Are First Impressions Actually Lasting Impressions?

On remembering first experiences and first encounters

Photo by Caleb George on Unsplash

First impressions — Moments that can potentially define our entire perception of something, somewhere, or someone for the rest of our lives. First impressions are always a tricky thing because they can either make or break an entire experience for us.

Just try to think back to your first encounter with your best friend. Or your significant other. Or what your first day of college was like. Or your first job.

Do you remember the conversation that you had? Do you remember walking through the door for the first time? Do you remember if you were nervous or hopeful?

The funny part about memory is that it’s completely and wholly subjective to that of our own minds. We selectively remember the version that happened to us, not necessarily the version from anyone else involved. And regardless of the facts, the version that we hold in our minds is the one that will always remain true.

“The past is just a story we tell ourselves.” — Spike Jonze, Her

In an article published by MIT News, titled “How we recall the past”, author Anne Trafton writes about a new brain circuit that is dedicated to recalling memories…