It is said that 80% of the information humans obtain from the outside world comes through sight. This time, we’ll discuss the reactions we get from others based on their appearance.
Visual information accounts for 80% of the total.
When discussing human senses, the five senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch) likely come to mind. Each sense is vital, providing us with diverse information. Among them, sight is considered to occupy an overwhelmingly larger proportion than the other senses because it can instantly capture an immense amount of information—such as the shape, color, size, movement, and depth of objects.
The brain expends enormous energy processing visual information, using it to recognize the surrounding environment and determine actions.
It is said that the brain dedicates such vast energy to visual information because it provides a significant survival advantage. For example, it helps detect distant predators, locate food, and understand the surrounding terrain.
This is a human trait that remains unchanged even in modern times. In fields where information must be conveyed efficiently—such as advertising, sales, and education—it is effectively utilized. The frequent use of images, videos, graphs, and diagrams is likely because they leverage this very trait.
In everyday life as well
Using the phrase “discovering a natural enemy” makes it sound like something from when humans were hunter-gatherers. Yet we still do the same thing today. To judge whether someone is trustworthy, stronger or weaker than us, or what kind of person they are, I believe we rely on visual information far more than we consciously realize.
In fact, research indicates that visual information (appearance) and auditory information (such as voice tone) account for the majority of first impressions.
Regarding the time it takes to form a first impression, various studies and theories exist, but it is generally said to be a very short period of time, ranging from a few seconds to tens of seconds.
Representative theories include the following:
- 3-5 Second Theory
This is the most commonly cited theory, suggesting the time it takes for people to intuitively form an impression based on another’s appearance and aura. When conducting customer service training, I used this theory most frequently. - 6-7 Second Theory
Often mentioned in business settings, this includes the time until greetings or the first spoken words. I used this theory when training new employees. I believe this theory applies most readily to situations like exchanging business cards after a prior appointment, rather than the typical shop clerk-customer interaction. - The 0.1-Second Theory
Research from Princeton University and others suggests impressions can form even faster—within just 0.1 seconds—based solely on judging trustworthiness from a facial photo. This feels like an instinctual judgment level. It seems akin to discerning people you shouldn’t approach on the street or sensing dangerous individuals.
While these theories differ, they share the common point that “first impressions are formed in a very short time.”
With this in mind, I always paid extra attention to my appearance while working and consciously adjusted my tone of voice during shifts. I constantly focused on making a positive impression—both with customers and my coworkers. After all, it was undeniable that building trust made training and relationships run much more smoothly.
What Changing My Hair Color Taught Me
Image change
After developing depression, there was a period when I couldn’t even manage to take care of my personal appearance. In two years, I only managed to go to the salon once. I couldn’t spend long periods with people, and the thought of what would happen if I started feeling unwell midway made it impossible to go, even when I wanted to.
My hair had grown down to my shoulder blades. Since I couldn’t get a bath very often, I couldn’t take care of it, and it was all frizzy and tangled. I spent my days keeping it tied back with a hair tie.
Two years passed, and I finally felt well enough to go to the hair salon. I still had no plans to return to work, and I was looking for a way to refresh my mood. With my wife’s encouragement, I decided to change my hair color.
During my university days, I dyed my hair brown. After entering the workforce, I went through a phase with black hair, but because I have fair skin, my boss told me, “Black hair makes you look like an Othello board—it’s creepy. Dye it.” So I went dark brown. After leaving sales, I kept my hair black, so this was my first time coloring it in over ten years.
I wanted to break the cycle of negative emotions, so I took the plunge and went with cherry blossom pink. Or maybe it’s pink beige? My hair got shorter too, and the image change was a huge success. It wasn’t in order to “grooming” for others, but in order to “dress up” for myself. This image change was the first time in my life I’d ever “dressed up.” I hardly ever met anyone besides my wife, so honestly, I couldn’t care less about other people’s reactions.
Changes in the reactions of those around me
Over the past three years, my first impression has shifted significantly in three major ways. The reactions from those around me at each stage were as follows:
- When I was working, I was basically seen as a “competent and refreshing person.”
Even with people I met for the first time, they generally treated me with respect. I almost never encountered rude behavior in a work setting.
In daily life, though, perhaps because I seemed earnest and vulnerable, I was often treated rudely by people with tough-looking appearances or by men older than me. - During my depression recovery, I was someone with long hair tied back who “couldn’t exactly be called neat and tidy.”
