What Sort of Impression are You Making?
Yesterday, as I watched hundreds of individuals come together from all over the world for a global leadership conference in Manila Philippines, I was reminded of what C. S. Lewis said in Mere Leadership: “Even in social life, you will never make a good impression on other people until you stop thinking about what sort of impression you are making” (p. 226). It is interesting to watch those that are trying really hard to make a certain type of impression.
I want to be clear, that I am not talking about the different styles we all have in the way we dress. This obsession with impression goes beyond style, fashion, and culture. I am talking about the way we show up.
C.S. Lewis was suggesting that worrying excessively about how others perceive us can prevent genuine connections and authentic behavior. When we focus too much on creating a certain impression, we may become superficial or insincere, which ultimately hinders our ability to build trust and meaningful relationships. From this, we learn that authenticity is key; by being true to ourselves and not obsessing over impressions, we can foster more honest interactions, earn genuine respect, and develop better social bonds in our everyday lives.
Byron's Babbles 
[…] great deal of time reflecting on principles from C. S. Lewis in Mere Christianity. I already posted “What Sort of Impression are You Making?” this […]
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