Are first impressions trustworthy? It is said that the first impression is the best impression But this is not always true A person cannot be judged in an instant First impressions can be misleading However in some instances we have to base our opinion on the first impression We are very much influenced by the first impression of a person Often it leaves a lasting impression on our minds This is especially true of interviews The interviewer is influenced by the attitude, appearance etc of the candidate Within a short span of one hour the candidate`s fate is determined In other words if he manages to give a good impression he gets the job But can a person`s character be judged accurately so swiftly It is very easy to give a wrong impression During a social gathering if a well-dressed man were to arrive, he would be escorted to a seat because from his appearance, people have got the impression that he is an eminent person of the society But an ill clad man would be ignored Perhaps it is the latter who is the better of the two Perhaps his honesty earned him only poverty Appearances are often deceptive Many things in life which appear beautiful on the surface may be rotten inside Drugs and alcohol are the classical examples Just like a red and rosy apple that appears mouth watering but turns out to be rotten inside, drugs provide only momentary pleasure and ruin us in the end As a poet once said; `I have seen kindness done by men with ugly faces And flowers in stony places things are not as they appear I remember an acquaintance of mine She had the reputation of being very short tempered and selfish But when I was in need she was the only one who turned up to help me It was only when I came to know her better that I realized what a wonderful person she was So I would like to conclude by saying that all that glitters is not gold The ugly stone when well polished may turn out to be a diamond So we must not mistake the diamond for a stone and throw it away Especially while looking for a friend, we must not count on first impressions alone