first impressions in an essay

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How to Make a Great First Impression

• Rebecca Knight

Prepare talking points ahead of time.

The saying “You only have one chance to make a first impression” holds true in many situations, from job interviews to sales calls. How can you make sure that you start off on the right foot in any of these scenarios? What should you actually say? And what’s the best way to follow up?

• RK Rebecca Knight is a journalist who writes about all things related to the changing nature of careers and the workplace. Her essays and reported stories have been featured in The Boston Globe, Business Insider, The New York Times, BBC, and The Christian Science Monitor. She was shortlisted as a Reuters Institute Fellow at Oxford University in 2023. Earlier in her career, she spent a decade as an editor and reporter at the Financial Times in New York, London, and Boston.

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First Impressions: Everything You Need to Make a Good Introduction

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Rachel Goldman, PhD FTOS, is a licensed psychologist, clinical assistant professor, speaker, wellness expert specializing in eating behaviors, stress management, and health behavior change.

Jordi Salas/Moment/Getty

How to Make a Good First Impression

• Signs of a Good Impression
• Why It Matters
• Overcoming a Bad Impression

First impressions are the initial opinions that people form the first time they meet another person. Such judgments occur very quickly and are based on the immediate, limited information that is available.

The first impressions people form are often based on immediate observations about characteristics, such as how others look, how they act, what they say, and their general attitude. However, people also bring their own past experiences, expectations, biases , and misapprehensions to the situations when forming impressions.

While first impressions play an important role in how people feel about others, how they treat them, and the future development of the relationship, such perceptions can be biased and inaccurate.

Because first impressions can be wrong, it is important to remember that you should look at other information beyond your initial perceptions when you are making judgments about other people.

This article discusses what you can do to make a good first impression and how to gauge whether or not you have succeeded. It also offers tips for what you can do to help overcome a bad first impression.

Making a good first impression is important, particularly in certain situations. If you are trying to make a good impression on other people, there are some strategies that can help.

Be Aware of Your Body Language

Nonverbal signals can convey a great deal of information, so it is important to make sure that your body language reinforces the impression you are trying to make.

Maintain an open posture and make sure you keep your body angled toward the other person. Sit or stand straight and keep your arms at your sides and your legs straight. Crossing your arms or legs can seem closed off or even defensive.

Watch Your Expressions

In addition to using good body language, be sure to watch how you are responding with your facial expressions. Smiling , for example, can help convey warmth and genuine interest.  

If you are feeling tense, such as during a job interview or while speaking in public, try to maintain a relaxed expression. Researchers have found that people perceive people with happy expressions as more trustworthy.

Dress Appropriately

Appearance, including how you dress, can help convey information about who you are to others. If you are dressed correctly for the occasion, it may help people form a good impression of you.

This doesn't mean that you can't express yourself through your appearance, but it is important to consider how you want to be perceived. Choose clothing that looks neat, is suited to the occasion, and helps you feel comfortable and confident when meeting new people.

Different situations have different expectations. A job interview would necessitate a more formal, professional appearance, whereas meeting a new friend for coffee would involve more casual dress.

Consider Your Words

When speaking to others, focus on using language that is polite, respectful, and non-judgmental. While there are certain opinions or subjects you might feel comfortable discussing with people who already know you well, it is best to try to be considerate of other people's feelings and backgrounds when you are first introduced.

Knowing how to make small talk can be helpful. Neutral topics such as the weather, hobbies, sports, travel, and food can be great icebreakers. Just be sure to avoid critical or controversial opinions, such as trash-talking the other person's favorite sports team.

Instead, try asking open-ended questions about the other person, such as what they are reading or what they enjoy doing in their free time. It can be a great way to convey genuine interest and help the other person form the impression that you are attentive and genuine.

Show Interest in Others

When you are speaking to someone new, practice active listening. Be genuinely interested in what they have to say and make sure that you are listening to their responses.

Focus on the other person is also a great strategy if you are feeling anxious about meeting new people. By concentrating on the other person, you're less likely to focus on your own nervousness.

If you are nervous on a first date, for example, focus on the other person. Express interest in what they have to say and ask questions in a way that feels natural (and not like an interrogation or job interview).

How to Know If You’ve Made a Good First Impression

It isn't always easy or even possible to tell if you've made a good first impression on others. However, there are clues that you can watch for that might provide a bit of insight into what the other person is thinking and feeling:

• Positive feedback : In some cases, people might offer direct feedback about how they are feeling about your meeting. A job interviewer, for example, might tell a job candidate that they are exactly right for the role or indicate that they are impressed by the interviewee's credentials.
• Positive nonverbal signals : Body language that conveys warmth, comfort, and interest is always a good sign. If your conversation partner seems like they enjoy talking to you, it is a good sign that they are forming a positive first impression.
• Further interest : If the other person follows up and contacts you again after your initial meeting, you probably made a good first impression. For example, if you give a potential romantic partner your phone number and they follow up with a text or phone call, it means they were impressed enough to express interest in meeting again.
• Interest in socializing : If you've made a good first impression, the other person might reach out about getting together again. Or they might invite you to participate in some type of activity, such as another date or a potential work project.

Why First Impressions Are Important

People are evolutionarily wired to make snap judgments and quick decisions about others. These initial impressions may be based on very limited information, but they can affect how people see each other, set the tone for future interactions, and leave a lasting mark on how people view one another.

Initial Impressions Affect Other Assumptions

A phenomenon known as the halo effect can also impact people's impressions. If they perceive certain good qualities about you (like that you are nice, professional, and quick-witted), they are more likely to attribute other good qualities to you as well.

First Impressions Affect Future Interactions

Such impressions can have a significant impact in many ways. In the workplace, first impressions can play a role in employment opportunities, leadership roles, collaborations with others, and future advancement. 

In social situations, how well others think of you based on their first assessment might determine the rapport they feel and whether they end up trusting or liking you.

Such impressions can also impact your love life. You might express interest in a potential partner, only to be rebuffed if you leave a poor first impression. 

The ability to accurately recognize other people's emotions is essential for effective social interaction, but some research suggests that poor first impressions can negatively affect the ability to read emotions based on facial expressions.

First Impressions Are Long-Lasting

As the famous saying goes, you never have a second chance to make a first impression, and, for better or worse, those first impressions tend to stick. This is because of a phenomenon known as the primacy effect . Essentially, people tend to have a better memory for the initial information they learned than they do for subsequent information that follows.

When a person thinks about you, those first impressions are more likely to spring to mind over other details they may have learned, all thanks to the primacy effect.

Researchers found that first impressions made based on briefly looking at a photograph of a stranger affected judgments when participants met the same stranger face-to-face a month later.

How to Overcome a Bad First Impression

First impressions are important, but everyone has an off day or makes mistakes in social situations. While it might be more of a challenge to change how you are perceived, there are things you can do to overcome a bad first impression.

If your first meeting was marred by some type of mistake, reach out and apologize . Showing that you are aware of your gaffe and willing to take steps to overcome it can help improve the impression the other person has of you.

Explain What Happened

You don’t want to make excuses, but it can be helpful to provide an honest explanation for why your first meeting went poorly. You might explain that you were nervous, that you weren’t feeling well, that you were distracted, or that you were feeling stressed about something unrelated. No matter the cause, an honest explanation may help the other person better empathize with your situation.

Suggest Another Meeting

If you won’t see them in another setting, ask if you can have another opportunity to let them get to see the real you. However, be willing to respect the other person’s request if they decline your offer.

For example, don't continue pursuing a potential romantic partner after they have told you they are not interested. Don't take it personally; instead, see it as a learning opportunity and try to apply those lessons when you meet someone new.

Let Them See the Real You

If you do get another opportunity to overcome a poor initial impression, make sure you are authentic and consistent in your future interactions. Let the other person see the “real you” in terms of context and situation.

If it’s a second date, let them see the qualities that make you a great romantic partner, such as warmth, kindness, humor, and attentiveness.

In a workplace setting, focus on showing your skills and professionalism. Demonstrating initiative, productivity, and good work habits are just a few ways to help overcome a poor first impression at work.

Poor first impressions happen for a variety of reasons, but there are things you can do to overcome them. Apologizing, offering an explanation, asking for another chance, and showing your best qualities can help others form a more accurate view of who you are and what you have to offer.

A Word From Verywell

Think of first impressions as a building block for relationships—they play a major part in setting the tone for future interactions. Making a good first impression is a great start, but there are also reasons why those initial interactions might be less-than-stellar. Stress, situational factors, and even the other person’s expectations can affect how they see you.

A poor first impression can sink your chances professionally, socially, and romantically, so it is worth it to examine how others react to you in these settings.

