Why People Misread Your Face, with Dr. Leslie Zebrowitz

Have you ever thought about why you make a first, visual impression upon meeting someone?Whether it's a "baby face" or an "old mug," or any other stereotype, there's a lot more that results from that impression than just shrugging and moving on from it.People are treated differently based on their facial structure - we all are in one way or another - and there's a good chance that that impacts how you conduct yourself and go through life.My friend Dr. Leslie Zebrowitz is here to talk to us about the study of 'first impressions.' Do you have an advantage having a baby face?Are older adults treated differently?Is there a difference in first impressions between personality and looks?It's popularized in the media: the bad guys always look different from the good guys. Or conversely, you notice if a 'bad guy' looks surprisingly like a 'good guy,' or vice-versa.Now facial and age recognition does serve an instinctive, species-protective purpose: knowing what's a threat and what's not. A baby is less likely to attack you than a big, tough warrior-looking dude.But what about how criminal defendants are perceived in court, even by a judge? What impact does that make when they might appear innocent when guilty, or appearing guilty when in fact innocent?Plus there are other influences on how we create first impressions, from physical attributes to behavior, like how people walk, their gait, their eye focus and more.It's a fascinating conversation that really gets you thinking, and more aware of how you perceive those around you.And hopefully it will help you recognize those signs in yourself of instant assumptions and judgement, and have better interactions with people, better relationships and better appreciation for the human experience.Ironically(!), our guest's video wasn't working, so if you're on YouTube, you'll see this as an audio-only episode. But perhaps that in turn will help you focus on visualization and your own experience in judging a book by its cover - hey, we all do it!Learn more about Dr. Leslie's research, and find her book here:https://a.co/d/0dGijhRm⁠https://www.brandeis.edu/psychology/zebrowitz/---Reach out to the show by visiting our website,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠weareoldpodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and send me your thoughts and suggestions at [email protected].