First Impressions, Part 2
We tend to make major, lasting impressions based on the smallest, seemingly insignificant details.
This morning’s New York Times has an excellent article by Matt Bai offering a political angle to this truism. While the hook was President Obama’s handling of the Gulf oil spill, the piece mentioned how other presidents have suffered from (or dodged) negative public perceptions…or, how well they’ve projected a sense of control over the chaos of events around them.
Bai’s piece reminded me of Jimmy Carter and how a potentially obscure wildlife encounter helped further tip things in favor of Ronald Reagan in the 1980 presidential election. While the Attack Rabbit Incident might have appeared otherwise innocent or silly, it fanned doubts about Carter’s strength as much or more than the Iranian hostage crisis, economic woes and the like.
This might have something to do with our own relationship with control — or, more accurately, the illusion of control many of us humans believe we have. So, when we perceive a president who exudes confidence and a sense of control (I’m thinking, for example, of Bill Clinton), we give them a pass despite whatever else might be going on.
When, however, we perceive a Jimmy Carter’s haplessness, we might be reminded of our own control shadows — the parts of us we hide, repress and deny. The lack of control — acknowledged or not — we don’t want others to see. The parts of us we tend not to buy.
Like the existence of giant rabbits.
Tangibility figures into this. See, for example, http://doug-stern.com/blog/?p=507.
DOUG
1I think it’s funny how, as humans, we are constantly fooling ourselves one way or another. It’s kind of like a herd or something lol.
2This is the best article I have read, thank you, I have learned a lot of knowledge in this area.
3I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it.I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post.
4I guess I’m gonna need to read up some more but this was a good spring board.
5Hey great post, looking forward to the next one
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