodontists wedge paste along the arc of the upper and lower teeth in order to mold dental impressions for retainers. In addition, fossils, animal tracks, and ancient rock engravings all encompass the value of impressions. Current knowledge of history has relied on humans leaving behind their imprints on this earth. Although fossils of the past serve as concrete evidence, the recently discovered jaw of a prehistoric human has left a variety of scientists with an array of contrasting conclusions (Wong). Impressions possess a unique ability to slide between the lines of abstract idea and concrete reality.
Many interpret impressions as significant to both the mind and the earth by establishing powerful depictions in seconds, manipulating the ability to see the truth, and preserving evidence of the past. A simple handshake can paint an elaborate picture of an unknown life in another’s mind while a lone presumption can erupt a volcano of controversy. A single footprint supplies the evidence to revisit the past. Impressions occur so commonly and subconsciously, who is to know if these mental canvases still shade over the truths of one’s closest relationships or experience of life as a whole.
Works Cited
“Judge Reopens Nick Sandmann's $250 Million Lawsuit Against Washington Post.” Www.theepochtimes.com, 29 Oct. 2019, www.theepochtimes.com/judge-reopens-nicksandmanns-250-million-lawsuit-against-the-washington-post_3130414.html.
“Making a Great First Impression: – Getting off to a Good Start.” From MindTools.com, 29 Dec. 1969, www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/FirstImpressions.htm.
Vanderkam, Laura. “Why It's So Hard To Change A Bad First Impression.” Fast Company, Fast Company, 9 Aug. 2016, www.fastcompany.com/3062605/why-its-such-a-challenge -to-change-a -bad-first-impression
Wong, Kate. “Controversial Fossil Hints Homo Sapiens Blazed a Trail Out of Africa Earlier Than Thought.” Scientific American, 26 Jan. 2018, www.scientificamerican.com/article/ controversial-fossil-hints-homo-sapiens-blazed-a-trail-out-of-africa-earlier-than-thought/.