What to do when you meet someone you already don't like?

You mean, what if I met the man who I knew had beat up his girlfriend or stolen money from an elderly neighbor, that kind of not liking someone you’ve never met. I would shake hands, be curt and quick, not really friendly but not rude, say as little to the person I could and move on. In a social setting, I think anything else, like refusing to greet them civilly cause just make your host and the people around you uncomfortable, I think. Be civil, move on.

I agree with @lillycoyote . The only thing to do is to be curt and quick and civil. There are other cases though where there is no specific reason to dislike a person (few and far between, thankfully, but has happened to me), it’s just my gut reaction, an immediate dislike of the person for no explainable reason. The answer here is to be civil and friendly until you figure out what is going on. This type of thing is discussed in Blink by Malcolm Gladwell.

I shake hands and act neutrally. After all, I don’t really know them yet so I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

SMITE THEM

No, I kid. Actually I would avoid meeting the person. If I could not avoid it I would be civil but “cool” (that is, not warm but not quite cold, rather than Fonzie-like).

I heard a good story about Henry Rollins meeting Rush Limbaugh and I would like to think that I’d handle the situation with as much class as he did.

Thanks to @jerv for telling me about that bit.

It depends on why I do not like the person. If I am meeting someone who has committed disreputable acts, as in the situation @lillycoyote imagines, I will behave as she and @plethora have said they would behave: I would be civil, but no more. If their past deeds were to somehow come up in conversation and the person were to attempt to defend those actions, I would engage them on the matter. There would be no virtue in silence at that point.

If I have only an unexplained and ungrounded feeling of dislike or distrust, as in the alternative situation @plethora mentions, I would be friendly (that is, more than merely civil) while remaining wary. Historically, I’ve had good instincts with this kind of thing; but I could always be wrong, and there’s no need to start off on the wrong foot “just because.”

I am civil to anyone, those I don’t agree with, those who’s reputation precedes them, anyone. The word of their character would have to come from one of my most trusted friends to gain any traction in the first place because I know hearing only one side ot their story is that; only one side. When I actually meet them I will then give them the opportunity not to live up to their reputation. Until then, I am the upmost civil to them, and I would offer my hand or shake theirs.

Unless I know for a fact specific things that speak to their character, like they committed a heinous act or they were mean or nasty to someone I know, I try to keep an open mind when I meet people and give them a chance. If I don’t like them for some reason, I may ask myself what specifically it is that I don’t like and take it from there.

What @marinelife said. There’s a reason why in court there is no admittance of hearsay evidence.

I like to form my own opinions on people when I actually meet them and not through the filter of another one’s assessment of someone I have never met.

It depends upon why I don’t like them. If I don’t like them because of the way they have treated me personally or a member of my family, I would be polite and nothing more and I would avoid having further contact with them. If my awareness of them is based on other people’s perspective of that person, I would give them the benefit of the doubt and be as I am with anyone else (but I would probably be cautious about getting too close until I could make my own mind up).

I try to be civil but not warm on meeting such a person. I make an effort not to encourage them to take an interest in me and I don’t share much about myself that might suggest any common interests. If that person asks me questions, I give short, vague answers that suggest my lack of interest.

I usually use an overly firm handshake a sarcastic “deee-lighted” to establish my dominance. Eye contact and a follow up with a devil may care attitude helps. I have terrified many a new boyfriend this way. Alpha as hell.

Glenn Beck fits the description. I’d still be willing to shake his hand and sincerely listen to what he had to say until if and when it started to become annoying. Then I would bow out as gracefully as possible.

As for what friends and co-workers have to say about someone I haven’t met yet, I’ve learned to take their opinions with a grain of salt. There have been one too many times when the opportunity finally arose to meet these disliked people. What I found is that they not only have a good side, but that what another might perceive to be a flaw is just that…their own opinion. In a few of these cases, my level of respect for the person disrespectfully speaking of another has gone down a notch. In fact, it makes me wonder what they say about me behind my back.

I stay civil, or, if I want to make my friends laugh, I fawn over this person and act like they’re the best thing ever.

If I have preconceived notions prior to meeting someone, it is usually because of second, and third hand conversations. I try my hardest not to make solid judgments about people before I meet them.

However, if I get a bad feeling right when I meet someone, or if their behavior or mannerisms are instantly irritating to me, I quietly maneuver myself away from the situation.