Eye Contact

[cyclopse]

So a couple of days weeks ago i went to dinner with a female friend of mine. It really dawned on me that when you look at someone directly in the eye especially if your sitting close to them its very personal it seemed. Now i dont have those types of feeling for her but even from a friendship standpoint. If your shy or you like that person it does seem like you could tell if that person like's you, doesnt like you, or is shy. It seems like it is very revealing to look at person and hold eye contact with them over a certain period of time. Maybe thats why so many shy people are afraid to look at someone directly.

[strawberrysweetie]

May 24, 2009 13:05:43 GMT -5 cyclopse said:

So a couple of days weeks ago i went to dinner with a female friend of mine. It really dawned on me that when you look at someone directly in the eye especially if your sitting close to them its very personal it seemed. Now i dont have those types of feeling for her but even from a friendship standpoint. If your shy or you like that person it does seem like you could tell if that person like's you, doesnt like you, or is shy. It seems like it is very revealing to look at person and hold eye contact with them over a certain period of time. Maybe thats why so many shy people are afraid to look at someone directly.

yeah, I agree eye contact is a really powerful thing.

Funny thing is...I was thinking of mentioning something that happened to me the other day, which concerns eye contact.

Just yesterday, I was at work, right....there's this guy there that I sort of know. He began when I did and was in the same initial training class...we talked a little (very little), but we have talked. We work different shifts, except sometime after the Christmas season, I've noticed him on Saturdays since that's the day I go in earlier and our breaks seem to run the same time. I actually hadn't seen him in quite some time until a couple of weeks ago I started sort of bumping into him again (well, I would notice him or walk past, but sort of avoid looking at him).

Anyway, so yesterday....I swear he walked past me a couple of times and looked/stared at me. Out of my peripheral vision I could tell. The second time, I actually looked up and our eyes met but I quickly looked back down. The thing is....the really weird thing....is that it actually felt painful, that moment of eye contact. Eye contact often seems very awkward for me with people I don't know well, but I don't think I've ever actually described it as painful before. It was really weird...because I don't even mean as a psychological painful, but as a physical painful...my eyes felt shocked or something. I'm thinking maybe it just caught me by surprise, and I sort of anticipated it happening eventually but didn't expect it to happen at that exact moment. I don't know. It was very very strange. It kind of made me laugh inside, at myself, though...for being such a weirdo.

Anyway, that's my recent eye contact story.

[nigella]

Ive had that situation where i make eye contact but for some reason i look down or away.Yet on other occassions i can hold it and smile.

[arizona]

They say Asbys have trouble making eye contact. I don't know for sure I'm an Asby--I think I am--but I have trouble with eye contact.

[k151]

@ strawberry,

The same sort of thing happens to me sometimes. It's not usually with girls, it's most often with someone in a position of power. Our eyes will meet for like 1 second and I'll look away and keep walking. Neither of us will have said anything, but it's like they have seen all my secrets or something.

It's just weird how powerful it is.

[r]

You don't have to look them directly in the eye, try to look at their nose or something nearby. I tend not to do much more than glance...I never seen anything good when I look people in the eye.

[bigl209]

Eye contact has always been unnatural for me and when i do make it I can hold it when someone else is talking but then when I start talking my head goes down. This happens with everyone i come in contact with even my parents.