Tsankova E, Tair E. Meta-accuracy of very first impressions: A mini review . Front Psychol . 2021;12:736534. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.736534

Wood TJ. Exploring the role of first impressions in rater-based assessments . Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract . 2014;19(3):409-427. doi:10.1007/s10459-013-9453-9

Thierry SM, Twele AC, Mondloch CJ. Mandatory first impressions: happy expressions increase trustworthiness ratings of subsequent neutral images . Perception . 2021;50(2):103-115. doi:10.1177/0301006620987205

Colonnello V, Russo PM, Mattarozzi K. First impression misleads emotion recognition . Front Psychol . 2019;10:527. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00527

Gunaydin G, Selcuk E, Zayas V. Impressions based on a portrait predict, 1-month later, impressions following a live interaction . Social Psychological and Personality Science . 2017;8(1):36-44.doi:10.1177/1948550616662123

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

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First Impression Essay | The Complete Guide to First Impressions Essay

October 30, 2021 by Prasanna

First Impression Essay: First impressions are everything. They can make or break a person, company, service or product. That’s why it is so important to make a good first impression. Furthermore, a person’s first impression can sway a person’s opinion with respect to their professional as well as their personal life. For instance, a candidate’s first impression in an interview may be a crucial factor to get hired. Similarly, dating and relationships often rely on first impressions from potential partners. Although this is not always the case, it can have a lasting impact on the other person and also affects the outcome of a potential relationship.

How exactly is a “first impression” defined? A first impression is the initial and (often) lasting impression of someone or something. A first impression can also be defined as the unspoken, instantaneous judgment of another person’s character, product, service or an organisation. This thought process usually happens automatically and involuntarily. Sometimes, marketing firms create hype for a particular product as they want the initial impression of a particular product or service to be positive. However, it also has the potential to backfire if the said product or service is poor or just plain bad.

You can also find more  Essay Writing articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more.

Exploring the Science of First Impressions

At networking events, interviews, or even just meeting someone for the first time, the first impression you make is always important. The way you present yourself and your personality can make a lasting impression on the other person. The way you dress and carry yourself is a huge factor in making a good first impression. There are many different factors that influence first impressions. Some of these factors can be changed or altered while others cannot.

General Appearance and Clothing

The first factor is facial attractiveness. Though attractiveness is subjective, it can significantly influence the outcome of a first impression. An experiment proved that when people are shown photos of random human faces, they rated the more “attractive” faces as happier, more intelligent, and more honest than the “unattractive” faces. Moreover, your outward appearance is very crucial. This can be the way you dress or the way you carry yourself. One of the most important factors in any interaction is appearance. When meeting potential clients, it is important to dress for success and showcase your personality with apparels that are appropriate for the event.

Posture is of particular importance in first impressions. Slouching, for example, can indicate a feeling of insecurity or a lack of interest. Though slouching is usually involuntary for most people, it can be rectified with exercises that target the spinal cord. Moreover, body posture is a crucial element of non-verbal communication and not expressing the right posture at certain times can send a bad first impression. For instance, candidates that are nervous in an interview tend to look restless and tend to avoid eye contact. They may also sit very upright and have trouble interacting effectively with the interviewer.

Facial Expressions

Facial expressions can be used to paint an accurate picture of your personality before you even say a word. Studies show that people make judgments about your personality within the first few seconds of meeting you. This is why many people spend so much time preparing for their first impression. Moreover, just like posture, facial expressions are an important form of nonverbal communication and influence your first impression significantly.

The handshake is the universal greeting that many of us use to greet someone we don’t know. It is a show of respect and a sign of good faith. A firm, confident handshake will help you make a good first impression and feel more confident and relaxed when meeting new people for the first time. On the other hand, a sloppy handshake might convey a lack of confidence or interest.

Punctuality

Punctuality is the key to creating a good first impression. Individuals who are punctual are better positioned to make a favorable impression on their clients, bosses, and others because they are more likely to be reliable and trustworthy. Moreover, individuals who are not punctual are often seen as unprofessional and unreliable.

However, there are a multitude of other factors which are out of our control but still significantly influence first impressions. These factors include:

The age of a person does not necessarily determine how they are perceived in society. However, it is a major determining factor. In most cases, those who are young are seen as energetic and those who are old as wise.

One of the most controversial factors that influence first impressions is race. The idea that there are racial differences in how people are treated has been around for a long time. For example, it has been shown that people with white-sounding names are more likely to be preferred for a job than those with African-American sounding names, even when their qualifications are identical. However, most of these issues can be attributed to our tendency to stereotype races and cultures.

A person’s culture plays an important role in first impressions. For example, some cultures are more expressive while others are more reticent. Other differences can be found in the way people greet one another or choose to dress. For instance, something as simple as a handshake may not be a socially accepted form of greeting in many cultures.

From the moment we meet someone, we make a judgement about them and their character based on what they say and how they say it. This is called linguistic profiling. Interestingly, this technique is predominantly used by law enforcement agencies to identify a person’s language. It is based on the idea that a person’s native language has a specific, identifiable linguistic pattern.

There are many studies that have shown the differences between how men and women are perceived in society. Men and women may often be stereotyped based on their gender which can create a first impression of them before they even say a word. This is called gender bias and can cause both prejudices and discrimination in any situation.

Physical appearance

Every day, people make judgments based on appearance, and these judgments can influence how people are treated throughout their lives. Individuals with significant facial scarring or other deformities are often shunned from society and considered socially unacceptable. Such individuals may also be unable to find a job or even a relationship due to the stigma surrounding them.

Accent bias is a phenomenon in which we unconsciously ascribe qualities to people based on where they’re from. This bias can emerge in hiring and purchasing decisions, and also in our everyday conversations. People with foreign accents are often viewed as less intelligent, reliable or competent than those who don’t, and this type of discrimination has been shown to have negative consequences for those affected.

The voice of a person can reveal their age, gender and emotional state. This is one of the many pieces of information that people use to form their first impressions. If a person’s voice is low-pitched (usually men), it may have a deep and commanding quality, which can be interpreted as stern and strong. People that have a high-pitched voice (usually women) that can sound comforting or alluring.

Economic status

A person’s socioeconomic status is an important part of how they are perceived. Studies show that higher status individuals are treated more positively than someone of lower status.

What Are Some Tips For Making A Good First Impression?

We all know that the first impression is the most important one. The way you dress, how you speak and what you say can make or break your chances of getting a job interview, making friends, getting promoted or meeting someone new.

Here are some ways to make sure that your first impression is a good one:

• Dress appropriately. Wear formals for professional interaction such as interviews and meetings
• Arrive early or as per the given time
• Be friendly and welcoming
• Show confidence, but ensure that you do not come off as brash
• Be humble. It helps us to put ourselves in other people’s shoes and act with empathy, which is the foundation of all human connection
• Smile – You will make a better first impression with people if you smile when you approach them
• Lastly, be mindful of the other person’s body language. If they feel nervous or uncomfortable, try to calm them down. Also ensure that you do not invade the personal space of other people

Conclusion on First Impression Essay

The first impression is the initial observation of a person or thing that creates a lasting opinion. Hence, this is a crucial interaction because it sets the tone for everything that will happen thereafter.

FAQ’s on First Impression Essay

Question 1. What is the meaning of “first impression?”

Answer: The term “first impression” refers to the initial perception of something. Moreover, the first impression of a person is usually the lasting one.

Question 2. What are the factors that influence first impression?

Answer: There are many factors that contribute to the first impression. Some of the most important factors include personality, appearance, posture, handshakes, and facial expressions.

Question 3. Do first impressions matter?

Answer: In a world of snap judgments, it seems that first impressions do matter. Whether we like it or not, we often form opinions of someone within the first five minutes of meeting them. These opinions may be based on how the person dresses and carries themselves.

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First Impressions: Writing A Great College Essay

For most students it is a challenge trying to figure out what to highlight in a college application essay. Should you focus more on clubs, sports, and extracurriculars, or would an impressive list of academic achievements be better?

Believe it or not, your future school is probably dealing with the same questions. Grade inflation means that it can be difficult to differentiate students by their academic achievements alone, and most good students also have a wealth of extracurricular activities that make the job even harder. As a result, colleges are increasingly looking to your essay for a better idea of who you are.

This makes it all the more important to get your essay right—but it can be daunting when it feels like every word is important. We asked our admissions experts what they usually look for, and came up with the following dos and don’ts for a great college essay.

Write for your audience. Most students apply to around eight schools, but make the mistake of using the same essay for each. Every school has a different set of values and characteristics, and you need to show admissions officers that you have them too—so tailor your response!

Take note when prompted. Some essay questions are open-ended and allow you to choose your topic, but when a school asks a specific question, make sure you answer it. Do your research and think about how you can use the topic to showcase your own experiences.

Use examples. You might say you want to run your own business one day, but statements like this are much more powerful if you can give examples of how you are progressing towards your goals. Link statements to examples wherever you can, and then further link these to your choice of program and school.

Be passionate and heartfelt. Give the admissions committee a reason to be excited about having you on their campus. Your future college wants talented students, but it is just as important to them that they are engaged—so show them what motivates you and how it will transfer to your degree.

Take your time: Very few people produce their best work under time pressure, so make sure you take breaks to give yourself a chance to refocus and gain a new perspective on your writing. You should also have someone else take a look at your work—other people can often spot problem areas or typos that you would have otherwise missed.

Write one long paragraph. Structure your ideas into clearly defined sections and it will pay off—an introduction, middle, and a conclusion will help admissions officers to understand your points as they read through quickly.

Over-state the facts: Making a two-week internship sound like you were the CEO of a Fortune 500 company won’t improve your standing in the eyes of the admissions committee. Be honest—they’ll appreciate it.

Try and cram too much in: If your essay feels like a list of your various classes, clubs, jobs, and accomplishments, it won’t help the admissions committee understand what you’re like as a person. Try not to exceed the requested word count, be focused, and edit yourself well.

