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when talking to someone you...

feel the need to look at their face

  • Total voters
    34
A

Aurora151989

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i do feel the need, I'm hard of hearing and lipread to figure out what's being said.
 
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I chose 'sometimes'. I think men and women differ in this regard. Most (not all - most) men don't feel the need for eye contact when speaking to others or when being spoken to. Most (not all - most) women I think like the eye contact that's made during conversation so there's no mistaking what's being said.

I feel sometimes that a person isn't looking at me when I am talking, that they aren't listening. I don't mind it so much with other adults, but I have to insist my kids look at me when I'm talking to them.
 
A lot of older people I've met think that people who do not make eye contact are liars or they think you're uncomfortable with them. I don't generally like eye contact, but I make myself do it in case they're one of those people. I have an easier time making eye contact with females though. I guess I should have picked "sometimes" because I do usually make eye contact naturally with somebody I'm very close to.
 
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To me, eye contact implies honesty as a general rule, and I think it makes one more vulnerable (in a good way) to interracting rather than "talking at".
 
certain comments people will make will only be for example sarcastic if you can see their facial expression whilst they say it.
 
When not whacked out on ephedrine and other metabolism boosters I do. When I have taken 60 mg of ephedrine, white willow bark, and caffine, I find it rather hard to focus enough to look other people in the eye
 
interesting results from the poll so far, tammerlain why would you be taking metabolism boosters? sounds like asking for trouble perhaps
 
For me it depends. I will look at someone's face if there is more information to be gained beyond verbal expression. However, it does not enhance or reduce my comfort, so I sometimes forget to, even though I try so that I can make the other person feel more comfortable. Also, it gives an advantage in certain social situations.
 
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Unless someone is hard of hearing then there is no need to be looking at the other person all the time! That can be intimidating.

Some kind of eye contact makes for much better communication but I guess it varies depending on the situation and your mood.

No eye contact with someone would lead me to think they were not worth my attention and as someone has already mentioned, no eye contact is often a symptom that someone is lying or has something to hide though in my experience the worst liars and con men/women can you look straight in the eye as they lie/con with no conscience at all.

Comfortable eye contact is good and makes for better communication. If I am not sure we are communicating I often go for more eye contact.
 
Whenever I talk to someone, I tend to look them in the eye. However, when someone talks to me, I tend to look down and **** my head to the side so I can better focus on what they're saying to me. I do this because I have mild hearing problems and sometimes need to concentrate on what someone tells me.

So I guess my answer is "most of the time" although I put "always."
 
I'm a bit hard of hearing. I prefer that someone point their speaking device at me when talking... if they turn away from me, it's like someone turned the volume down and the background noise becomes a problem.

Also, depending on the circumstances, I may find someone that won't look at me at all while they're talking to me to be disrespectful or untrustworthy.
 
Goshin said:
I'm a bit hard of hearing. I prefer that someone point their speaking device at me when talking... if they turn away from me, it's like someone turned the volume down and the background noise becomes a problem.
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I find it better for someone to speak directly in my ear, so I'll lean in close. It's a habit I picked up from my grandfather, who grew deaf over time because of the loud farm equipment we operate, and my father, who was born being hard-of-hearing.
 
If I'm looking at a woman's eyes when she talks, it means she's flat.
 
I'm a big believer in eye contact.

I make exceptions for the obvious, like driving or bickering about what's happening on the boob tube.

I also try to cut people slack when it's an emotionally delicate situation.

Most of the time, though, I'm aiming dead-center for the bridge of your nose. :mrgreen:
 
I look people in the eye when I'm speaking to them, unless I'm showing them something that is part of the conversation, driving, walking, etc. Even driving/walking I will turn to make eye contact periodically. I expect the same in return, and I expect them to make eye contact with me while they are listening.

If someone is talking AT me, (not looking at me) I feel disrespected. They want to speak to me but can't seem to muster the energy to look at me? It makes me think less of them, unless I can sense that it's a confidence issue.

And, if I'm talking to someone and they don't look at me, I consider it disrespectful. I will refrain from speaking with them unless I have to, since I gather they have no interest in listening to what i have to say.
 
There's an interesting cultural difference between white folks and black folks on this subject. Especially the young. Adolescent African-American males tend to look away when they are listening and toward the other person when they are talking. Caucasian adolescent males tend to do the opposite.

For me, I would get yelled at if I didn't look at my Father when he was talking to me. Mom too.

So that's how I am.
 
Gipper said:
If I'm looking at a woman's eyes when she talks, it means she's flat.
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you're too much gipper heh

very interesting posts, I had been thinking I'm the only one that likes to look at a person's face when talking to them. glad to see that's not the case
 
Someone that avoids eye contact is usually shady. Of course there are exceptions but I do not trust someone who cannot look me in the eye.
 
Kali said:
Someone that avoids eye contact is usually shady. Of course there are exceptions but I do not trust someone who cannot look me in the eye.
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What about toddlers? Or blind people? Or Cyclops from X-Men?

:)
 
It all depends on who I'm talking to and what we're talking about. The question should be "Do you ever get tired of hearing people constantly repeat themselves because they can never shut up long enough to remember what they just said?" I'm usually tryin to figure out ways to shut people up....and looking right through them is probably key in accomplishing that.
 
As a general rule I look at people in the eyes when I talk to them. I think it shows a sign of respect for the person you are talking to. The only reason not to is if the person is ugly as sin and the mere glimpse of the face makes you want to vomit.
 
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