Table of contents:
- Eye contact when talking is important to humans
- Why do some people hate staring at each other?
- What should be done to be more comfortable when you have to stare at each other?
When conversing with someone, you will definitely look him in the eye, right? The eye gaze is indeed an effective means of communication. By staring at each other, you can convey the meaning of the conversation as well as read the expression of the other person. However, there are also types of people who always avoid making eye contact with the other person because they feel awkward. What's the reason, anyway?
Eye contact when talking is important to humans
Apart from reading the facial expressions and emotions of the other person, staring at each other also has other functions. Making eye contact ensures that the other person is completely focused on hearing what you are talking about. If you can't see the eyes directly, it can be hard to tell if the person is listening to you carefully.
Unlike other living things, the human eye plays an important role in the exchange of information as well as emotions. Ants, for example, do not rely on eye contact to communicate. Instead, they depend on sound and touch. As another example, chimpanzee apes will observe each other's mouth movements while communicating, not looking at the eyeballs.
Now, although humans have evolved to use eye contact to build relationships and cooperate, eye gaze can also be used as a tool of intimidation. This is why you sometimes avoid looking at someone you respect.
Why do some people hate staring at each other?
Are you the type to avoid making eye contact with the person you're talking to? If so, you may be more likely to look down or look away when conversing with someone. It turns out that according to experts, there is a scientific reason why a person's gaze can feel so piercing to some people.
In the journal Scientific Reports in 2015, experts noted that in some people, eye contact can overactivate certain areas of the brain. This area of the brain is known as the subcortical system. This brain system is responsible for recognizing and translating other people's facial expressions, including through the eyes.
For sensitive people, this part of the brain suddenly receives excessive nervous stimulation when confronted with a person's gaze. This phenomenon seems to occur a lot in people with the autism spectrum.
So avoiding eye contact with someone doesn't necessarily mean you're reluctant to talk to other people or don't pay attention to their words. It could be that you actually feel uncomfortable making long eye contact with the other person because your brain is overreacting.
What should be done to be more comfortable when you have to stare at each other?
According to a social psychologist and researcher from the University of Tampere in Finland, Jari K. Hietanen, most people think that your interactions with other people will actually make you more nervous and uncomfortable when you look into the eyes of the other person. If you really feel uncomfortable having to meet someone else's eyes, there's no need to force it.
You can choose a more comfortable speaking position. For example, sitting next to the other person. That way, you don't have to look directly at the other person.
However, sometimes eye contact is completely unavoidable. For example, if you are being interviewed for a job. Therefore, it is also important to practice the ability to communicate through the eyes. You can practice it with the people closest to you, for example by getting used to looking the other person in the eye for a few seconds. Over time, your brain will adjust to meeting other people's eyes.
