Romeo and Juliet: Happily Ever After or Disaster Waiting to Happen?
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Romeo and Juliet: Happily Ever After or Disaster Waiting to Happen?
Hyun-ji Lee
Gyeonggi Academy of Foreign Language, Uiwang, Gyeonggido, Korea
Abstract
This essay investigates the power first impressions using arguably the most famous fictional couple, Romeo and Juliet. First, it briefly discusses the formation of the first impressions and the effects they have on our perception of individuals. Also discussed is how a person can manufacture an image for certain events and whether Romeo and Juliet would have lived happily ever after.
Who is the most famous literary couple in history? Many would choose Romeo and Juliet. They fell in love at first sight before they got to really know each other or realize that their families had been enemies for years. Many feel pity for the couple, believing they would have been happy, had they lived. But, would Romeo and Juliet have lived happily ever after? Do first impressions actually count? And can we trust our initial instincts?
First impressions are the rough images or a perception one gets when meeting someone for the first time. When a person sees another person, within three seconds, one’s brain will come to play its role and judge him/her subconsciously (Carlin, 2004). Once these impressions are formed, they rarely change.
These impressions, assuming that they are accurate, often represent only a fraction of a person’s true self and are more influential than some might think. The results of interviews and auditions greatly depend on an applicant’s first impression (Brent, 2007). Applicants wanting to maximize their chances of getting the job at an interview are advised on how to dress, talk, and even walk. There are even schools that teach applicants how to accomplish these tasks.
Many pay extra attention to details, from the color of their suit to the tone of their voice. Formal suits and confident voices tend to make people believe that a person is trustworthy and diligent. On the contrary, people with messy outfits and extreme make-up are often seen as careless and irresponsible.
People tend to trust their initial judgments and often think of others as they have arbitrarily defined them at their very first meeting. But, can first impressions be used as a guide to develop people skills or relationships? Not likely. As Benjamin Franklin once said, “Men and melons are hard to know,” one cannot possibly know what others are like initially. In order to understand and get to know others properly, people have to spend time and experience different situations together.
No matter how interesting a person might be, first impressions have flaws. Moreover, since they are made quickly, they may lead to misunderstandings and may change over time through different conversations a person may have. First impressions don’t tell us much about a person.
We can also foster first impressions. People can smile when they are not happy. They can dress up formally and pretend to be the neatest, most hard working people when they are not. Since we can create false images, our true personalities are not easily exposed. Furthermore, in most cases, first impressions often reveal themselves to be wrong. Our physical features, which are a major part of first impressions, do not show our real characters.
An old proverb says, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Just as we cannot determine what a book is about based only on only superficial appearances, we cannot see the real character of other people based only on first impressions.
Although some may say Romeo and Juliet would have loved each other forever, keeping in line with their first impressions, we will never know how their story would have revealed itself. Romeo and Juliet might have been miserable if they had lived. They may have realized that they did not have much in common. Their families probably would have refused to bless their union. No one knows what would have happened to them in such a situation. They may have been able to keep their relationship strong despite family pressure to end the union, or the love they developed at first sight may have been strong enough to carry them through hard times.
Many assume that Romeo and Juliet would have lived happily ever after from how they felt charmed during their first encounter. However, I believe that their relationship would have had a high likelihood of failure. We should be mindful of how first impressions work and not be too quick to draw conclusions.
References
Flora, Carlin (2004). The first Impression. Psychology Today. Retrieved on November 10, 2009 from
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200405/the-first-impression
Brent, Paul (2007). First Impression leaves lasting impression. Financial Post. Retrieved on November 10, 2009 from http://www.financialpost.com/story.html?id=829107
Hyun-ji Lee
Gyeonggi Academy of Foreign Language, Uiwang, Gyeonggido, Korea
Abstract
This essay investigates the power first impressions using arguably the most famous fictional couple, Romeo and Juliet. First, it briefly discusses the formation of the first impressions and the effects they have on our perception of individuals. Also discussed is how a person can manufacture an image for certain events and whether Romeo and Juliet would have lived happily ever after.
Who is the most famous literary couple in history? Many would choose Romeo and Juliet. They fell in love at first sight before they got to really know each other or realize that their families had been enemies for years. Many feel pity for the couple, believing they would have been happy, had they lived. But, would Romeo and Juliet have lived happily ever after? Do first impressions actually count? And can we trust our initial instincts?
First impressions are the rough images or a perception one gets when meeting someone for the first time. When a person sees another person, within three seconds, one’s brain will come to play its role and judge him/her subconsciously (Carlin, 2004). Once these impressions are formed, they rarely change.
These impressions, assuming that they are accurate, often represent only a fraction of a person’s true self and are more influential than some might think. The results of interviews and auditions greatly depend on an applicant’s first impression (Brent, 2007). Applicants wanting to maximize their chances of getting the job at an interview are advised on how to dress, talk, and even walk. There are even schools that teach applicants how to accomplish these tasks.
Many pay extra attention to details, from the color of their suit to the tone of their voice. Formal suits and confident voices tend to make people believe that a person is trustworthy and diligent. On the contrary, people with messy outfits and extreme make-up are often seen as careless and irresponsible.
People tend to trust their initial judgments and often think of others as they have arbitrarily defined them at their very first meeting. But, can first impressions be used as a guide to develop people skills or relationships? Not likely. As Benjamin Franklin once said, “Men and melons are hard to know,” one cannot possibly know what others are like initially. In order to understand and get to know others properly, people have to spend time and experience different situations together.
No matter how interesting a person might be, first impressions have flaws. Moreover, since they are made quickly, they may lead to misunderstandings and may change over time through different conversations a person may have. First impressions don’t tell us much about a person.
We can also foster first impressions. People can smile when they are not happy. They can dress up formally and pretend to be the neatest, most hard working people when they are not. Since we can create false images, our true personalities are not easily exposed. Furthermore, in most cases, first impressions often reveal themselves to be wrong. Our physical features, which are a major part of first impressions, do not show our real characters.
An old proverb says, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Just as we cannot determine what a book is about based only on only superficial appearances, we cannot see the real character of other people based only on first impressions.
Although some may say Romeo and Juliet would have loved each other forever, keeping in line with their first impressions, we will never know how their story would have revealed itself. Romeo and Juliet might have been miserable if they had lived. They may have realized that they did not have much in common. Their families probably would have refused to bless their union. No one knows what would have happened to them in such a situation. They may have been able to keep their relationship strong despite family pressure to end the union, or the love they developed at first sight may have been strong enough to carry them through hard times.
Many assume that Romeo and Juliet would have lived happily ever after from how they felt charmed during their first encounter. However, I believe that their relationship would have had a high likelihood of failure. We should be mindful of how first impressions work and not be too quick to draw conclusions.
References
Flora, Carlin (2004). The first Impression. Psychology Today. Retrieved on November 10, 2009 from
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200405/the-first-impression
Brent, Paul (2007). First Impression leaves lasting impression. Financial Post. Retrieved on November 10, 2009 from http://www.financialpost.com/story.html?id=829107