09/10/2025
Never Judge People by the First Encounter
Some time back, I joined a new organization. Being new to that kind of environment, I was trying my best to fit in and understand the system. You know how sometimes we exaggerate a little on our CVs just to land that dream job? Well, that was me trying hard to prove I could actually do everything I claimed.
During orientation, there was this young man who would often pop into our office. He’d joke around with everyone, laugh a bit, and then leave. At first, I found him quite distracting because I was still trying to grasp the basics and didn’t want my boss to notice that I wasn’t as skilled as I claimed to be. His constant visits annoyed me, and honestly, I started disliking him.
But as time went by, the same young man approached me and wanted to know more about me. We started talking, and to my surprise, we shared a lot in common. He was also an IT specialist the same field I was in and the reason he moved from office to office was to make sure all the systems were running smoothly. What I had mistaken for being “too nosy” was actually his friendly and helpful nature.
Soon, we became close friends. Whenever I had free time, he would take me around, introduce me to new people, and help me understand the organization better. He was working on an E-COMMERCE website, while I was developing an E-COMMERCE app around the same time. We started exchanging ideas, and I can proudly say that about 40% of my input and concepts went into his project, which is now almost ready for launch.
Lesson: Never hate or judge someone based on your first impression. Sometimes, the people you think you’ll never get along with turn out to be the ones who make your journey easier and more meaningful.
By Felix Mulenga
