It certainly does make sense that we would like to make not only a good impression upon others, but that we would also like to impress others with some quality of ours that we both cherish and have. After all, most everyone sincerely wishes to be validated by someone that they respect -- and that validation typically feels good to have acknowledged, in response. That said, and as good as that might so be, there is an additional attribute which rises far above trying to impress someone, while also serving to get us out and away from being limited to our own self domain and ego, which is so represented by our sincere desire to make a positive contribution along with a meaningful impact upon others as our raison d'être.
Those that desire to impress others without any real substance behind such, and make this into their vocation, have not traveled much further than desiring those others to appreciate them for whatever supposed qualities that they are projecting to them, which seems to be not only a very small and limiting circle, but also a rather pathetic calling in life. On the other hand, those that are able to find meaning in the passing on of their knowledge and wisdom onto worthy others, and find satisfaction, in those people's subsequent success, have clearly enlarged their circle, to include those that are well capable of receiving such, and thereby by these people's future achievements, have paid their fair respect to not only those that previously encouraged them, but have also passed such wisdom on, as well.
Each of us has options of how we go about structuring our interactions with others; and of which the perspective that we bring into those encounters, determines to a large extent the actual worth that those interactions so represent. There is many a person that is really too modest, or feels that they have nothing of real import to impart, that don't seem to rightly comprehend, that even those tales of woe and mistakes so made and suffered, have their teaching value; for it is a heck of a lot better, to take personal lessons learned and suffered through, and rather than keep such exclusively to ourselves, provide the object lesson so learned to others, in the hopes that impressionable others, will not too fall prey to the exact same thing or similar, that bit us.
Far too many of us, want to impress others, to the exclusion of just about everything else; never seeming to consciously recognize that such a desire as that, is really nothing much more than seeking ego gratification. We are meant, instead, to achieve so much more than that, of which, this can only conceivably come forth from finding something of merit to champion, that is outside of our own personal domain. What that so particularly represents, varies from person-to-person, but in substance, it's always going to be about the same; which is to find someone or something that complements our drive and desire to help make society a better place for our participation in it, so accomplished by our doing our good part to have a positive as well as a meaningful impact upon all those that we interact with.