The Architecture of a First Impression
Parsing the first seven seconds of physical encounter through the lens of evolutionary neurobiology.
By Dr. Mira Voss · 6 min read
Seven seconds. That's the window your nervous system uses to render a verdict on a stranger.
Micro-expressions, gait, breath cadence, the temperature of a handshake — all of it gets processed before language enters the room.
The trick isn't to game the seven seconds. The trick is to know they exist, and to stop performing the version of yourself you think the other person wants to meet.
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