Are Your Snap Judgments Of Others Reliable?

Gemini by Whisper Of The PipitSnap Judgment – a judgment formed on the instant without deliberation. (free dictionary)

I try get a hack on people right away and hope they do the same when they’re dealing with me.

This is necessary when working as an astrologer. I’ve got to connect with a person right away as opposed to traditional therapy situation where people take more tentative steps towards each other and the relationship is allowed (or supposed) to unfold.

I have to decide what I can and can’t say, how it should be said and just in general what will be most helpful to a person. The faster I can do this the better, but accuracy matters.

I work with a gal now,  I met her first, on the phone where she tipped her hand.  She said various things that revealed her character. When we met in person and she started to explain that she was honest, I waved my hand and said, ‘Don’t worry about it. I can tell you’re honest and  I already know I can trust you…”

People say similar things to me all the time.  If you can learn to judge people accurately when you first enter a relationship, your life (and theirs) will go a lot smoother.

I am re-posting this because society is so profoundly polarized. I think we’re allowed our natural instinct to be overwritten by a bunch of gibberish.

Are your initial impressions of people usually sound? If yes, where did you get your skill?

Dolls by Whisper of the Pipit.

43 thoughts on “Are Your Snap Judgments Of Others Reliable?”

  1. Yes, I’m very good at this. I make my assessment almost immediately and trust it above all else. I’m usually (98% of the time) correct. It’s when I’ve second-guess myself that all the trouble starts and get involved with shady or unsavory types. I think this is a result of a deadly combination of Virgo and Pisces, judging and perceiving.

  2. I can feel ‘ya, and I’m getting better at discriminating. But I have a strong tendency to move toward the vibe, regardless of what it is. A life coach I used to work with used the Enneagram system, and when I looked at the “type 6-counter-phobic” I instantly saw my pattern. When there’s a threat in the area, I sense it, and instead of moving away from it, I move toward it and try to understand it and contain it. Great early training in this area :-).

    What a risky tactic! Like a woman who told me once she saw a man across a room, and her hair stood on end. She ended up marrying him, and barely got away with her life.

    Nowadays, I try to watch for when my body relaxes, and if I get that old red-alert vibe that used to feel normal, it’s run don’t walk. I do have good instincts in general, though. It’s taken me forever to stop second-guessing them. Neptune/Scorp. Things get a little tricky.

  3. Yup. I work fast. I am an empath and everything about a person just comes right in. My mother used to quiz me as a small child after we met someone so she could get all she could out of them. My father was a palmist and a face reader and I learned that young, it also gives me an edge. I don’t have that 8th house edge though, mine is more diffuse and neptoooony.

  4. Yes…very much so. It used to drive my husband nuts because he said I didn’t give people a chance.

    Now other managers request that I interview prospective new hires and consultants for them. 🙂

  5. I don’t make snap judgments unless I absolutely have to. My instincts are sound and I trust them. I have become involved with certain people, against my better judgment–by making excuses for their behaviour.

    This question makes me a little sad because I’ve had plenty of people make snap judgments about me that I don’t think are true or fair. I give off a very strong vibe and sometimes get exhausted by trying to ‘turn it down’ for paranoid types.

    Sometimes people carry an air of grief that can be read as aloofness. Sometimes they carry the weight of their past–I believe I can feel that. This is why I check myself: do I have to? Is this necessary?

  6. I get snap ‘impressions’ of people but don’t judge till more information completes the picture. It’s usually accurate. Oddly enough, people snap judge me and they are usually way off. Neptune

  7. I don’t know if a person is trustworthy in general, only if I can trust them. (More than a few instances of someone whose moral code was a little raggedy around the edges, and so by definition untrustworthy, being someone I could trust with my life.) And it works the other way around too. I KNOW in an instant if someone is not to be trusted, but only by me.

    I always figured it to be a synastry thing, but maybe the knowing comes from Mercury trine Pluto both sextile Mars – my mind gets my gut reaction, quickly?

  8. I read people’s character pretty effectively. Are they honest? sincere? insecure? secretive? emotional? Ask me what they were wearing, what they looked like… Ha! not so much… Scorpio in Neptune (4th house) trines Pisces moon (eight house).

  9. i think i used to be better at it.

    recently, i have been unpleasantly surprised by certain people that i thought were genuine and trustworthy. and it wasn’t snap judgement- these are people i have known for years.

    i will say there was always something about them that kept me at a distance- maybe intuition, but i definitely wasn’t prepared for these chameleons to show their “true colors” (do they have one?)

    i will say that i am extremely good at making “snap judgments” of those with whom i am not directly involved- friends of friends, others’ boyfriends, bosses, etc.

    maybe my neptune in sag. or jupiter in pisces. no earth to speak of in my chart, so i guess my first impressions of people aren’t very grounded.

  10. it’s funny I moved a lot as a kid, and I learned that the people who were my friends at first, were not the ones who were friends over time. Venus in virgo, jupiter in virgo, mercury in libra. It’s the ones who took a little longer to get to know that I ended up trusting. I guess I am the same way. I take a while to assess people. I’ve gotten burned by the “quick” friends. So I guess, no, I’m not good at snap judgments!

