The article looks at interpersonal relations, focusing on the first
impression one makes on others. It says how people perceive an
individual on first acquaintance is shaped by various unconscious social
and cognitive patterns, including patterns related to trust, power, and
ego. It discusses how awareness of these patterns can be used to ensure
that one creates a positive impression, citing behaviors including
projecting a warm personality, describing oneself in terms of the other
person's goals, and being modest. Other topics include prompting the
other person to act fairly, the value of being helpful at moments of
stress, and the impact of risk aversion on perceptions of others.