what's an appropriate level of eye contact during conversation?

[shogun rua]

I have a friend who finds it necessary to have an extremely intense stare with everyone he's talking to, never breaking the gaze.

I've brought this up with him and he says it's disrespectful or sketchy or shows low self esteem to do otherwise, whereas I'm told this behaviour is provocative in other cultures. I personally find it uncomfortable and I prefer to talk to people when preoccupied, like as we go for a walk as opposed to say sitting directly opposite each other like we're eye fucking.

your thoughts?

[Cool-Water]

Eye fucking? noooo
In your sittuation guy->girl you needa look eye to eye
then eye to body
then body to eye.
That would suck walking into a pole havin a convo walking down the street..

PS, I miss old FNK!

[ebbomega]

2.3 SECONDS ANYTHING MORE AND HE'S GAY FOR YOUl

[C_squared]

idk man i think a significant amount of eye contact is important. i mean it would look much better that looking around the room like some sort of walking-side-effect sketch case after a long night of binging.

or maybe you could caution someone prior to a really deep convo and tell that person that you feel your eye-ball space feels a little vulnerable so you need to slide on a pair of ray-bans. fucking rockstar.

but rly, you can go about a convo w/o having it look like you're eye-fucking the person. like c'mon, who the fuck thinks that, rly... what are you, a mormon?

[decypher]

I really does show weakness or nonconfidence, stop staring at your shoes and look at the person talking to you. If you're on a date and you're both pealing the labels off your drinks and staring at your plates then obviously it's not a very good date. If you can't handle eyecontact then it's obviously some insecurity with yourself

[Revolver]

its's a obvious dead give away for low self-esteem/confidence whatever.

[-evil-duerr-]

hide your face behind sunglasses and a mustache so noone will ever be able to penetrate your soul privates.

[shogun rua]

Originally Posted by decypher

I really does show weakness or nonconfidence, stop staring at your shoes and look at the person talking to you. If you're on a date and you're both pealing the labels off your drinks and staring at your plates then obviously it's not a very good date. If you can't handle eyecontact then it's obviously some insecurity with yourself

uh no, i'm just carrying on like a normal human being not vying for control or dominance in every interaction I have with another person.

It's you autistic types that were told somewhere along the way that eye contact was good and you've gone wayyyy too far the other way to compensate.

[mapleleaf4ever]

there's a good balance of eye-contact to show confidence.

avoiding eye-contact gives off the impression that you're hiding something.

[Grapes]

I rarely make eye contact..

[Mr Ektion]

eye contact is just as much a part of communicating as speaking.

[-evil-duerr-]

honestly i used be a bit shy about it.. then i did a few months of acting training where a large part of what is taught is how to communicate effectively. now it seems weird not to make eye contact while talking.