Use complex language: Focus on plain, correct English to make your statement clear and easy to read. Overcomplicating your language might demonstrate a wide vocabulary, but it won’t help your clarity. If you’re producing an essay, this is your chance to demonstrate your writing skills and the fact that you know what’s appropriate when—a critical asset for a university student.

Remember, admissions committees receive thousands of personal statements, and they have limited time to read them, so you need to stand out. Ask yourself if your essay truly reflects you, or just sounds like anyone else you know. Be clear, let your talents shine through, and make your reason for applying to their school obvious.

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Hult offers a range of highly skills-focused and employability-driven business school programs including a range of MBA options and a comprehensive one year Masters in International Business . To find out more, take a look at our blog 5 big reasons why to apply early for your MBA or Masters . Download a brochure or get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you to learn about the business world, the future, and yourself.

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You Had Me At Hello: The Science Behind First Impressions

Michelle Trudeau

Humans make split-second judgments about others based on the way they talk. Katherine Streeter for NPR hide caption

Remember that famous line in the movie Jerry Maguire where Renee Zellweger says to Tom Cruise, "You had me at 'hello' "? Well it turns out there is some scientific evidence to back this up. People use voices to instantly judge people, researchers say.

Whom Do You Trust?

What do you think when you hear a stranger speak? It turns out that we make judgments about traits like aggression and trustworthiness within a second of hearing someone's voice.

"From the first word you hear a person speak, you start to form this impression of the person's personality, says Phil McAleer , a psychologist at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, who led the study .

In his experiment , McAleer recorded 64 people, men and women, from Glasgow, reading a paragraph that included the word "hello." He then extracted all the hellos and got 320 participants to listen to the different voices and rate them on 10 different personality traits, such as trustworthiness, aggressiveness, confidence, dominance and warmth.

What he found was that the participants largely agreed on which voice matched which personality trait. One male voice was overwhelmingly voted the least trustworthy, "the sort of guy you'd want to avoid," McAleer says. The pitch of the untrustworthy voice was much lower than the male deemed most trustworthy. McAleer says this is probably because a higher pitched male voice is closer to the natural pitch of a female, making the men sound less aggressive and friendlier than the lower male voices.

What makes females sound more trustworthy is whether their voices rise or fall at the end of the word, says McAleer. "Probably the trustworthy female, when she drops her voice at the end, is showing a degree of certainty and so can be trusted."

McAleer says it doesn't really matter whether the ratings of personality accurately reflect a speaker's true personality. What matters, he contends, is that there was so much agreement on the traits.

"What we find is that they all seem to perceive that one voice is the most trustworthy and another voice is the least trustworthy," he says. And the same is true of all the other personality traits that were tested.

TED Radio Hour

How do you construct a voice.

In less than a second, the time it takes to say "hello," we make a snap judgment about someone's personality, says Jody Kreiman , a UCLA researcher who studies how we perceive voice. On hearing just a brief utterance, we decide whether to approach the person or to avoid them. Such rapid appraisals, she says, have a long evolutionary history. It's a brain process found in all mammals.

"Things that are important for behavior and for survival tend to happen pretty fast," Kreiman says. "You don't have a huge amount of time. It has to be a simple system of communication."

And it doesn't get much simpler than a simple "hello," rapidly communicating friend or foe — a phenomenon that Phil McAleer has now dubbed "the Jerry Maguire effect . " Underscoring the old adage that you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

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First Impressions

First Impression

Reviewed by Psychology Today Staff

Human beings are built to size each other up quickly. These first impressions are influenced by a number of factors, such as facial shape, vocal inflection, attractiveness , and general emotional state. People tend to get attached to their initial impressions of others and find it very difficult to change their opinion, even when presented with lots of evidence to the contrary.

As a result, it’s important to be aware of how one comes across to others during a first meeting. Then one can employ impression management skills—modulating any irritating traits and accentuating one's strengths—to ensure that people have a more favorable opinion of one. Everything from clothing style and posture to conversational topics can be adjusted to form a better first impression.

• Making a Good First Impression
• Understanding How Others See You

It takes a mere seven seconds to make a first impression. People thin-slice others based on how a person looks and sounds, more so than their explicit verbal statements. Often, someone's first impression is influenced by implicit attitudes of which they are unaware, which explains impulsive actions like giving special preference to those with physical beauty or more easily trusting a person who has a babyface. The observational powers (biases) of the observer are just as important as the qualities projected by the target, or person being judged, making these judgments a constant dance between objective information and selective signal-reading.

People will quickly judge others’ trustworthiness, physical strength, and intentions to do harm based on subtle facial and vocal cues. These traits may differ slightly across cultures; for example, some studies have found that Chinese societies form first impressions based on competence (i.e., perceptions of intelligence and social status) rather than on physical strength.

People tend to be self-critical after an initial conversation and wrongly assume they’ve made a bad first impression; experts call this tendency to underestimate one’s likeability the “liking gap.” People may also be fooled by the “spotlight effect,” which leads them to believe that others are hyper-focused on them, judging them for every imperfection, awkward question, or bad joke.

Using impression-management skills, you can modify the way you present yourself to influence other people’s perceptions of you. Pay attention to how you speak (whether you’re animated, express emotion , etc.), your facial expressions, your use of gestures, and your posture. Hone your storytelling skills, and show a genuine interest in what others have to say.

The term metaperception refers to how an individual interprets other people’s perceptions of them. Thinking highly of oneself is beneficial; those who believe they are viewed positively by others tend to have higher self-esteem . Most people's metaperceptions tend to be fairly accurate since individuals generally have a stable self-concept that governs how they act around others. For example, if we believe that we’re friendly and likable, we will be more likely to act, or continue to act, in a friendly manner toward strangers.

It can be off-putting when someone comes on too strong at first. Common mistakes include trying to reveal too much about yourself too soon, dominating the conversation, or placing unreasonable demands on other people you don’t know well. When it comes to first impressions, it’s best when the way you believe you are presenting yourself matches how others perceive you.

Metaperception has been widely studied within the realm of narcissism . Narcissists tend to view themselves as confident, agreeable, and friendly. Their high self-esteem may make them seem charming and attractive initially, although this first impression quickly sours . In time, people typically see through to how self-involved and smug narcissists truly are.

While it’s important to use attractive and appropriate photos on social media and online dating sites, we often judge strangers by what they write. Grammar and spelling errors in an online profile can make someone seem inattentive or less intelligent —and therefore less attractive.

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7. Pay attention when those around you express concern.

Think you are avoiding the motherhood penalty by not having children? Think again. Simply being a woman of childbearing age can trigger discrimination.

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First Impression Is Important IELTS Essay: Ace Your IELTS First Impression

• Updated On February 7, 2024
• Published In IELTS Preparation 💻

Table of Contents

Acing the first impression in the IELTS essay task is easier said than done.

IELTS examiners read hundreds of essays daily and have a short attention span. Therefore, if you get the start right and leave a great impression for your First Impression is Important IELTS essay, you have already done a good job for the most part!

So, let’s walk you through some useful pointers to get a high score in the IELTS essay writing task!

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Tips to Leave a Lasting First Impression in IELTS Essay

• Don’t jump right in: You have to first stop and analyse what exactly the question is asking you to be then able to decide on a structure with a stellar introduction in coherence with the question. This first step should take about 5 mins to jot down all the key points.
• Give a broad but smart first line: Always start by giving a general statement that exactly points to the issue at hand. Don’t go into the specifics too soon. Then, you can state your position on the matter.
• Rely on your own knowledge: Don’t pick the words of the questions to form your sentences in the introduction. It can come at the cost of your dream band score. Using your own knowledge to reiterate what’s being asked in the question is a sign of good vocabulary knowledge and understanding the question well. Both these factors contribute to raising your band score.
• Give a preview of the essay ahead: In the introduction paragraph, you explain to the reader in just one line how you’ve structured your essay ahead. It boosts your readability giving you brownie points!
• Flaunt your vocabulary: IELTS essay task is meant for you to go big! You should make use of the most unique words that are relevant in your vocabulary right from the start to be sure to leave a great first impression on the reader. It’s also necessary to ensure correct diction usage here. 
• Go through it once done: When you are satisfied with your opening paragraph and main content, go back and re-read for any spelling or grammar mistakes. Proper usage of grammatical elements like pronoun, preposition, verbs, tenses, synonyms and antonyms, etc. is of grave importance.  

Sample Answer on First Impression is Important IELTS Essay

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First impressions are often considered to be important. Some people think that doing well in interviews is how you secure a good job. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Give relevant examples wherever possible.

You should answer in at least 250 words. The ideal time limit for this task is 40 minutes.

Sample Answer

First impressions are often believed to form the backbone of whether or not an interviewer will deem you to be the right candidate for the role. However, some people insist that apart from the candidate’s first impression, many other criteria determine if the candidate is a good fit for the job. I agree with the latter statement and will put my points forth in the following paragraphs.

Firstly, a single meeting is not enough to gauge all the facets of someone’s personality that may be fruitful in helping the interviewer make the final call about accepting or rejecting the interviewee’s candidature. The first interview can surely help you understand a few parts of the interviewee’s personality, but not enough to make a final decision. For instance, an average job interview lasts between 30 to 45 mins, within which the interviewer can get to know about the current relevant degrees held by the interviewee, assess their body language, and discuss their personal interests and prior work experience. This discussion does not present a holistic opinion on the capabilities of the person that is needed to make the final judgement.

