Two Things to Avoid in Making First Impressions:

Don’t Start with a Complaint

I take the bus home from the airport because it’s cheap ($1.75) and convenient. Driving makes me cringe, so I prefer being driven around if I can help it. Anyways, I came back from a trip, got off the plane like I normally do, and headed to the bus stop. The bus stops right outside the terminal, so it’s convenient. As a bonus, it has wifi

While I was waiting, a short, fat man came walking towards the bus stop. He looked out of breath and tired. The man was dressed as a pilot, so I presumed he was one. He dragged his roller behind him and stood it upright in front of him.

Two seconds later, he belts out, “so much for on time bus service!”

Woah, buddy. First, the bus was only about 5-10 minutes late at that point. And second, nobody cares about how you feel if that’s all you have to say.

I can’t say that I’ve never done the same thing. If there’s something going wrong, isn’t it easier to complain? Isn’t that our natural inclination? It feels right!

That’s where we’re wrong.

Complaining shouldn’t be the norm. It should be the exception.

Another story: in school, the fire alarm went off a lot. We all marched outside and waited for the fire department to come and tell us that it was okay to go back inside. It’s a boring wait, and usually everyone talks about how lousy of a situation it is.

During one evacuation, I commented about having to wait, and someone replied “at least everyone is okay.”

This isn’t that radical of a comment, but it is radical against a sea of complaints. If you want to be ordinary, fine, complain away. No one is going to care, and no one will remember what you have to say.

But if you want to be remembered, think of something other than a complaint. Compliment someone. Ask a quirky question. Human interaction is worth so much more than cheap complaints. If someone commits a crime, we deprive him or her of that privilege. If kids are punished, we isolate them. So if you get the chance to really connect with someone, take it.

Let’s Talk About Something Other Than the Weather

This one is self explanatory. How many conversations have been started with a comment about the weather?

It’s boring.

I’d rather hear about someone’s cat’s poop before the weather.