First impression is the best impression and last impression is the lasting impression. Both impressions support one another.
Aren't we from our first cry to our last breath trying to impress someone, something, somewhere, somehow at all times? A point to ponder on indeed. This need (a need which is implied in every step of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs) gives rise to Impression Management (IM). IM has become a "must have" tool in this world of competition, where people vie with one another to get the best deal. Erving Goffman has rightly pointed out that when an individual interacts with others there will usually be some reason for him to mobilize his activity and perform in such a way so as to convey an impression to others which will ultimately be for his benefit.
Performance refers to all the activities that an individual exhibits before observers and which he hopes will influence them. The `front end' or the expressive equipment of a standard kind is that part of the individual's personality which he utilizes to perform for the observers. Personal front may include: Insignia of office or rank, clothing, sex, age, racial characteristics, size and looks, posture, speech patterns, facial expressions, bodily gestures and the like. Some of these vehicles for conveying signs, such as racial characteristics, do not change over a period of time; on the other hand, some of these sign vehicles are relatively mobile or transitory, such as facial expression, and can vary during a performance from one moment to the next. Therefore, the concept of IM professes enhancing personal appearance, body language and communication skills in order to create a positive impression on the targeted audience .
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