My own energy levels were probably low too, but even the senior colleagues who had always treated me politely started being careless with me. And in daily life, I was mostly met with looks and treatment that made me feel like I was at the bottom of society. In Japan, I think it’s rare overall for men with long hair to work as full-time employees. Whether it was prejudice like that, or a cleanliness issue, regardless of age or gender, I felt like society as a whole treated me carelessly. Of course, I should add that there were some wonderful exceptions who treated me kindly. - The person with pink-beige hair who “seems a bit eccentric at first glance”
I assumed the reaction from others would be the same as when I had long hair, probably because I give off an impression that’s hard to call socially well-adjusted. However, this hairstyle actually earned me the most polite treatment in daily life. Some people approached me cautiously, but I generally never act disrespectfully toward others. Seeing how I behaved, they responded with courtesy. The biggest change was in the reactions of people with tough-looking appearances and men older than me. Even those who used to be intimidating became polite. Even when meeting someone for the first time, I noticed more people took a step back and interacted cautiously upon seeing my appearance.
I believe it’s the result of judging at first glance whether the other person is trustworthy, stronger or weaker than oneself, and what kind of person they are.
Personally, I dislike people who change their attitude depending on who they’re dealing with. If someone becomes high-handed because the other person seems weak, or polite because they seem strong, I can’t help but think they should just avoid being high-handed from the start.
Changes I feel even while driving
I feel this even when driving. Road rage is a major problem in Japan right now. It’s incredibly common in my hometown too. And I’m always surprised that it’s not young men tailgating me, but mostly middle-aged men and women in their 50s and 60s.
I used to drive a Nissan Silvia. It’s a sports car that appears in racing manga like Initial D. Back then, hardly any cars tried to tailgate me. I drive at the legal speed limit. My stance is “please pass me,” so I had the impression everyone would just quietly overtake me.
Right now, I drive a Honda Life kei car(Japanese small car) that I inherited from my wife’s mother. Even though my driving speed hasn’t changed from when I drove the Silvia, I get tailgated every single day. It feels like I inevitably encounter tailgating drivers even on short trips. I guess it looks like someone weak is driving. Even when I pull over to make it easier for them to pass, some drivers keep tailgating. And when they do overtake, they always peer into my driver’s seat. They probably want to intimidate me, thinking, “Don’t drive so slow, you slowpoke.”
But sitting there isn’t some frail-looking auntie or uncle—it’s me, with pink hair. When our eyes meet, they suddenly become subdued, backing away or changing their route. Of course, I’m not intimidating them or anything. Inside and out, I’m exactly the same as when I worked at the company. Nothing about me has changed. Only my appearance has changed.
I’m getting a little fed up.
It was a period where I truly realized how much people change their attitude based on first impressions. Since I’m not someone who changes my attitude depending on the person, it far exceeded my imagination.
Humans process vast amounts of visual information and act based on it. I believe judging by appearance is instinctive. Even so, learning that simply changing hair length and color could create such a dramatic difference made me feel, honestly, empty and sad.
Ever since I was born, I’ve been preoccupied with this uncertain, unstable thing, worrying about it, and letting it control me.
There are also good aspects.
Finally, I’ll also mention the positive aspects.
When processing visual information, humans use it to find predators, but they also use it to find their own kind.
When I was young, I went through a period of wearing hakama in daily life, influenced by my grandmother. They were easy to move in, and I liked them. However, hardly anyone wears hakama in everyday life. After starting elementary school, I only wore them when going to kendo practice.
Recently, I just couldn’t resist trying them again, so I bought some super-wide pants reminiscent of traditional hakama. It was a period when I’d dyed my hair pink and felt hollow watching how people reacted differently. Before that, I’d wondered what kind of looks I’d get wearing hakama in everyday life. But by then, I didn’t care anymore. Still, I got my wife’s permission.
Then something interesting happened. Most people recoiled, reacting as if they didn’t want to come near me. It was probably a kind of defensive instinct, thinking, “This person is quite unusual. Better not get close.”
There were also people who reacted the opposite way. They shared the same taste. Some even approached me just because I was wearing hakama. “You look cool! Do you like it?” I hadn’t expected this, so honestly, it made me happy. I think they recognized someone with the same taste, saw me as a kindred spirit, and decided to say hello.
I’m not sure which is better.
At work, I think it’s safer to be someone who appeals to everyone. But perhaps I was too fixated on thinking that should apply to everyday life too. I was overly considerate toward people who would never become my friends, and as a result, I kept getting treated rudely.
Rather than that, it might be more meaningful to pursue what I truly want to do and let people who share my sensibilities discover me. While that means those who don’t resonate with me will drift away, I felt that was actually a good thing for me.
Should one adopt a universally appealing style in order to cultivate broad relationships, or stick to one’s own style and seek only those who fit? I don’t know which is better. However, it seems undeniable that humans tend to judge others based on visual information and often decide their actions and attitudes based on that information.
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