Here’s Proof That First Impressions Mean Nothing

Whether we're going on a first date or trying to nail a job interview, we're told over and over again that first impressions can make or break how we're perceived. A 2006 study even suggested that first impressions are just as irreversible as they are instant. It may sound like something out of a rom-com or an after-school special, then, to say that we can be wrong about our first impressions of others. But, in fact, we have 30 stories from the good people of Reddit that prove just that.

We combed through dozens of threads from the AskReddit and AskWomen subreddits to find the greatest anecdotes of friendships and romantic relationships that blossomed out of not-so-great introductions.

From awkward work situations to major misunderstandings, these stories are a great reminder that we're not always right about people from the get-go. As corny as it may sound, many people deserve a second glance, even if you think they're boring or spoiled — or even if they try to start a fight with you at a nightclub. (Seriously, some of these stories have major twists.)

Click through to read real-life stories of bad first impressions that took a turn for the better.