Ute Herzog warns first impressions often mislead

German communication expert Ute Herzog, known as “Die Menschenleserin aus Franken,” explained during a lecture in Leipzig that facial expressions are frequently misinterpreted. She illustrated this with a woman in the front row whose stone‑like face was actually a sign of intense concentration, not disapproval.

Herzog said, “Solche Fehldeutungen passieren uns allen, jeden Tag,” and added, “Der erste Eindruck ist zwar schnell, aber selten fair.” She offered four practical tips: treat the first impression as a hypothesis, consider the whole bundle of signals, read the context, and ask clarifying questions. Her guidance aims to improve decisions in meetings, job interviews, customer service and everyday dialogue.

The presentation, part of her ongoing work training companies, administrations and social institutions, underscores the risk of relying on snap judgments in professional and personal interactions.