Yes, I know, I’ve extolled the virtues of the homily ‘you never get a second chance at a first impression’. But contrary to that view there is also the advice ‘you can’t judge a book by its cover’.

This all came home to me the other day when I was having a chat with a woman who is much younger than me.

Invest $40 and turn your business into a money machine!
Discover the 3 black boxes to get your business really firing! Get them working for you and start making the money to prematurely retire to the beaches of the world while you are still young and fit enough to enjoy it.
Download it now

I was extolling the virtues of an expert in some field or other when she said, “He looked so old I thought all of those ideas might be old fashioned”.

When I told her all about this man’s achievements, and how valuable his advice could be, she realised that that changed the situation and said, “Oh, if I’d known that, my opinion would have been different”.

So I have now made a note for self and for others of my vintage. Perhaps having a photo of ourselves from which people form their first impression is not our best idea.

Perhaps, before revealing a photograph, we ought to “sell our benefits” and add “this wisdom can only come with advanced age!”

Remember that ‘perception is reality’.

How’s that for a collection of contrasting oft quoted supposed truisms?