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London: A clinical psychologist has stated that it takes just seven seconds for us to judge another person when we first meet them.
Linda Blair, clinical psychologist and author of Straight Talking, said that we subconsciously do it, as it is a part of our survival instinct. “It takes only seven seconds for us to judge another person when we first meet them,” the Daily Mail quoted her as saying.
“It’s not a conscious process, so we don’t even realise we’re doing it — but it goes back to our primitive roots when we couldn’t afford to make wrong decisions,” she said.
Judi James, author of The Body Language Bible, agrees that it comes naturally to us, and that even though we know it is not an accurate way of evaluating another person, we still do it. James warns that while we instantly judge others, we also slip up on signals we ourselves give out, which makes us arrive at business or social events looking dour, anxious, shy or hostile, without realising it.
Expert tips on how to pass the seven-second test includes, taking a moment before meeting people to check on appearance and to breathe out gently to remove tension and calm any nerves caused by shyness or anxiety. Pulling oneself up to full height will make one look confident, and also relax muscle tension. ANI