What impresses you? What stays with you long after the person, event, or ‘thing’ has passed? And when you remember, what ‘trigger’ brought it to mind? I think this is a good operational definition of ‘impressive’ – remembering over time. But what’s more important is the context and content of the memory, what impressed you? Why? Do your impressions reference a specific event or activity or the qualities of a person that ‘impressed’ you – perhaps how they related to a specific emotion? As a point of reference… do you see yourself as impressive? If so, in what respect – how would you identify this? If not – why not?
My belief is that there are always certain aspects that capture our attention that perhaps leave the impression. Yes, these can be either positive or negative impressions. Aspects can also be defined in multiple of ways but this focus is on characteristics or traits that emerge. Once you’ve found your standard for a particular characteristic/trait then all other demonstrations will be judged by that standard or replace what you do.
Next comes the methodology you employ to emulate the ‘positive’ into how you go about doing what you do so that it is ingrained and habitual in you. Knowing your own method always is in comparison to what you observe – I think this is a ‘given’ and not always helpful. But it does give a context to ‘self-judge’ why you do what you do. Other times this will give you a new and different way to respond and thus give you another tool in your arsenal.
Obviously I’m considering the word – impression – in a slightly different ‘light’. Most people don’t give much thought to what impresses them or why. Not certain why they aren’t more intentional but those that tend toward a critical thinking method of reacting to their world will reap the benefits from this learning. We all don’t begin with a critical thinking mindset – it is learned. It is a way of thinking about yourself, your relationships, your frame of reference that provides you with a never-ending supply of ways to observe and to interact in the world you live in. Actually… that’s impressive!
