Do people avoid eye-contact with you?

Post Reply New Topic

..or do they generally look you in the eye?

I have the disconcerting experience of people avoiding eye-contact with me for some reason. I know this is kind of ironic, as many of us on the spectrum dread eye-contact.

However, with age I've come to appreciate people at least acknowledging my presence by looking me in the eye (as I make an effort to look them in the eye).... but NO, people often look other people in the eye but not me It heightens the feeling of being ignored and invisible. It should not bother me, but it does.

Anyone else with the same experience? Do people avoid your gaze or meet it head on?

i dont really notice to be honest, my friends will make eye contact with me fine and i can with them, but with teachers they wont stop looking at me so im forced to look them in the eye which i do not like becasue it makes me twitchy.

is it everyone you have noticed not looking at you or just some, because some people might be just shy.

Er, it depends with me it really does. When I'm in a group, I notice I can be making as much friendly eye contact as I like (I don't make too much as staring at people is not natural for me but I make an appropriate amount), and nobody makes eye contact with me back, which makes it harder to join in to the conversation.

But when I'm anywhere among strangers, (on the street, in shops, etc) I get stared at by everyone (well, mostly inconsiderate woman in their 60s).

So I have gazes from people in situations where I'd rather not be noticed at all, and I don't get gazes from people in situations where I want to be noticed.

Typical and unexplainable!

I wouldn't know as eye contact really freaks me out so i pay attention to the exterior part of the face.

I don't know. I'm so busy trying to keep my eyes as far away as possible....

I think when I'm self-conscious and rather force myself to have eye contact, it often makes other people uncomfortable and they look away.

Other situations where people seem to avoid eye contact include, as you said, when they don't want to acknowledge your presence or when they are not willing to talk (communicate) with you. Pretty much they are feeling negative about you.

Those are just my observations, but I believe I'm right.

I also have the direct eye gaze. It makes normal people uncomfortable and it's extremely uncomfortable for autistics who have trouble with eye contact. Actually, it's kind of cool to know that somebody else on this site has that characteristic. Coincidentally, my other autistic characteristics are that I don't communicate using tone of voice or facial expressions.

I would have to remember to look at their eyes in order to find out. I never can seem to manage it.

No, people don't avoid eye contact with me. They generally look me in the eye when I look them in the eye.

I think the eye contact we give can scare some people off. Maybe we have powerful eyes that can be intimidating? I know I hate intimidating eyes.

No, I don't think other people (NTs at least), avoid eye contact with me, but I try to avoid eye contact with most people, and when I have to use it to be polite, it's forced, and most people say it comes across as "faked".


Charles