“I’m Not Racist, But…”: 45 Things People Have Said That Made Others Know Immediately They Wouldn’t Be Friends

To gain more insight on this topic, we reached out to Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Ph.D., ABPP. Dr. Whitbourne is a Professor Emerita of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Gerontology and Faculty Fellow in the Institute of Gerontology at the University of Massachusetts Boston, and she was kind enough to share her thoughts on these unfortunate first impressions. But according to Dr. Whitbourne, first impressions aren't always a great indication of someone's personality. "Many situational factors affect first impressions, such as what is going on at the moment around an individual. Also, it is also remarkably easy for people to put on a false impression," she told Bored Panda.

We also asked if it's typically a positive thing for people to show their true colors immediately, like the people featured in this list, or if we should all have the manners to be more polite upon first meeting others. "It is preferable to 'read the room' before you show your true colors, but in general, it's better to err on the side of being polite at that first meeting," Dr. Whitbourne says.

Dr. Whitbourne also noted that it is wise not to form an opinion on someone else solely off of your first interaction. "You absolutely should wait to gather more 'data' on someone, although those first few vibes could be informative potentially (unless they are putting on a false front)."

And when it comes to how we can make better first impressions, Dr. Whitbourne told Bored Panda to remember to read the room. "That is very important, especially to determine what emotion to display to ensure that it is consistent with the situation (i.e. not laughing in a serious situation). Eye contact is always helpful as is attention to posture and other aspects of body language."

"Put yourself in someone else's place when you see them in a certain situation before deciding on what their personality is," Dr. Whitbourne added. "For example, It's very easy to be overly critical of others for engaging in the same behavior that you would in that situation, so in these cases, give them a break. If you're trying to decide whether to have a relationship with someone based on a first impression, keep the third point in mind and allow yourself to gather more information and then decide based on that."

If you'd like to gain more words of Wisdom from Susan Krauss Whitbourne PhD, ABPP, be sure to visit her Psychology Today blog right here.