Hello Community....
So I will say that yes,first impression can be misleading yes, in a good way and also in a bad way, because what you see at a first glance might not truly be the real or full story, and sometimes it might just be a tiny piece of who the person really is, and this is like one reason why I don't actually judge people based on just first meetings anymore because I have seen how wrong it can go, there was one time I met someone for the First time, I really didn't like her vibes and all, she came off as proud, quite, a bit unfriendly , I just immediately assumed that she wasn't the kind of person I wanted around me, but funny thing is we then ended up being in the same space for a while, then I had no choice but to interact more with her, and seriously it was then I knew she wasn't like that, she was actually kind hearted, not to the type to open up fully, she was naturally quiet and not how I presumed her to be, my first impression about her was all wrong and it wasn't even fair.
And on the other side there are also people who give off friendly and sweet vibes, only to get to know them later, you will get to see how dirty their attitude is and still falls down to first impressions are always misleading actually.
Now when it comes to making a positive first impression like when you are in a new environment, truly you don't have to disguise to be who you are not, you just have to try and be your self and yes you already know you don't have to put up shitty characters or attitudes as Humans, something as basic as greeting people properly, having a calm attitude, and showing interest in what is going on around you can already set a good tone, people notice energy more than anything. If you come in with good vibes, it naturally reflects.
Now why do negative first impression tend to stick longer than the positive, I believe and Feel it is because of how we humans are wired, bad experience or uncomfortable moments tends to leave a deeper mark than the good one, and yes you should know that it actually takes consistency to keep up with a positive image, because just one bad moment can create a negative one, that's why it's easier for negative moments to stick.
I have learned to give people more time,yes first impression are important ,but then they are actually not always accurate.