Do you avoid eye contact?

[AimeeSP]

I do avoid eye contact but not as much as i used too. I'm pushing myself to do things that make me feel uncomfortable to (hopefully) find it easier as time goes on. I do blush alot though with eye contact so instead of always looking down, i'll look up into there eyes for like 5 seconds then look around the room. It's helping.

 

[Noca]

I am able to look most people in the eye when I'm feeling okay. If I'm feeling depressed or I'm talking to my therapist, I just stare at the floor.

 

[whysoserious?]

I avoid eye contact when waking past people. If someone is talking to me and i do make eye contact i daredn't break it, incase they think im rude or wierd. Also ill try not to shift my gaze to any feature on thier face incase they think, im thinking they have something wrong with thier face. So i just end up glaring into thier eyes, looking like some kinda psycho lol.

 

[idontknow.]

always.


i try so hard not to look at people.. then when you do look back at them after a really long time, it feels like weeks, you almost have forgotten what people look like. they look very different. not at all what you imagined. you imagined they were all staring daggers at you, you imagine this and believe it's real, so you never look up. i never ever look at people, and never in the eyes. but those few times i have, they didn't look as terrible i thought they did. but then again, you get those times when you look up for a split second and everybody DOES look like they wanna kill you

 

[JamesSmith]

I've had a long history of many strangers disrespecting me, so they don't get my eye contact anymore. They've lost their privilege to have my eye contact.

 

[deleted user 1]

This is something that I had terrible trouble with! But I have it down now. It greatly improves the responses you get from people, it also encourages you to adopt a more open and positive body position, thus you give off the right psychological cues. It's very hard at first, particularly knowing when to break contact, as staring makes people feel uncomfortable. It comes down to practice. But I strongly encourage people to improve this facet of social interaction, If I, having BDD can do it, I believe anyone can.

 

[harlseq]

It really depends on the situation... if I'm in a formal conversation such as an interview, or a business/work conversation then I have no problem with it. However, the second the focus switches to something informal, personal, or casual then I suddenly have trouble with it. I can do it, but I don't feel comfortable and I know the other person notices because we generally don't have those kinds of conversations anymore.

 

[MadPayne]

For me, it's always harder to keep eye contact when I'm the one who's talking.

When someone is talking to me I can look them in the eye, no problem, but when I'm saying something I tend to forget what I wanted to say right in the middle of the sentence when focusing on someone's eyes. And no, not only if it's a pretty girl ... it's more like an automated 'what is he/she thinking'-process that's triggered when making eye contact, that just absorbs too much brain processing power to leave room for making valid sentences ...or something like that

 

[Luxy]

I make myself look at others in the eye, but its short and I keep darting back and forth. If its a hot guy, then no way unless I have gotten to know them. but I mainly look at their mouth, just dart back and forth and its help me to read peoples lips too. But I have taken to reading too much, just the way people have their mouths I seem to find negativity

But I am getting better, slowly but surely..maybe once I am 99 I will have no troubles looking others in the eye hahaha just jokin ::

 

[BleedTheFreak]

I can't maintain eye contact for more than a few seconds. If I look into someone's eyes for too long I feel like a creep, or like I'm offending them somehow :: Combine this with the fact that I'm socially inept to begin with and it becomes a serious problem because people get the impression that I'm not interested in talking to them or that I'm being rude...

 

[superfluouslyme]

If I'm with someone I know, I'm fine with eye contact. It's people that I don't know that give me trouble. I force myself to look them in the eye, but after about 2.358 seconds, I have to look away. It's embarrassing.

 

[Hamelech]

Yes, in fact I've thought sometimes I can be an Asperger, but I'm not diagnosed.

 

[Sinar_Matahari]

Some people don't seem to be comfortable with making eye contact with me. Possibly because some people think I have a mean stare. I'm not always comfortable with making eye contact but I try to do it for at least a few seconds. You're not supposed to look anyone in the eye for too long because it can be mistaken for a sign of aggression. I've done that by mistake. Yet, there are those who seem to appreciate it.
They say that the person who looks away first is the weakest or submissive of the two, but does making eye contact necessarily have to turn into a staring contest?

 

[Sea Bass]

Almost all the time!

 

[deleted user 1]

For me, it's always harder to keep eye contact when I'm the one who's talking.

When someone is talking to me I can look them in the eye, no problem, but when I'm saying something I tend to forget what I wanted to say right in the middle of the sentence when focusing on someone's eyes. And no, not only if it's a pretty girl ... it's more like an automated 'what is he/she thinking'-process that's triggered when making eye contact, that just absorbs too much brain processing power to leave room for making valid sentences ...or something like that

I tend to feel the same way. I also find it very hard to express myself clearly when speaking in front of others. It comes out messy, as if I literally am unable to talk properly :S

 

[HeadFace]

Look at their nose, from their view they will think you are making eye contact.

Very true! Same with their ears!

I always go for eye contact, even if it makes me uncomfortable. But if it's a pretty lady, forget it! She wins nigh automatically.

Haha, yeah. If it's someone rather attractive, or that I might like, then of course I do... But stranges, people I dislike, or don't have much of a relationship with, I can't.
I can look friends in the eye. But I dislike my family, so I usually dont look at them in the eye or even in the face.

 

[Honda]

When its about beautiful girls yes i find it somehow challenging to maintain eye contact... Heck, it needs training just like anything else..

 

[dancingintherain]

I have very good eye contact to some people because I learnt to hold it while seeing a counselor for a year because she used to stare at me in the eyes for over ten minutes! It used to make me very nervous to even blink and tears would come and she'll think I was upset. Hilarious! xD

 

[LazyHermitCrab]

yea it's like everyone is mudusa

 

[eek]

Yes. It probably looks like I have conversations with floor tiles and spots on the walls a lot.