We all know the cliché: “You don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression.” Opinions formed during the first moments of a relationship are usually long-lasting. This leads to all sorts of social manipulation to make a good impression: dressing your best, smiling a lot, leaning forward in your chair, all that stuff the job-hunting websites write about.
Recent science teaches us that’s less effective than the advice your mom always used to give you: “Just relax and be yourself!”
Why do first impressions matter? Do we have any control over them?
