First Impressions?
Are the last? When you meet someone you create notions about them that may or may not be true and on the basis of that you decide your actions, right? In psychology the first impression is the event when one first encounters another person and forms a mental image of that person. The first impressions of another vary from one individual to another, and greatly influence how that person would be treated and viewed in everyday life.
According to psychology ( thanks wikipedia!), the choice between individualism and collectivism is a great influence on a first impression of a person. There are several other factors influencing it but in this post, we're gonna talk majorly of this aspect. I happened to have an individualist approach as observed by peers so for more accurate understanding, I'll first explain to you what individualism exactly is.
Individualism is a social theory advocating that an individual's interests and goals should precendence over external influences. It is the act of taking care of oneself, stating that each person is unique and self-reliant. Individualism is the quality of being individual and exercising your own ideas and actions without any social context. On the other hand, collectivism suggests the exercise of ideas and thoughts in a more socially aware manner, they analyze situations in terms of the social groups formed.
Back to the topic at hand, if your first impression is based on what society suggests to be proper and appropriate then you're bound to be a collectivist. For example, Racism. Racism is the view that there is a race of people, usually determined by skin color and appearance, and that they're all basically the same. Racism is fundamentally collectivist. Instead of viewing individuals by their own actions, values, or attributes, the group is judged and the outcome is arbitrarily assigned to the individuals. In other words, you get praised or blamed not by your own actions, but by the actions of someone else (or more than one person). This is a huge injustice, and it turns the whole concept of moral judgment upside down. When you see an african-american or a society name which is "black". You haven't talked to them or have been personally introduced and you don't even know their name but yet you make up notions of them as a rowdy bunch. Do you not have a mind of your own to function with?
First impressions are subjective to everyone but being a collectivist, you'll be at ease till your opinions are in alignment of the group, but when you're compelled to change your opinion you're more likely to change the views of all the members of the group for peer acceptance. Now flipping the coin, an individualist is confrontational and is willing to change their views at ease according to their own mental images, after the uncertainty.
Look at it this way, thinking with your mind and analyzing a situation according to your own mental ability is much more beneficial than just accepting what the society says. The society grasps what they hear, not what they think. Think about all those wonderful people you might have missed out on by listening to others?
First impressions are stable most of the time so listening to your thought process is the right way to go, you can't actually believe what the other says when you haven't seen or experienced it for yourself.
Happy Realization! :D
According to psychology ( thanks wikipedia!), the choice between individualism and collectivism is a great influence on a first impression of a person. There are several other factors influencing it but in this post, we're gonna talk majorly of this aspect. I happened to have an individualist approach as observed by peers so for more accurate understanding, I'll first explain to you what individualism exactly is.
Individualism is a social theory advocating that an individual's interests and goals should precendence over external influences. It is the act of taking care of oneself, stating that each person is unique and self-reliant. Individualism is the quality of being individual and exercising your own ideas and actions without any social context. On the other hand, collectivism suggests the exercise of ideas and thoughts in a more socially aware manner, they analyze situations in terms of the social groups formed.
Back to the topic at hand, if your first impression is based on what society suggests to be proper and appropriate then you're bound to be a collectivist. For example, Racism. Racism is the view that there is a race of people, usually determined by skin color and appearance, and that they're all basically the same. Racism is fundamentally collectivist. Instead of viewing individuals by their own actions, values, or attributes, the group is judged and the outcome is arbitrarily assigned to the individuals. In other words, you get praised or blamed not by your own actions, but by the actions of someone else (or more than one person). This is a huge injustice, and it turns the whole concept of moral judgment upside down. When you see an african-american or a society name which is "black". You haven't talked to them or have been personally introduced and you don't even know their name but yet you make up notions of them as a rowdy bunch. Do you not have a mind of your own to function with?
First impressions are subjective to everyone but being a collectivist, you'll be at ease till your opinions are in alignment of the group, but when you're compelled to change your opinion you're more likely to change the views of all the members of the group for peer acceptance. Now flipping the coin, an individualist is confrontational and is willing to change their views at ease according to their own mental images, after the uncertainty.
Look at it this way, thinking with your mind and analyzing a situation according to your own mental ability is much more beneficial than just accepting what the society says. The society grasps what they hear, not what they think. Think about all those wonderful people you might have missed out on by listening to others?
First impressions are stable most of the time so listening to your thought process is the right way to go, you can't actually believe what the other says when you haven't seen or experienced it for yourself.
Happy Realization! :D
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