The value of the first impression in determining someone’s assessment of a person’s character has always intrigued me. In grade school I was painfully shy, and going to the park to meet other children as myself was a terrifying thought. I was sure that I would be immediately rejected. Still desiring social contact, however, I often changed my appearance and persona into that of someone else. Someone else was capable of making friends and interacting socially. I was never good at those things. I could put on a hat, a dress, carry a particular prop, and I became Roxanna, an exchange student from an imaginary country where dogs were allowed to attend school, or Belinda, a southern girl who was skilled in martial arts and had her own rock band. The details of my invented persona generally went undiscussed, but I was more comfortable interacting from the standpoint of someone else than attempting to meet people as myself.
As an adult I still occasionally experiment with these ideas from the opposite perspective. As a child I mainly altered my perception of myself. The first impressions I made were different because I felt differently and therefore behaved differently. As an adult, I try to alter other people’s perceptions of me. The slight alteration of one’s external appearance and mannerisms has a drastic effect on a stranger’s perception of who someone is.
I generally dress enough like a disheveled transient that disheveled transients smile and wave at me rather than asking for change. Occasionally, however, I comb my hair, but on a power suit, nylons, and wear my wire frame glasses rather than the plastic frames splattered with paint. Suddenly, people call me “ma’am” and assume I have money. If I walk downtown, the businessladies sneer at my shoes instead of holding their breath and avoiding me altogether. I even find myself standing up straighter and not biting my nails or picking my nose. It becomes obvious that having the appearance of an expected persona has a way of encouraging me to work to maintain the expectations held by that persona.
Some psychologists claim that simply forcing oneself to smile can help alleviate depression. Smiling at those around you creates the impression that you are a friendly person. Those around you then respond to you by expecting you to be friendly. This starts a strange cycle of people being nice to you and you feeling better about yourself as a result, and also attempting to maintain the expectations of a friendly and happy person. I don’t believe this treatment would have significant results for some, but it is a simple, entertaining social experiment that has no ill effects for anyone.
I currently have a mohawk, and this has definitely caused a change in the temperature of my reception by strangers. It also makes this type of social experiment almost comically simple to perform. I carry a hat with me that completely covers my hairline. It is a pretty, 1920’s cloche-style hat with a rose on it. I can sit next to someone on the bus for a good 20 minutes in complete silence while they try to avoid making eye contact. When I put on the hat, the same person will immediately turn to me and say, “Oh, hello. Would you by any chance know how to get to the DMV?”