Furthermore, companies today conduct a series of interview rounds to test the candidate’s social and mental skills and together, all these rounds rank candidates. The best of whom lands the job! Most organisations lay emphasis on assessing the candidate’s logical reasoning and aptitude along with social skills to ensure that they will be able to mix up well and work with their colleagues. For instance, top-tier MNCs today subject their job applicants to many serious rounds of discussions and tests to be fully sure they are the right fit. First impressions do matter in the entire process but are not sufficient to help candidates secure the job.

To conclude, the perception that first impressions in an interview is enough to get you a good job is largely flawed, in my opinion. Elaborate discussions should be held over several meetings for the employer to then make the final employment call.

The way to score a high band score in the IELTS Writing Task 2 is through consistent practice. You must master the skill of developing an introductory paragraph and create a good first impression. The aim is to give a clear idea to the examiner about your excellent writing skills in English.

We hope this blog post gave you all the major pointers to help you leave that great first impression on the examiner.

For more tips on how to write winning IELTS essays on common themes, visit the Leap Scholar blogs!

Frequently Asked Questions

Which words should be avoided in first impression is important ielts essay.

As a general thumb rule, you should avoid any words that have a negative connotation attached to them and can rub the examiner the wrong way. These words include all vocabulary related to putting forth an offensive statement that disrespects other people’s views on a topic. For instance, words like imbecile, nonsense, stupid, unlearned, etc., should be steered clear off.

What are some samples of the IELTS band 9 essay?

On the LeapScholar blog website, you can read the sample answers for a large number of  common themes  often asked in the IELTS Writing Task. These essays can get you a high band score (even as high as 9!). So, make sure to check them all out during your IELTS preparation.

How can I improve my writing skills for IELTSwriting task?

To improve your writing skills for this type of writing task, you need to follow all the above-mentioned tips to help you leave a great first impression on the IELTS examiner. Additionally, you should also work on updating your vocabulary with new words little by little.

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Collaboration, information literacy, writing process, using first person in an academic essay: when is it okay.

• CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 by Jenna Pack Sheffield

Related Concepts: Academic Writing – How to Write for the Academic Community ; First-Person Point of View ; Rhetorical Analysis; Rhetorical Stance ; The First Person ; Voice

In order to determine whether or not you can speak or write from the first-person point of view, you need to engage in rhetorical analysis. You need to question whether your audience values and accepts the first person as a legitimate rhetorical stance. Source:Many times, high school students are told not to use first person (“I,” “we,” “my,” “us,” and so forth) in their essays. As a college student, you should realize that this is a rule that can and should be broken—at the right time, of course.

By now, you’ve probably written a personal essay, memoir, or narrative that used first person. After all, how could you write a personal essay about yourself, for instance, without using the dreaded “I” word?

However, academic essays differ from personal essays; they are typically researched and use a formal tone . Because of these differences, when students write an academic essay, they quickly shy away from first person because of what they have been told in high school or because they believe that first person feels too informal for an intellectual, researched text. While first person can definitely be overused in academic essays (which is likely why your teachers tell you not to use it), there are moments in a paper when it is not only appropriate, but also more effective and/or persuasive to use first person. The following are a few instances in which it is appropriate to use first person in an academic essay:

• Including a personal anecdote: You have more than likely been told that you need a strong “hook” to draw your readers in during an introduction. Sometimes, the best hook is a personal anecdote, or a short amusing story about yourself. In this situation, it would seem unnatural not to use first-person pronouns such as “I” and “myself.” Your readers will appreciate the personal touch and will want to keep reading! (For more information about incorporating personal anecdotes into your writing, see “ Employing Narrative in an Essay .”)
• Establishing your credibility ( ethos ): Ethos is a term stemming back to Ancient Greece that essentially means “character” in the sense of trustworthiness or credibility. A writer can establish her ethos by convincing the reader that she is trustworthy source. Oftentimes, the best way to do that is to get personal—tell the reader a little bit about yourself. (For more information about ethos, see “ Ethos .”)For instance, let’s say you are writing an essay arguing that dance is a sport. Using the occasional personal pronoun to let your audience know that you, in fact, are a classically trained dancer—and have the muscles and scars to prove it—goes a long way in establishing your credibility and proving your argument. And this use of first person will not distract or annoy your readers because it is purposeful.
• Clarifying passive constructions : Often, when writers try to avoid using first person in essays, they end up creating confusing, passive sentences . For instance, let’s say I am writing an essay about different word processing technologies, and I want to make the point that I am using Microsoft Word to write this essay. If I tried to avoid first-person pronouns, my sentence might read: “Right now, this essay is being written in Microsoft Word.” While this sentence is not wrong, it is what we call passive—the subject of the sentence is being acted upon because there is no one performing the action. To most people, this sentence sounds better: “Right now, I am writing this essay in Microsoft Word.” Do you see the difference? In this case, using first person makes your writing clearer.
• Stating your position in relation to others: Sometimes, especially in an argumentative essay, it is necessary to state your opinion on the topic . Readers want to know where you stand, and it is sometimes helpful to assert yourself by putting your own opinions into the essay. You can imagine the passive sentences (see above) that might occur if you try to state your argument without using the word “I.” The key here is to use first person sparingly. Use personal pronouns enough to get your point across clearly without inundating your readers with this language.

Now, the above list is certainly not exhaustive. The best thing to do is to use your good judgment, and you can always check with your instructor if you are unsure of his or her perspective on the issue. Ultimately, if you feel that using first person has a purpose or will have a strategic effect on your audience, then it is probably fine to use first-person pronouns. Just be sure not to overuse this language, at the risk of sounding narcissistic, self-centered, or unaware of others’ opinions on a topic.

Recommended Readings:

• A Synthesis of Professor Perspectives on Using First and Third Person in Academic Writing
• Finding the Bunny: How to Make a Personal Connection to Your Writing
• First-Person Point of View

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First Impression Significance Essay

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The first meeting of two people makes up the most importance in their relationship. On the first encounter between two or more people, each undoubtedly asks unconsciously whether the other person will be fit for them in terms of the objective of their meeting. First impressions are an evolutionary trait of humans to adapt adequately and participate in society interactions.

Additionally, first impressions depend on the observer and the person observed. Most empirical research on first impression shows that persons are most attracted to other persons who show a tendency to accept them, as they would like to. This paper describes how first impressions are made and why they are important to the functioning of any society.

We make first impressions as a preliminary mode of adaptation to the other person and therefore the impressions made are in no way definitive. As we get to interact more with the other person, our preliminary impressions undergo a modification. However, this does not imply that we completely overhaul our initial impression of the other person; instead, our initial impressions make the basis of our further scrutiny and refinement of subsequent impressions.

An experiment by the American psychologist, Solomon Asch demonstrates the above point in practice. In the experiment, the psychologist drafted six qualities of an individual and then gave the qualities to two groups of students and asked them to describe the individual in their own words. Each group received a different order of the same six qualities of the individual.

The first group received the six qualities in the order of the most positive to the least positive while the second group received an opposite arrangement, from the least positive quality to the most positive quality.

The experiment’s result showed that the first group interpreted the negative qualities of the individual in the view of the individual’s positive qualities thus indicating that the group had formed a positive preliminary perception of the individual. Contrariwise the second group viewed the individual positive qualities as minor qualities of the individual’s overall negative personality.

This result indicates that the second group relied on the sequence of delivery of qualities to form their initial perception. From the results of the experiment, it is clear that an individual form the preliminary perception of another person based on what attribute of the other person shows up first.

The degree of accuracy of first impressions depends significantly on the observer and the observed person. First impressions determine how we handle the next step of getting to know the other person as the example of psychologist Solomon Asch has demonstrated. The experiment only highlights first impressions in a controlled environment, however, the reality governing first impressions is much complex.

Humans use first impressions as an evolutionary instinct of survival. According to psychology, it only takes three seconds for a person to form a first impression of another person. The brief exposure to the other person’s behavior and characteristics is enough for individuals to form an opinion whether further interaction with the other person will be of any benefit. As an evolutionary trait, the interpretation of the brief exposure to the other person’s behavior serves as a shield in interpersonal relationships in an unknown societal setting.

In medieval times, people used first impressions to gauge the other person or group’s chances of inflicting harm or being beneficial. In the modern world, survival is different. Survival is in terms of meeting our goals, fulfilling our desires, finishing tasks, accurately predicting the future and avoiding danger whether physical or psychological.

Although the perceiver may honestly create a first impression, the perceived individual may only be pretending. A person’s way of interpreting the brief exposure of behavior during first encounters with other persons determines how they proceed in their relation to the stranger.

On the other hand, individuals expect others to form a first impression of their behaviors and therefore go to great lengths in ensuring that only what they desire to demonstrate is actually captured by their perceiver. Therefore, individuals do not rely on first impressions only in their formation of an opinion of a stranger’s character.

Similarity of the encounter with previous encounters significantly affects how an individual will perceive another. Secondly, the similarities of the stranger’s observable characteristics with those characteristics that the perceiver is examining also contribute to the final perception. Due to this fact, individuals tend to look for what is common between them and use their value of the common factor to perceive the other person.

