Do you look people in the eyes when you talk to them?

[Kae]

Well depends on how I'm feeling, if I'm a bit nervous I won't, but otherwise I'll just stare blankly in the person's general direction, unless I'm angry then I'll look at you in the eyes and glare, that makes people uncomfortable, but generally I'm told that I seem off, mostly because I look at people without really looking at them, because I'm weird like that.

 

[A.A.K]

I always look at people in the eyes.
Old habits die hard... but I find you rude if you don't... that or you're a *****

 

[Daniel Ferguson]

I tend to look at their face, is that good enough?

 

[neoontime]

Yeah, no for all the reasons you stated. It just makes me feel often to uncomfortable. Plus I have the killer eyes so that makes things awkward sometimes.

 

[AnarchistFish]

This kinda needs a poll


answer's yes

 

[Mr Fixit]

I don't ever stare at them, but I consider it very odd when someone I'm talking keeps looking elsewhere it makes me think that they are hiding something or lying to me.

 

[Scarim Coral]

No as I notice that myself, I don't look at the customer at their face directly when I'm at the till (when I tell them the total cost, making small comment or saying goodbye). I just assume that's the introvert/ shyness part of me.

 

[SuperSuperSuperGuy]

I try to, but it's tough. I usually end up just glancing at their eyes every so often. I end up mostly just looking in their general direction or focusing my eyes on whatever I'm doing as I listen to whoever I'm speaking with. For example, if I'm walking, I just look straight ahead as I speak, but if I'm sitting across from someone, I look at them, just not in their eyes.

 

[RobDaBank]

I always try to, but end up awkwardly looking around everywhere except into the persons eyes, even when I try to look at them I just can't, not for fear or anything, I just can't help looking away...

That said though when I'm boxing, I always look right into my opponents eyes, it's the easiest way to see what they're going to throw at you and can also unnerve them in the process

 

[Woodsey]

Rarely. I find it usually leaves me concentrating so much on maintaining eye-contact, but not too much eye contact, that I stop listening to what their actually saying.

 

[Maevine]

Despite being a very open person, I've always found myself running into two problems while trying to look people in the eye:

1) My left eye veers off and starts doing its own thing if I concentrate on one object for too long, and I've yet to meet someone who didn't find that awkward.

2) I am a spineless sheep. If I don't feel 100% safe and comfortable while talking to someone, I subconciously bunch up and start looking at the floor.

Since it takes so much effort, I do a little victory-dance in my head every time I'm able to maintain a proper amount of eye-contact during a conversation. For me, though, eye-contact is all about conveying that I'm interested in what my conversational partner has to say and willing to respond honestly, so I'm usually not looking to get anything more intimate or emotional out of it than that. Of course, looking into my husband's eyes is always nice =w=

 

[Karhukonna]

I've never really thought about. I mean, I do look people in the eyes when I talk to them face to face, but it's not like a make a point to specifically do it.I suppose it just flows naturally. Sometimes my gaze wonders, and sometimes it'll lock on.

It's different if I'm doing something while I talk, or just watching telly with a friend, chatting. Also, if I'm talking with someone I'm real close, eye contact almost seems... I don't know, hypnotic is the wrong word, but I hope you get the idea. When this happens, you know it'll be one of those hour-long conversations you don't break up until some outside effect forces you to.

I gotta get together with the gang again. ;D

 

[AnthrSolidSnake]

The only issue with that for me is, I wear my hair over one of my eyes about 90% of the time, my hairstyles just work easier that way. It bugs a lot of people, for reason I vaguely understand. However, the more I get to know a person, the less I wear my hair in my eyes at all. It depends on my feelings towards the person. If I can easily make eye contact with a person, I'm either trying to intimidate them, or I know them well enough that eye contact just feels natural. (Or you know...when I'm trying to get a job.)

 

[axlryder]

This kinda needs a poll


answer's yes

I meant to put in a poll, but I accidentally posted it before I did it. I WAS drinking.

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

Yes and no.

If I'm working then most of the time I will look them in the eye since most of the time it will be important and I have to give them my full attention.

Other than that? No. I get creeped out if someone is looking at me all the time and I make some eye contact to let the other person know I haven't stopped paying attention. Most likely I will look off to somewhere else while we're talking, and I find looking someone in the eye all the time unnerving.

Windows to the soul and all that jazz.

 

[OmniscientOstrich]

Very rarely, though it's largely unconscious on my part, I never actually stopped to notice that I have a habit of averting other people's gaze until someone pointed it out to me a few years ago, so I've probably inadvertently come off as a bit of an aloof prick to quite a few people over the years. Depending on how familiar I am with them I might not even look in their direction, instead just looking toward the floor or a wall or fixing on a certain object. I don't know if it's the Aspergers or if it's just nerves or if it's just me being an idiot, but even if I make a conscious effort I can only seem to hold eye contact intermittently, I just can't stay fixed in one direction like some kind of zombie, it just feels awkward to be staring at somebody for so long like that. It just makes me uncomfortable I guess.

 

[TehCookie]

I rarely look people in the eyes but I do look at their face. Avoiding it completely seems like you have burgers in your ass.

 

[Winterfel]

I'm trying to get the hang of it.
But I tend to just stare at whatever interests me without even noticing it though. >.>

 

[Pessimismus]

There's a select few people I can look directly in the eyes, one of them being the girl that makes me feel all funny in my pants. Other than that I tend to avoid it as much as I can since I've always had issues with eye-contact.

I did learn a neat little trick throughout the years though; as it turns out, if you look at someon's eyebrows or inbetween their eyes they will generally be unable to tell that you are not looking directly into their eyes. If you do this though, you will have to look away every now and then because, as I found out, when people think you're just staring directly into their eyes non-stop they get mildly creeped out.

 

[Proverbial Jon]

I can stare into someone's eyes when they're talking to me, no problem. But I tend to look away a lot when I talk to them.

It makes me feel incredibly rude and I'm acutely aware of it. I strive to be able to hold eye contact in every new conversation, but when I look back on the moment, I find that I was more than likely staring at the floor.

God damnit.

Oh, and people who continue to wear sunglasses when you talk? You're bloody rude too, stop doing that!