# what is the first thing you notice about someone? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 24, 2002, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-thing-you-notice-about-someone/144673 "2002-12-24T03:48:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![yawndave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/43a26b/32.png) [@yawndave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yawndave)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-thing-you-notice-about-someone/144673/41 "2002-12-27T22:07:32Z")
It depends on whether they’re coming or going… ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-thing-you-notice-about-someone/144673/42 "2002-12-28T00:32:06Z")
1. Voice. 2. Conversational style and content. 3. Eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Mammie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/49beb7/32.png) [@Mammie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mammie)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-thing-you-notice-about-someone/144673/43 "2002-12-28T16:34:41Z")
1. Shoes 2. General cleanliness 3. Teeth ---
**Author:** ![odd-socks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c67d28/32.png) [@odd-socks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/odd-socks)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-thing-you-notice-about-someone/144673/44 "2002-12-29T16:46:17Z")
Height, eyes, smile. Hands: can’t stand bitten down chewed finger nail-stumps. Voice. Mmmm, nice voice… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-thing-you-notice-about-someone/144673/45 "2002-12-29T21:33:18Z")
Gender. I often get queried by my girlfriend, whom I drive nuts – “Well, how did your new boss dress? Old, young? What did he look like?” Being my usual observant self, I reply – “Umm, I think he was white…yeah, I’m pretty sure…and I think he had hair…” But I almost always notice and remember the sex of the person I’ve met. ---
**Author:** ![ScorpioStem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@ScorpioStem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScorpioStem)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-thing-you-notice-about-someone/144673/46 "2002-12-30T04:50:56Z")
Hair. I am such a sucker for guys with long hair. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-thing-you-notice-about-someone/144673/47 "2002-12-30T13:30:58Z")
I could have sworn the OP asked what’s the _first_ thing we notice, not the first 9,000. Anyway, the face. Nothing in particular. The whole thing overall. ---
**Author:** ![jayseebee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/258eb7/32.png) [@jayseebee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayseebee)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-thing-you-notice-about-someone/144673/48 "2002-12-30T14:31:11Z")
It must be hair. Think about it… if you ask most people to describe someone they almost always start off with blonde, brunette or ginger or whatever. Mmm… or maybe height? ---
**Author:** ![Ravi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/58956e/32.png) [@Ravi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravi)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-thing-you-notice-about-someone/144673/49 "2002-12-30T18:09:05Z")
When I met my wife she was sitting at her desk. It was her hair, eyes, nose and smile. Nice big smile…her eyes even smiled. Been 12 years now. rande… ---
**Author:** ![hobbes730](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/97f17d/32.png) [@hobbes730](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hobbes730)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-thing-you-notice-about-someone/144673/50 "2002-12-31T02:11:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TV time \* > \*\*The way a person moves. > > Early in my life, my eyesight was poor and never having anything to compare it to, I didn’t know it. So I would see a person coming up the walk and would recognize his gait or general body movement before I could identify his face. > > Once I got glasses, the tendency to look at the body movement first stayed with me and now often because of this observational trait of mine, I will recognize someone long before others who know a person’s face or body type. \*\* Funny, I was about to say the exact same thing. People freak out when I can recognize someone from across campus, just based on body type, movement, posture, etc… When I had like 20/100 vision as a kid, the only way I could recognize someone at any reasonable distance was by body type. Now that I have 20/10 with contacts, I guess the same principle applies, just at a MUCH greater distance. ---
**Author:** ![Trancey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Trancey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trancey)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-thing-you-notice-about-someone/144673/51 "2002-12-31T08:15:33Z")
I go for peoples eyes and that’s about it. Nothing else will catch my attention. The eyes are the door way to the soul in my books. People always say I have a bad starring problem because I always make eye contact…but eyes are so beautiful. My friend knows everyone by their shoes. That’s how she tells who is good looking or not by their shoes. ---
**Author:** ![theotherangel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df788c/32.png) [@theotherangel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theotherangel)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-thing-you-notice-about-someone/144673/52 "2002-12-31T13:46:23Z")
1. Eyes 2. Smile 3. Height/Weight 😃 ---
**Author:** ![beckwall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@beckwall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beckwall)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-thing-you-notice-about-someone/144673/53 "2002-12-31T20:25:09Z")
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