Have you ever judged a book by its cover? We all have. The background of this phrase implies that one shouldn't prejudge the value or benefit of something by its outward appearance alone.They should not form an opinion on someone or something based solely on what is seen on the ground, because the person or thing may be very different from what was predicted after looking deeper. Although I believed Patrick Roczkowski was a regular privileged teenage boy as a first impression, I was completely wrong and judged his book by his cover; as I interviewed him, I quickly learned how much potential he has because Patrick’s dominant impression comes down to being adventurous, selfless, and motivated.
First experiences of your daily life are very significant. They are the foundation of how relationships begin and how other people see you. People form opinions based on first impressions. Opinions may start many things and lead to success, or these opinions may be misleading and have a negative impact on how people relate to you and view you. The explanation on why first experiences are significant is that they are centered on the social life, education and employment of people. Initial experiences are from your friends, parents, and even new people entering into your life in your social life. It's all about blending in so to speak, as we are social creatures as human beings. The setting you are in is usually associated with the types of people you can meet in that area. The first impression styles you make will be kept throughout the relationship with the people you make with. That's where the importance of the first impression lies if you want to have a successful relationship with people who make a first impression is crucial to the development of the relationship. To fix a bad first impression, it takes exceptional skills. Which brings this topic down to Patrick. The fact that I am a judgy person and Patrick fixed the bad impression I had on him shows what kind of person he is and how his individualism stood out to me.
Save your time!
We can take care of your essay
- Proper editing and formatting
- Free revision, title page, and bibliography
- Flexible prices and money-back guarantee
Place an order
The first question I asked Patrick was, “If you were to describe yourself in one word what would it be?” Patrick stated, “definitely adventurous because I like the idea of new ideas, concepts, and taking risks”(Roczkowski). Automatically I learned that he is an outgoing person and likes the idea of having new challenges to accomplish each day. After I asked Patrick what he did after school during his childhood he replied, “Me and my brother would come back from school and go straight to the park, we were more outside than inside” (Roczkowski). This is a set example on how Patrick was more than just outgoing. Kids nowadays stay at home on electronics while Patrick didn’t come home until curfew. Another example of how Patrick is adventurous; when I asked, “What would you do if you woke up one day alone on an island”? Normally, the typical answer would be to either give up or go to sea. However Patrick responded with, “Find anyway to make it back, and if not dig a hole and build a shelter” (Roczkowski). One of the many takeaways I had during this interview with Patrick was how he described himself as adventurous. I was automatically intrigued because Patrick is usually quiet in class and to himself, but the ways he answered my questions without hesitation also makes a valid point on how I judged his cover.
Selflessness is a path to family, marriages and friendships. It is a key to happiness and fulfillment as well. But often missed, sadly. Selflessness is often ignored as a key to happiness because it seems to go against the very idea on the surface. If I had to choose one word to describe Patrick it would definitely come down to being selfless. When I asked, “would you rather kill yourself or a person you love”? He replied quickly without hesitating, “I would rather kill myself because I wouldn’t want to put anybody through that pain and I cant handle the guilt I would have” (Roczkowski). Another question I asked was how we would spend one million dollars. He then responded with, “first I would pay off all my parents bills and debts and make sure they’re comfortable” (Roczkwoksi). The term selfless behavior would then simply imply the lack from serving one's own desires to benefit others. There's no selfless support measurement. Anyone involved, no matter what the situation or what is involved, profits from selfless acts.
Motivation is a very powerful tool that we can use to accomplish our dreams and goals in life. Setting goals for ourselves is something that Patrick finds to be very necessary, he believes in always improving himself in life, not just physically but mentally as well. We all have different things or devices that we can use to drive us towards our ultimate goals. In order for him to stay motivated he must have a target and be guided by achieving that goal in order for him to be inspired. For Patrick, self-motivation is empowering. When I asked Patrick on what he would like to do after school he stated, “Finish school then get accepted into a good job and at least buy a house within 3 years after saving up” (Roczkowski). Following along with, “I want to be my own boss, I love the idea of new concepts and being my own boss. Im self-driven, if I see something I want, I will go for it and have it” (Roczkowski). This is a set example on how motivation is a key in Patrick’s life and how it makes up a whole component of himself. A quote that I came across reminded me of Patrick because of the way he describes how he would put his loved ones over himself, 'what i would give to make it easier for you” (Voyager).
Everyone has heard the saying, 'Never judge a book by its cover.' Well, if applied to everyday life, that is certainly true. Most of us tend to look at the external appearance of each other and draw a short conclusion about their character when we first look at them. This always happens when you are in school. Whether a person has the sweetest personality, whether his or her appearance is not good people will judge them on that fact alone. I have encountered many circumstances when someone judges another person.Many factors are judged by people, their outward appearance, color, religion, and points of view. Looking at these aspects and evaluating an individual on them alone, we can have an impact on future generations. With many harmful effects, such stereotypes can be passed on to our children. Kids also conform others around them to their values. Therefore, as adults, it is important for us to be careful about what we say or do before children. Judgmentalism has a lot of negative effects.
To conclude my essay, Patrick has taught me to at least see that all of us are different. Everyone has a different life, story, and background. We all go through hardships, some worse than others. After talking to Patrick I felt as if I discovered there was a whole other person inside of him. Because of Patrick, I am challenging myself to stop judging a person immediately based on how the look, act, or talk. My first impression of Patrick Roczkowski was; a regular privileged teenage boy. I was completely wrong and judged his book by his cover; as I interviewed him, I quickly learned how much potential he has because Patrick’s dominant impression comes down to being adventurous, selfless, and motivated.
Works Cited
- Roczkowski, Patrick. Personal Interview. 8 Nov. 2019.
- Atlas, Voyager. “He Smiled.” Hello Poetry, Sept. 2018.