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I don't think I shall ever forget my first sight of Hercule Poirot. Of course, I got used to him later on, but to begin with it was a shock, and I think everyone else must have felt the same! I don't know what I'd imagined - something like Sherlock Holmes - [...] Of course, I knew he was a foreigner, but I hadn't expected him to be quite as foreign as he was, if you know what I mean. When you saw him you just wanted to laugh! He was like something on the stage or at the pictures. [...] He looked like a hairdresser in a comic play!

Agatha Christie#20

CharacterHumorExpectations

About this quote

What does it mean?
The speaker describes their initial humorous impression of a detective.
In plain terms
I found Poirot funny and strange when I first met him.
What can you take from it?
First impressions can be surprising.

Where it applies

  • meetings
  • workplace dynamics
  • social analysis

Putting it to work

  • expect the unexpected
  • don't judge by looks
  • adapt to quirks

Questions to consider

  • How do you judge strangers?
  • Can you trust first impressions?

Another view

First impressions are often shallow or biased.

More from Agatha Christie

  1. God bless my soul, woman, the more personal you are the better! This is a story of human beings - not dummies! Be personal - be prejudiced - be catty - be anyt…

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  2. I must have a talk with you, David, and learn all the new ideas. As far as I can see, one must hate everybody but at the same time give them free medical atten…

    Permalink to quote #21
  3. Believe me, nurse, the difficulty of beginning will be nothing to the difficulty of knowing how to stop. At least that's the way it is with me when I have to m…

    Permalink to quote #18

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