  11. 12th house Merc in Taurus says I dunno where the info comes from, but the gut is good.

    I’m rarely wrong, but when I am …. man oh man it’s a doozy.

  12. Usually sound.
    I come from a bad background, so I developed my skills for survival.
    For my chart, the skill obviously comes from Virgo+Libra+Scorpio as my identity and values.

    When I mess up it’s my Oppositional Pisces+Aries Moon. Sometimes it makes me impatient, fiery, or sappy, and it’s a full-scale vulnerability that abusers like to latch onto.

  13. Awesome instincts thanks to pluto/6th house energy… CONSTANT 2nd guessing courtesy of Neptune. If I could just transcend neptune I’d always be right 😉

  14. yes, I have excellent instincts. And sometimes I ignore them and get burned. But I can never say I didn’t know, because really, I knew.

  15. Carrie, LOL!!

    I think everyone has an inner guidance system, and intuition that does not fail. Some people are blessed to be able to instantly know and follow theirs. But I think it is a skill that a lot of people have to work at. People (like me) whose compasses were turned around, Just for example, a child whose intuitions were mocked, suppressed, punished etc….have needed to relearn to become still enough to hear, and then confident enough to follow the inner voices…

    There are fortunately various techniques that can be practiced and used to become more aligned with the inner world and gut.

    There were crucial times in my life that I “knew” a truth about someone (girlfriends boyfriends), that went against my grain. But I ignored that hit, really wanting and believing the person to be someone with stellar qualities.

  16. Mari what techniques are those? any advice for someone wanting to become a little more attuned? I am trying to meditate daily, and am loving that practice…

  17. I’d be interested to know this also, Mari, if you’d like to elaborate…

    About my own intuition — I’m usually right about people in that I can tell almost right away if someone is a good fit for me, but there have been many times in my life where I’ve ignored the little voice in my mind to later detriment. Wanting to see the best in people has been the cause of several heartbreaks. It is taking a long time to learn how to trust again.

  18. Neither snap judgements or long-time practice are reliable – I must be blind!
    But after being multi-screwed, I’m sometimes wary. But even that might not be enough.
    I dunno. Maybe I haven’t been exposed enough? Or taught enough?
    So, to answer the question : I don’t have that skill, and don’t know why! (Perhaps my Mars in Libra in 12th? Foggy enemies? Don’t want to know that I have enemies?)
    When I say “enemies”, I mean people who have bad intentions.
    Maybe that is not the correct word.

    1. What do people in your country think of snap judgments? For instance, judging whether or not someone is safe to interact with by giving them a once over?

  19. I make snap judgments about whether someone is safe to interact with or my type of person or going to bother me. I don’t really have blinders on about these things.

    I get in a lot of trouble for making snap judgments these days. I have a habit of hypervigilance and scanning people to see how safe they are to interact with. And not wanting to spend a second with someone I perceive as even a little bit dangerous or drunk. When a drunk or creepy man veers into punching space especially if I’m alone, I’m liable to freak out. I hid behind some guys when a man did it. I almost got kicked out of a bar I like to frequent for judging people that way. The bar is full of crusty drunk people I have no interest in talking to, but I like the bartender a lot. He is perceptive and has interesting ideas. But sometimes he says stuff about me. Plus I always end up talking to a crusty drunk person and finding out something interesting about them.. but in the end they do something to validate my initial snap idea. Like hit on me even if they’re married.

    I have water traits and make snap judgments because I like a certain type of person and like company. The thing is I also have traits of closemindedness and terrible social skills and anxiety. I also make snap judgment about people who may hurt me and spout off. Fuck em.

  20. Before my mid teens, yes, I could make snap judgements. It was a reflex.

    During my mid teens and up through my mid 20’s, hell no. My Cap Mercury squares Taurus Moon and Scorpio Pluto, so I would use “logic” and override my intuition a TON. Got me some hard lessons.

    Now, I’m back to integrating the two. Instincts are usually dead on, but at times I meet people who I cannot pin down immediately, which is fun.

  21. Avatar
    the laughing goat

    Somewhere down the line I stopped going with my gut (snap judgment) and holy crapola was that a mistake. Every disastrous relationship/job/situation I have put myself in can be traced right back to me not listening to my gut. I have been changing back to listening and have tripped up a few times; currently finding my way out of the most recent shitshow, but I am working on it and keep learning that lesson.

  22. I once had 2 friends at my home simultaneously who didn’t know each other. They were there briefly for different reasons – pick ups/drop offs etc – and I could see the snap judgement occur on the part of one and it was pretty interesting.

    One was made fun of a lot growing up. The other was a “mean girl” growing up. The first recognized the second immediately and you could see it. She got real cagey, real fast. The “mean girl” picked up on it and just tried to be friendly. I mean, we’re all around 40! But this stuff stays with you I guess. They’re both Leos but there’s no way they’d ever be able to be friends. (I am no longer in touch with either of them, they were such a hassle. ?)