So if the stranger’s only similarity is a depiction of a characteristic that is very mild in the perceiver’s awareness, then the overall judgment formed is skeptical and subject to further scrutiny. However when the opposite is the case, an individual forms a favorable perception of the stranger and further scrutiny happens to support the already formed perception. This attribute of first impressions is in tandem with the findings of psychologist Solomon Asch as explained earlier in this paper.

Despite the high probability of individuals in getting their first impressions wrong, society goes to great lengths to develop mechanisms intended for creating first impressions. In work relations and careers, resumes and interviews exist to help employers to perceive their potential employees. However, the same avenues also allow potential employees to falsify their actual behavior and competency to create a similarity with that of the potential employer.

In the medical field, physicians and nurses rely on the initial description of a condition by their patients as well as the observable traits of their patients to deduce the kind of medication and care appropriate for the patient. In interpersonal relationships, persons use the setting of their first encounter, their stereotypic view of the behavior demonstrated by the stranger and their intention for meeting to form a perception.

The formation of first impressions is fundamental to people’s social perception and social cognition. The individual’s evolution of understanding others in a setting that lacks a constant social hierarchy is heavily dependent on this attribute. As a result, the creation of first impressions is a dynamic process that constantly incorporates previously learnt and experienced aspects of perceiving other people’s suitability for association.

As the society becomes more aware of the importance of first impressions, some individuals strive to ensure that their behaviors, as depicted to others, are a reflection of who they want to be instead of their actual self. On the other hand, new forms appear together with the refinement of stereotypes to ensure that first impressions are accurate. The result is a constant formulation of new strategies and mechanisms of creating first impressions to reduce the tendency of making inaccurate perceptions.

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IELTS Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

First impressions are highly important. So, some people think that doing well in interviews is the key to securing a good job. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

😩 Feeling stuck? View sample answers below ⬇️ or get another random Task 2 topic.

🤩 Sample answers

Model essay #1:, first impressions are highly important. so, some people think that doing well in interviews is the key to securing a good job. to what extent do you agree or disagree.

First impressions are indeed crucial, and for many individuals, excelling in interviews is seen as the primary factor in obtaining a desirable job. While I agree that interviews play a significant role, I believe that other factors also contribute to securing a good job.

Undeniably, interviews provide an opportunity for candidates to showcase their skills, qualifications, and personality traits. A strong performance in an interview can leave a lasting impression on the employer, thus increasing the chances of securing the job. For instance, a friend of mine recently landed a prestigious position at a leading company due to her exceptional performance during the interview, where she effectively communicated her expertise and enthusiasm.

However, excelling in interviews alone may not guarantee job success. Employers often consider various other aspects such as work experience, educational qualifications, and professional references. Additionally, a candidate's reputation in the industry and their track record of accomplishments can significantly influence the hiring decision. For example, a study conducted by a renowned employment agency revealed that employers prioritize candidates with a proven track record of delivering results over those who simply perform well in interviews.

Furthermore, networking and personal connections can also play a pivotal role in securing a good job. Many opportunities arise through referrals and recommendations from professional contacts, which may bypass the traditional interview process altogether.

In conclusion, while performing well in interviews is undeniably important, it is not the sole determining factor in securing a good job. Employers consider a range of criteria, including qualifications, experience, reputation, and personal connections. Therefore, a holistic approach that encompasses various aspects is crucial for obtaining a desirable job.

Model Essay #2:

While it is commonly believed that excelling in interviews is the key to securing a good job, I disagree to a certain extent and believe that interviews play a crucial role in the hiring process.

Firstly, interviews provide a platform for employers to assess a candidate's communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and overall demeanor. A candidate who performs well in an interview can demonstrate their suitability for the job and leave a positive first impression. For example, a recent study conducted by a leading human resources firm revealed that candidates who excelled in interviews were more likely to be offered the job compared to those who underperformed.

Moreover, interviews allow employers to gauge a candidate's cultural fit within the organization. A candidate who presents themselves confidently and articulately during an interview can convey their alignment with the company's values and work culture. This can be exemplified by a personal experience where a colleague's impressive performance in an interview not only secured the job but also led to rapid integration within the company.

However, it is important to acknowledge that securing a good job entails more than just excelling in interviews. Employers also consider a candidate's qualifications, relevant experience, and potential for growth within the role. In addition, factors such as networking, referrals, and industry reputation can also influence the hiring decision.

In conclusion, while excelling in interviews is undoubtedly important, it is not the sole determinant of securing a good job. Interviews provide a valuable opportunity for candidates to showcase their skills and for employers to assess their suitability, but other factors such as qualifications, experience, and networking also play significant roles in the hiring process.

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🤓 More IELTS Writing Task 2 topics

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First impressions are important. Some people think that doing well in interviews is the key to securing a good job. To what extend do you agree?

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To get an excellent score in the IELTS Task 2 writing section, one of the easiest and most effective tips is structuring your writing in the most solid format. A great argument essay structure may be divided to four paragraphs, in which comprises of four sentences (excluding the conclusion paragraph, which comprises of three sentences).

For we to consider an essay structure a great one, it should be looking like this:

• Paragraph 1 - Introduction
• Sentence 1 - Background statement
• Sentence 2 - Detailed background statement
• Sentence 3 - Thesis
• Sentence 4 - Outline sentence
• Paragraph 2 - First supporting paragraph
• Sentence 1 - Topic sentence
• Sentence 2 - Example
• Sentence 3 - Discussion
• Sentence 4 - Conclusion
• Paragraph 3 - Second supporting paragraph
• Paragraph 4 - Conclusion
• Sentence 1 - Summary
• Sentence 2 - Restatement of thesis
• Sentence 3 - Prediction or recommendation

Our recommended essay structure above comprises of fifteen (15) sentences, which will make your essay approximately 250 to 275 words.

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• First impressions
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In the past, most working people had only one job. However, nowadays, more and more people have more than one job at the same time. What are the reasons for this development? What are the advantages and disadvantages of having more than one job?

The position of women in society has changed markedly in the last twenty years. many of the problems young people now experience, such as juvenile delinquency, arise from the fact that many married women now work and are not at home to care for their children. to what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion, it was predicted that, with the development of technology, people in the 21st century would have much more free time than in the past. to what extent has this prediction come true, some people believe zoos, where wild animals are kept in a man-made environment, should no longer exist in the twenty century. do you agree or disagree, some people believe that allowing children to make their own choices on everyday matters (such as food, cloths and entertainment) is likely to result in a society of individual who only think about their own wishes. other people believe that it is important for children to make decision about matters that affect them. discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

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My First Coming to America: an Immigrant’s Journey

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Published: Jun 13, 2024

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Introduction, initial impressions and cultural shock, overcoming language barriers, finding a sense of belonging.

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What We Lost During Last Night’s Cringeworthy Debate

T he first presidential debate of this protracted presidential season was a horror show. Preceded by what seemed like weeks of excited speculation, idiotic predictions, and presumptive pre-debate analysis, when the debate actually happened, it demonstrated the dire choice that the two major political parties have given the electorate: pick the ranting liar and fear-mongering xenophobe, or choose the befuddled, stumbling man whose attempts to explain policy. (“I support Roe v. Wade , which had three trimesters”?) It was painful to watch.

One might rightly wonder what purpose presidential debates serve, particularly this year. We already know both candidates pretty well, and if we don’t, we have four more months to learn that Trump neither cares for the duties of office or the complexities of foreign affairs (and cultures), but does possess a talent for stirring up prejudice, for making people laugh, and for making them fearful. He does not answer questions. Last night, he avoided the question on the war in Gaza. He punted on the opioid crisis and climate change. He makes no appeal to decency, which is Biden’s forte (or was). But decency without backbone is what makes Biden appear, well, doddery. And we can watch that too until November. In fact, this otherwise consequential president seemed most focused when he talked about hitting a golf ball.

Read More: Calls for Biden to Step Aside Are About to Get Deafening

Part of the problem is that we live in a visual age. As a result, though we value them, our presumptive leaders become leaders even if they lack oratorical skills. In fact, it’s not surprising that the first well-known presidential debate , in 1960, occurred when television was a relatively new medium, and it did Richard Nixon no favors. No one remembers what he said, just how he looked. (Actually, the first televised debate, between candidates Adlai Stevenson and Dwight Eisenhower , took place four years earlier but without them; they used stand-ins, Eleanor Roosevelt and Margaret Chase Smith.) Before that, presidents depended on radio, with Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s “fireside chats” bringing him, and his voice, with its powers of persuasion, into one’s home. Before that, we debated in the public square of newspapers. Word, skillfully written, can change minds. Consider Lincoln and Douglas, a debate for a seat in the Senate, and the rest is history.

So oratory matters. The ability to persuade, through words, mattered. It still does, which is why last night’s debate was so chilling. When William Jennings Bryan was nominated by Democrats as their presidential candidate for the third time in 1908, even though he’d been unsuccessful twice before, it was because of his oratorical gift. His voice, once heard, was never forgotten. He could address a crowd of 20,000 and make the audience feel as though he spoke directly to each and everyone one of them and he understood what they needed. They called him the “Great Commoner.” He even started a newspaper so he could write column after column and deliver what amounted to sermons.

