How We Know What Isn't So (A Psychological Study on Logic)

by Thomas Gilovich

The existence of seemingly-fulfilled prophecies implies that negative first impressions should generally be more stable (i.e., less subject to change) than positive first impressions. If we find another person unpleasant initially, we try to avoid that person as much as possible, and he or she will have a difficult time disabusing us of our negative assessment. If we like another person, on the other hand, we seek out his or her company and thereby give him or her ample opportunity to ruin our hopes and expectations.20 This can sound rather grim, but it does have a positive flip-side: It suggests that our negative assessments of other people are less likely than our positive assessments to be correct, and we should give our foes another chance.