  23. Oh yea baby! I believe it has kept me alive. In my 20’s, I was a lady of the night. I am not proud of it, but the experience is out of this world to describe. And I got away from very dangerous men on a couple of occasions. Using my snap judgment even if I thought it would turn the tables against me using snap judgment (and I mean, immediately doing or saying what my gut told me to say or do, hell maybe even a guardian angel whispering in my ear very scary things…willies, chills… and there are everyday judgments I ofcourse feel. I can also tell what people are thinking or feeling especially if it is about me. I would like to elaborate on this topic more, but I must get ready for work. Hoping everybody has a wonderful day! I will be back to discuss after work! ?Big Love?

  24. I’ve always been a really good judge of people and my first impression is usually right. For me it comes from growing up in an abusive home with little parental oversight. I grew up really fast when it came to looking out for my own welfare. I really scrutinize people and look for their unconscious body language and expressions to show me what they’re all about. Many times its so much different than what they’re saying.

  25. Spidey senses like Neptune/Scorpio rising plus Aries perception arrows.
    Also, Jupiter in Gemini in the 8th plus Mercury in Pisces.
    If I don’t trust my first judgement immediately and give that person some extra leeway, later on it turns out I was right at the get-go. This can be difficult when you’re in a couple! ‘I told you so!’

  26. Know what? I’ll stick to my snap judgments. Even if that means I’m not wanting to talk to someone cause they’re ‘not my kind of person.’ I thought about this and usually I’m right.. though it makes it awkward when there’s only one person I like in a group.

  27. Truth is I still have a challenge when it comes to men. If I don’t want to be around the person or think they want something.. they take it personally and the people around me chide me.. I don’t like to be disturbed or touched when I didn’t want it.. or even called at.. I don’t have to tolerate behavior from people.. I don’t think being drunk gives you a pass to be intrusive nor that it changes your personality

  28. With natal moon conjunct Neptune conjunct Mercury in Scorpio I can sense people’s energy. I try to give them a chance but with many natal water sign placements my intuition about people is more often correct than not.

  29. When my Pisces Moon detects super energy, negative or positive, and hits me like a tidal wave or brick in the face, i know “IT”, the sense or feelings I’m getting, are the truth. It’s usually, “pure evil” or “good soul”. But this type of intense energy is VERY RARE.
    I have a grand water trine. Saturn & Venus in Scorpio on/near the ascendant, Pisces Moon in the 5th, and Jupiter and Uranus in Cancer in the 9th. So i also have that double reciprocal/loop thing going on between Jupiter in Cancer and Moon in Pisces. Jupiter definitely expands the intuition and creativity. I’ve always “known” things. As a kid, i thought everyone could do it.
    But i was never that good at “reading” people. I actually thought everyone was “good”. Now, it’s almost the opposite. I wish i had your skills.

  30. Some good comments here,and now forgot half of what i was going to say. LOL.
    So generally I’m a good judge of people. I don’t try, i really really REALLY avoid staring at someone or boxing people in a category(thats the aquarius in me >> mars, moon, saturn, mercury AND lilith, all in aquarius, so stereotyping is NOT my thing.) But I’m good at it. Call it intuition, my neptunian radar, or my chart ruler mars, uranus OR saturn for all i know. Another thing is this energetic, excitable person most of the time, so I tend to move so I hardly even see what IM doing at times, but for eg i’ll get asked randomly “hey did you see wheres this (book, top etc)” and if im distracted ill just be like yeah 3rd draw on the left, the corner one. Then i’ll remember that I last saw that book maybe like 2 weeks ago once, randomly??! ???

    sometimes i dont trust my recolllection, which then caused me some huuuge mistakes! Tbh I think with the first meet and greet, I’ve “registered” some bit of a person on SOME level, but subsciously. i think while I’m busy my minds all busy taking eye-shots, camera side angle shots, peripheral shots.. okay exaggerating, but just a little, its filling up my short term memory with a whole lot of nonsense, tidbits, here and there so quick and randomly that even my conscious mind didn’t even pick up ANY of what it saw! Until something pops up thats a trigger or something.
    Mind you i could have my phone, lose it in 2 mins and not know where the hell it is OR I could have a conversation that i totally wipe out from my brain. Reminds me at times how little i actually use these gifts to my benefit GAAAH!

  31. As a Libra, I give people the benefit of the doubt, much to my detriment. I’ve learned after a lifetime of b.s. not to trust people, but unfortunately I still do. I just nixed a penpal relationship because it started out fine and went south quickly. I was gaslighted, amongst other things.

    I don’t tolerate that anymore. I am retired. I don’t have to put up with crap anymore. And I try to say something as diplomatically BUT as straightforward as possible, so they know they don’t have the upper hand.

    So many people need – no, insist – the upper hand, especially nowadays. I’ve never been like that, and it’s hurt me many times in the past. What I’m interested in is a level playing field. Most people aren’t interested in that, though.

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