And, like all good orators, he knew how to perform. He did not want his tie too straight. Bryan practiced parts of his famous “Cross of Gold” speech , one of the most famous in American political history, for months and months before he delivered it in 1896 at the Democratic National Convention. He bounded onto the stage, raised his arms, and then spoke in the lyrical, cadenced phrases of Scripture. “We are fighting in the defense of our homes, our families, and posterity,” Bryan declared. “We have petitioned, and our petitions have been scorned; we have entreated, and our entreaties have been disregarded; we have begged, and they have mocked when our calamity came. We beg no longer; we entreat no more; we petition no more.” It was good stuff.

Read More: These Are the Biggest Moments in the First Presidential Debate

But performance needs substance. And so Bryan would eventually meet his nemesis when he was confronted by an orator even more practiced, clever, and dramatic than he. That was Clarence Darrow, the celebrated lawyer in rumpled clothes whose talent for mesmerizing juries with his impression of humility (some of which was genuine) was unparalleled. Though not a politician, or at least not a professional one, Darrow was a man who could deliver a rational argument with much emotion. It was a winning combination.

Take his defense of Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, two teenagers accused of the gruesome and motiveless murder of 14 year-old Bobby Franks. Darrow had Leopold and Loeb plead guilty to avoid a jury trial so he could argue before the judge that their lives should be spared. Claiming Leopold and Loeb were just adolescents, the products of genetics and environment, Darrow said they were essentially without free will. “They killed,” said Darrow, “because hey were made that way.” At the same time, let us not blindly and cruelly call for yet another death, he implored the judge. Let us acknowledge that capital punishment grows out of our primitive need for vengeance, and let’s acknowledge that our killing two defective, two abnormal adolescents would not prevent other impaired boys or malevolent men or vicious women from committing murder.

“I sometimes wonder whether I am dreaming, whether I am not living in centuries long gone by, when savagery roamed wild, and the world was wet with human blood?” he concluded at the trial’s end. It was a consummate performance: a rational argument topped off by an emotional one. Leopold and Loeb received life sentences.

When Darrow and Bryan confronted each other in the courtroom, both of them, like Biden and Trump, were considered past their prime. Certainly they weren’t vying for the Oval Office, and their confrontation took place in a court of law, not on a television set. But they were jousting over the meaning of America and America’s future with far more passion, compassion, and reasonableness than anything that happened last night on the debate stage. For all his faults, Bryan was an optimistic idealist who thought he could improve the lives of ordinary men and women. He was a progressive who sincerely believed—and fought for—such reforms as the government ownership of utilities, a graduated income tax, currency reform, woman's suffrage and, for better and worse, Prohibition, which, in his mind, would help purify the nation by abolishing alcoholism, child abuse, and violence against women.

But when he wanted to turn the country into a Christian theocracy, Darrow objected. Their showdown took place in the summer of 1925 over a law recently passed by the Tennessee legislature that barred teaching the theory of evolution in public schools. It later became known, famously, as the Scopes Trial .

Darrow volunteered to defend the young schoolteacher who had purposefully broken the law (to test it), and he mustered, once again, all his oratorical skills. “Ignorance and fanaticism are ever busy and needs feeding,” Darrow declared. “Today it is the public school teachers, tomorrow the private. The next day the preachers and the lecturers, the magazines, the books, the newspapers. After a while, it is the setting of man against man and creed against creed until with flying banners and beating drums we are marching backward to the glorious ages of the sixteenth century when bigots lighted fagots to burn the men who dared to bring any intelligence and enlightenment and culture to the human mind."

“No subject possesses the minds of men like religious bigotry and hate,” Darrow concluded, “and these fires are being lighted today in America.”

He spoke without notes. He was persuasive and passionate. That’s what I thought about—what we had lost—as I watched last night’s sad, cringeworthy debate.

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Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition – First Impressions of the Remixed Classics

Somehow, nintendo made playing only 2-30 seconds of classic nes games at a time fun..

The 1989 movie The Wizard had a profound effect on me as a kid. In it, young Fred Savage’s character makes his way to the Nintendo World Championships in, heck, I don’t even remember what city, but it was somewhere far away, in order to put his video game skills to the test. Anyway, once he gets there, a big twist in the event is that he competes in the then-unreleased Super Mario Bros. 3. And boy oh boy did that product placement work to perfection – I had to have Super Mario Bros. 3 the moment it came out after that, and God bless my mom, she bought it for me. Her taking it out of that white plastic K-Mart grocery bag and just handing it to me – it wasn’t even my birthday or anything! – is a core memory for me.

That is what I think of when I think about the Nintendo World Championships, but for others, the real-life competition was far more about just that: a real-life competition. Now, Nintendo is putting a creative twist on the nostalgia for its own history in a way that only they seem to be really good at: by turning into a local and online multiplayer game for the Nintendo Switch that’s played in increments ranging from under two seconds (this is not a joke) to about a minute at most.

Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition - June 2024 Screenshots

Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition includes 13 games: Super Mario Bros. 1-3, Super Mario Bros. 2: The Lost Levels, Zelda 1 and 2, Metroid, Kid Icarus, Donkey Kong, Ballon Fight, Excitebike, Ice Climber, and Kirby’s Adventure. I ended up dabbling in each of them during a 90-minute hands-on session across both solo modes and the local Party Mode. I certainly knew what I was walking into – a collection of classic NES games from my childhood turned into competitive challenges – but I didn’t expect the format to be so much fun .

What is your favorite of the 13 games included in Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition?

Of these games, Kirby’s Adventure was the only one I’d flat-out never played as a kid, and sure enough it was the Kirby challenges that tripped me up the most. But outside of that, I had an absolute blast trying to earn S rankings on the myriad challenges on offer for each game. They get progressively more difficult as you go, naturally, and you have to unlock the tougher ones with coins you earn by getting good rankings on the challenges you do have access to.

As an example, the first challenge from The Legend of Zelda is so simple it probably sounds stupid: you start from the beginning of the game and have to walk into the cave that’s on the very first screen and acquire the sword. And yet, I found myself replaying it multiple times to try and shave tenths of a second off of my time and get that pride-inflating S ranking.

Party Mode is where it really got fun, though. IGN’s Rebekah Valentine and I competed in a series of challenges in Party Mode against Nintendo reps. We sped through World 1-1 of Super Mario Bros. 3. We got the first energy ball in Metroid. We climbed to the top of the first stage in Donkey Kong, we took a lap around the track in Excitebike, and more. Is it the perfect re-creation of an in-person competition with hundreds if not thousands of people cheering you on? Certainly not. But it is a delightfully simple party game that truly anyone can pick up and play. Will it help if you already have a nostalgic connection to these games? No doubt. But is that experience required? Absolutely not; in 2024, any of these 1980’s classics can be picked up and played by anyone pretty easily, as there are only two buttons to worry about.

Although speaking of buttons, my one genuine complaint about Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition involves them. See, when four of you are competing, all four of you have to press the A button to ready up before an event starts. The problem is, so many of the games use the B button as a turbo or run button that you naturally want to be holding it as soon as the countdown timer hits zero. But if any one of the four of you hasn’t readied up yet and anyone else starts laying on the B button in anticipation of the start of the event, it backs everyone out to the previous menu. This happened over and over during my 90-minute hands-on session, and I wasn’t the only one accidentally doing this. It seems like a UI design flaw that there must be a solution for.

I have one other nitpick, though this one is far less serious: the slowdown in Kirby’s Adventure (and perhaps in parts of other games that I didn’t see enough of to rule out). The versions of the 13 games included here are the original iterations, but during a couple of the Kirby challenges, the slowdown kicked in and felt disruptive to the action – as framerate hitches do in any game, modern or classic. I can see the argument for preserving each of the games as-is, but for the sake of the competition that’s at the heart of the gameplay in Nintendo World Championships, I’d prefer that it have been smoothed out. You may disagree, and that’s OK!

Meanwhile, I didn’t play the Online World Championships mode since, of course, the game isn’t out yet and there’s no one online to play with. But expect weekly rankings there, with the ability to watch the replays of the top players – a handy tool for improving your own skills and strategies.

Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition feels priced right to be at $30 for the digital version, and again I was surprised at how engaged I was with the seemingly simple challenges it puts forth (at least in the early rounds). I hope this does well, because the name of this implies that we might get a SNES Edition, Nintendo 64 Edition, and dare I say even a GameCube Edition if this one is a hit.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked , as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered . He's a North Jersey guy, so it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan .

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2024 SEC win totals, odds, picks: Georgia eyes perfection, Texas poised to make strong first impression

Analyzing win totals for each team in the sec as the conference expands to 16 in the 2024 college football season.

The SEC occupies a wide spectrum of expectations as the league expands to 16 teams this season. For some, every season is national championship-or-bust and anything less constitutes a complete failure. Others are perfectly content with scraping by towards a bowl game, or even stringing together a couple conference wins amid a loaded slate of games. 

All viewpoints are completely valid and can change slightly from year to year, fueled by recent context and largely subjective perception. Those dead summer months between the end of spring practice and the start of fall camp can often stoke expectations as teams quietly prepare for the upcoming season. 

While there's no metric that can truly encapsulate each team's outlook, win total projections do provide some general insight into where things stand. Las Vegas attempts to set a performance bar for each team based on the roster construction and the coaching makeup, among other variables, and comparing those to the strength of the impending schedule. 

That process can give us some interesting numbers to analyze in the offseason. Win total projections certainly aren't the gospel truth -- at least a few teams will either far exceed or fall well short of the figure -- but do they do give a good sense of the conference's order. 

That's especially relevant now that the SEC is welcoming new members to its ranks. With Texas and Oklahoma joining the fold, win totals serve as a general prediction as to how well they'll perform against heightened competition. For Texas, at least, Vegas thinks the transition should go pretty well. 

Let's take a look at each SEC team's projected win total for the 2024 season and predict whether they're more likely to hit the over or under. 

Over/under 9.5 wins

Wins: Western Kentucky , USF, at Wisconsin , at Vanderbilt , South Carolina , Missouri , at LSU, Mercer , at Oklahoma, Auburn   Losses: Georgia , at Tennessee

Analysis: There's no reason to expect significant drop off from Nick Saban to Kalen DeBoer. The Crimson Tide will still be right around the top of the conference and in the College Football Playoff conversation all year long. That being said, Alabama did lose some key players to the transfer portal and have some questions on the roster -- including immense turnover at both receiver and in the defensive secondary -- that might have them losing some tough games against other premier SEC programs. Ten wins is still more than enough to make a 12-team playoff field, and the Crimson Tide certainly have the capability for more, especially with DeBoer's track record.  Pick: Over 9.5 (+112) 

Over/under 4.5 

Wins: Arkansas Pine Bluff, UAB , at Mississippi State , Louisiana Tech Losses: at Oklahoma State , at Auburn, Texas A&M , Tennessee, LSU, Ole Miss , Texas, at Missouri

Analaysis:  This feels like a pivotal year for Sam Pittman after 2023's shocking downturn. The Razorbacks made wholesale changes in the offseason, highlighted by the return of ex-coach Bobby Petrino in the offensive coordinator role. He'll have a new quarterback to work with after KJ Jefferson hit the transfer portal. Top running back Raheim Sanders departed as well as the offense faces a major overhaul. It just doesn't feel like Arkansas has the wheels to hold up against a tough schedule. That early season road game against Oklahoma State will set the tone.  Pick: Under 4.5 (-114)

Over/under 7.5

Wins: Alabama A&M , California , New Mexico , Arkansas, at Kentucky , Vanderbilt, ULM, Texas A&M Losses: Oklahoma, at Georgia, at Missouri, at Alabama

Analysis: Hugh Freeze has put in a lot of work upgrading Auburn's talent level given the situation he inherited. The Tigers have specifically flipped both lines of scrimmage and the skill talent around quarterback Payton Thorne . While Thorne himself may be a limiting factor after a lackluster debut with the Tigers in 2023, Auburn seems restocked enough to comfortably make a bowl against a manageable schedule.   Pick: Over 7.5 (+124)  

Over/under 4.5

Wins: Samford , at Mississippi State, UCF , Kentucky  Losses: Miami , Texas A&M, at Tennessee, Georgia, at Texas, LSU, Ole Miss, at Florida State

Analysis: Poor Gators, and poor Billy Napier. This schedule isn't doing anybody in Gainesville any favors. Florida could be a lot better than it was last year, and I personally think it will be ... yet still finish with a worse record. Miami and Texas A&M are two early winnable games that could change the narrative around this team, but the Hurricanes have the better quarterback in Cameron Ward and Mike Elko will be hungry to make his own impression with the Aggies. Maybe Napier can sell his recruiting chops and the difficulty of this schedule to buy another year, but it's going to be a struggle.  Pick: Under 4.5 (+122)

Over/under 10.5 

Wins: Clemson , Tennessee Tech , at Kentucky, at Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi State, at Texas, Florida, at Ole Miss, Tennessee, UMass , Georgia Tech   Losses: None 

Analysis: I've made it a policy to not project Georgia losses until Georgia actually loses. While some might think that's too reserved, Kirby Smart has earned the same benefit of the doubt as former boss Nick Saban. The Bulldogs are way too loaded and too well-coached to fathom anything less than a perfect regular season. That road game at Texas will be well worth watching, and Alabama can always give anyone trouble, but the Bulldogs are going to march on to another spot in the playoff and the sun is still going to rise tomorrow morning. Pick: Over 10.5 (-122) 

Over/under 6.5 

Wins: Southern Miss , South Carolina, Ohio , Vanderbilt, Murray State , Louisville   Losses: Georgia, at Ole Miss, at Florida, Auburn, at Tennessee, at Texas

Analysis: Mark Stoops has entered a comfortable groove at Kentucky. The Wildcats will always make a bowl and will, on occasion, far surpass that six-win cutoff line, though this year isn't shaping up to be one of those standouts. Kentucky's offense is hitching its wagon to a completely unproven transfer in ex-Georgia QB Brock Vandagriff and a brand new coordinator in Bush Hamdan after Liam Coen bolted for the NFL . The skill players are there for Vandagriff to settle in well, and the defense has some impressive pieces, but it's going to be difficult for Kentucky to rise in an even more loaded SEC. Pick: Under 6.5 (-105)

Over/under 9.5 

Wins: USC , Nicholls , at South Carolina, UCLA , South Alabama , at Arkansas, at Texas A&M, at Florida, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma Losses: Ole Miss, Alabama 

Analysis: LSU's nonconference schedule is incredibly intriguing. The Tigers play both Los Angeles-based Big Ten teams and yet don't have to travel to California for either game. They have seven home games, and their four true road contests are against SEC teams that went a combined 11-21 in conference play last season. The Tigers even get Alabama at home. A 10-win regular season would be progress for Brian Kelly, though LSU's CFP fate may be out of their hands in that event. Pick: Over 9.5 (+130) 

Mississippi State 

Wins: Eastern Kentucky , at Arizona State , Toledo , UMass Losses: Florida, at Texas, at Georgia, Texas A&M, Arkansas, at Tennessee, Missouri, at Ole Miss 

Analysis: This is a really tough gig for a first-year head coach, especially one with absolutely no experience leading a program at the collegiate level. Mississippi State fired former boss Zach Arnett, who took over after Mike Leach's untimely death, before he could make it a full season. His replacement, Jeff Lebby, had to hit the transfer portal relentlessly from the moment he was hired given the attrition Mississippi State has faced this offseason. The Bulldogs are in reset and rebuild mode, so it's hard to expect much from them in Lebby's Year 1. Pick: Under 4.5 (-178) 

Wins: Murray State, Buffalo , Boston College , Vanderbilt,  at UMass, Auburn, Oklahoma, at South Carolina, at Mississippi State, Arkansas Losses: at Texas A&M, at Alabama

Analysis: Missouri certainly has the pieces in place to carry the momentum from a breakout 2023. The Tigers would love to capitalize off one more year of Brady Cook and Luther Burden as those two are certainly headed off to the NFL -- potentially as first-round picks -- next spring. The defense has to replace five 2024 NFL Draft picks and coordinator Blake Baker , who left for LSU, but Eli Drinkwitz and Co. have done a great job recruiting both via high school and the portal. Players like five-star freshman defensive lineman Williams Nwaneri should have an immediate impact while raising the skill ceiling. It helps Mizzou that the schedule is relatively light, including a closing stretch of three straight teams fresh off of losing records. Pick: Over 9.5 (+146) 

Wins: Temple , Houston , Tulane , Tennessee, at Auburn, South Carolina, Maine   Losses: Texas, at Ole Miss, at Missouri, Alabama, at LSU

Analysis: There is some cause for concern in Oklahoma's first year as an SEC program. The Sooners have to replace all five offensive linemen with starting experience and will be breaking in a brand new starting quarterback (former five-star Jackson Arnold ) behind the line of scrimmage. There's hope that OL coach Bill Bedenbaugh, who has as proven a track record as anyone in the country, can get his unit up to muster. Otherwise, the Sooners have a solid RB room, tremendous wide receiver talent and probably the best defense Norman, Oklahoma, has seen in quite some time. Oklahoma has the upside to prove Vegas wrong, though I have them falling just under the total in light of a tough SEC slate. Pick: Under 7.5 (-115) 

Wins: Furman , Middle Tennessee State, at Wake Forest , Georgia Southern , Kentucky, at South Carolina, at LSU, Oklahoma, at Arkansas, at Florida, Mississippi State Losses: Georgia

Analysis: Is this the year that Ole Miss finally takes that big leap under Lane Kiffin? For all the success the Rebels have had in recent years, big games against the likes of Alabama and Georgia have been a consistent thorn in the side of further progress. Well, the Crimson Tide are off the docket in 2024. While Georgia's imposing presence remains, the Rebels should cruise through an easy nonconference slate into SEC play where they won't often be underdogs. That recent success and a sterling effort in the transfer portal should translate into a College Football Playoff berth with few speed bumps on the way.  Pick: Over 9.5 (-124)

South Carolina 

Over/under 5.5

Wins: Old Dominion , Akron , at Vanderbilt, Wofford Losses: at Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, at Alabama, at Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Missouri, at Clemson 

Analysis: South Carolina is an interesting study. The Gamecocks have proven to be more than capable of upsetting top-tier teams. Look no further than a couple of years ago when Shane Beamer's squad downed No. 5 Tennessee and No. 8 Clemson in consecutive weeks to close the year. So, it wouldn't be surprising to see them outperform preseason projections. But that potential also made 2023 an even more bigger disappointment, and I'm not sure the Gamecocks did enough this offseason to swing things back around. Especially with an inexperienced LaNorris Sellers expected to start at quarterback and very significant questions about who's going to actually catch his passes.  Pick: Under 5.5 (-114)

Over/under 9.5

Wins: Chattanooga , NC State , Kent State , at Arkansas, Florida, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi State, UTEP , at Vanderbilt Losses: at Oklahoma, at Georgia

Analysis: Tennessee is flying under the radar a bit as a legitimate College Football Playoff competitor given the opportunities that come with an expanded field. That neutral-site game against NC State will be a tough early test, and opening SEC play on the road against Oklahoma is difficult considering the environment and the fact that the Volunteers really struggle on the road under Josh Heupel. Georgia is also an automatic loss for just about every team in the nation. But, other than that, Tennessee gets toss-up games against the likes of Florida and Alabama at home and doesn't draw any other teams that look too intimidating at this point. Pick: Over 9.5 (+130) 

Wins: Colorado State , at Michigan , UTSA , ULM, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, at Vanderbilt, Florida, at Arkansas, Kentucky, at Texas A&M Losses: Georgia

Analysis: Texas should acclimate very well to its new conference. The Longhorns have acquired talent at a level befitting an SEC team and bring back some key figures from that 2023 College Football Playoff team, led by quarterback Quinn Ewers . Michigan is an early hurdle, but it will be the second game of the year for a Wolverines squad that has to replace coach Jim Harbaugh and 18 players with starting experience. Again, Georgia stands out, but there is upset potential since the Longhorns get that game at home. Pick: Over 10.5 (+124) 

Texas A&M 

Over/under 8.5 

Wins: McNeese, at Florida, Bowling Green , Arkansas, Missouri, at Mississippi State, at South Carolina, New Mexico State ,  Losses: Notre Dame , LSU, at Auburn, Texas 

Analysis: That projected total seems a bit steep given that new coach Mike Elko's predecessor never exceeded eight regular-season wins in his six years at the helm. Anything close to that 8.5 mark will be a success for Elko in light of the well-publicized nature of Texas A&M's separation from Jimbo Fisher and the ensuing talent exodus that followed. The Aggies seem to be a bit better off in the personnel department than most think, though, and Elko is no stranger to quick turnarounds. He won nine games in his first year at Duke , the Blue Devils' highest win total since 2014. Going with the under here with the caveat that Texas A&M will get very close, and it's a good thing regardless.  Pick: Under 8.5 (-106) 

Vanderbilt 

Over/under 2.5

Wins: Alcorn State , at Georgia State , Ball State Losses: Virginia Tech , at Missouri, Alabama, at Kentucky, Texas, at Auburn, South Carolina, at LSU, Tennessee 

Analysis: Georgia State is the swing game that could make the difference this year. The Panthers have gone to a bowl game in three of the last four years and notoriously upset Tennessee to open the 2019 season. Maybe Clark Lea can rally the troops -- he did beat Kentucky and Florida in 2022 -- and pull off an upset or two, but it might take a minor miracle to get this team near bowl eligibility. Pick: Over 2.5 (-184)

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Guest Essay

The Little Secret I’ve Learned From 30 Years of Watching Debates With Voters

By Frank Luntz

Mr. Luntz is a focus group moderator, pollster, professor and communications strategist who worked for Republican candidates in previous elections.

If you’re a typical American voter in any party, allow me to let you in on a little secret: What matters most to you in a presidential debate probably isn’t the same thing that gets the most attention from the candidates, the campaigns and their allies in the immediate aftermath of those big televised showdowns.

I’ve learned this from studying American reactions to almost every general election presidential debate since 1992. I’ve sat with small groups of voters selected from pools of thousands of undecided voters nationally, watching more than two dozen presidential and vice-presidential debates in real time, and it still amazes me that minuscule moments, verbal miscues and misremembering little details can matter so much in the spin room and to partisan pundits afterward. Yet those things often have little to no discernible impact on the opinions of many people watching at home.

To be fair, some of the debates I watched with voters, like Bill Clinton and Bob Dole’s in 1996, had no major impact on the electorate’s mood. Others — like the three-way town hall debate with Mr. Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Ross Perot in 1992 and the first George W. Bush-Al Gore debate in 2000 and the three Donald Trump-Hillary Clinton collisions — arguably changed history.

As the first scheduled debate between President Biden and Mr. Trump unfolds this Thursday, the key moments that will have the greatest impact on the remaining undecided voters are those in which the candidates attack each other in defining ways or undermine the political case that each wants to present to Americans. Viewers will quickly decide whether the accusations are fair and the responses effective. From Ronald Reagan’s “ Are you better off than you were four years ago ?” in 1980 to Barack Obama emphasizing hope and change in 2008 to Mr. Trump telling Mrs. Clinton in 2016 that she would “be in jail” if he won, I think those key debate moments made a meaningful difference in shaping the opinions of undecided or wavering voters who related to what they heard; I certainly saw it in my focus groups and public opinion research. These moments mattered more than any candidate flub or gaffe.

And sometimes it’s a feeling rather than a specific moment that matters. The best examples are John Kerry in the 2004 debates and John McCain in the 2008 debates: Both men were good public servants with impressive personal narratives, and neither said anything wrong in their debates. But neither did they say anything especially or memorably right. Many voters were left feeling unmoved and therefore unaffected.

At the risk of offending every high school debate coach in America, many voters respond to style more than substance. The well-delivered quip lingers longer than the litany of facts, and the visual often trumps the verbal. It’s not just that the electorate tends to be drawn more to younger and more attractive candidates (like Mr. Obama, Mr. Clinton and John F. Kennedy) or to those with more commanding stage presence (which Mr. Reagan had over Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale, and George H.W. Bush had over Michael Dukakis). While the 2016 and 2020 debates featuring Mr. Trump certainly upended our collective expectations about what exactly is presidential, listening to the voters describe each debate and their gut impressions of the candidates is more instructive about the eventual election winner than getting swept up in spin and punditry.

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Daniel excels through eight scoreless in first MLB start

Rhett Bollinger

ANAHEIM -- It was quite a way to make a first impression.

Right-hander Davis Daniel excelled in his first Major League start, a 5-0 win over the Tigers in the series opener on Thursday night at Angel Stadium. It wasn’t his MLB debut, as he made three relief appearances last year and posted a 2.19 ERA in 12 1/3 innings, but it was a continuation of a solid start to his big league career. He joined Bill Kelso (1964), Andy Messersmith (1968) and Steve Kealey (1969) as the only Angels pitchers to throw eight-plus scoreless innings in their first career start.

“The short stints I had last year gave me some confidence and helped me feel comfortable up here and know that I can get guys out at the highest level,” Daniel said. “And obviously, the more you do it, the more confidence you get, the better you feel.”

Daniel, the club’s No. 26 prospect, is far from imposing, as he’s listed at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds and has a fastball that averaged 91.7 mph against the Tigers. But he knows how to command his four-pitch mix to keep hitters off-balance despite not having plus stuff.

He allowed four hits and didn’t walk a batter while throwing 99 pitches. He also struck out eight and registered 13 swings and misses, including five with his changeup, four with his fastball and two with his slider and curveball. His eight strikeouts tied for the second-most in a first career start by an Angels pitcher behind only Rudy May's 10 on April 18, 1965. The last player in the Majors to throw at least eight scoreless innings with eight strikeouts in a first career start was Jason Jennings with the Rockies in 2001.

“It was a historic night for Daniel,” manager Ron Washington said. “He was 21 in 26 first-pitch strikes. He changed speeds. He moved the ball around. He told me after the eighth he had more left but he might’ve needed to get to 115 pitches. And I wanted him to feel good about what he did.”

Daniel, who was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake before the game, joined the rotation to replace lefty Patrick Sandoval, who underwent surgery on Wednesday to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow. He had a 5.33 ERA with 82 strikeouts in 76 innings across 14 starts in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League but had been pitching better recently to earn the promotion.

Daniel, 27, was a seventh-round pick out of Auburn in 2019 and picked up his first MLB win last year in relief on Sept. 29, 2023, when he threw five scoreless innings against the A’s. But this was even more special because it came in a Major League start. He had 12-15 family members there, including his wife, Meg, his parents and her parents.

“I told my wife this morning I didn't sleep great because it felt like Christmas morning,” Daniel said. “But once I got to the park, I really felt calmed down and everything felt good, and I was excited.”

With his strong performance, Daniel is expected to get the chance to remain in the rotation. It’s currently thin with right-hander José Soriano on the injured list until early July with an abdomen infection and lefty Reid Detmers and right-hander Chase Silseth working on things at Triple-A Salt Lake.

“We haven’t talked about it yet,” Washington said. “But I think if you throw eight shutout innings, if there’s an opportunity, you’re going to get it.”

He was backed by plenty of offense as the Angels showed off their power against veteran right-hander Jack Flaherty. Miguel Sanó hit a solo homer in the second, Willie Calhoun added one in the fourth and Luis Rengifo connected on a two-run blast as part of a three-run fifth.

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But the night belonged to Daniel, who had been called up twice this year without seeing action and proved that the shoulder issues that plagued him last year are a thing of the past.

“That was a treat,” said catcher Logan O’Hoppe. “The thing that stood out was just an improvement from last year. It was a challenge for him to find the strike zone on a consistent basis. But tonight was unbelievable. Every pitch I called, he threw it right where he wanted to and I can’t think of one ball he missed all night.”