Poll on Eye Contact

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I cannot make eye contact when talking to people (it's like it burns my eyes!!) and I hate that because I fear it may be interpreted as showing disinterest (when it often isn't)... How are you guys on this?

i used to be able to make eye contact but i can't even look at people's faces now i think bc i hav poor vision and their faces look weird

I can look at any part of the face except the eyes. I used to think "eye contact" was just an expression because it's almost impossible for me to do. If I'm able to suppress all my instincts and do it anyway, my eyes start hurting within about three seconds.

I never look anyone in the eyes but I have a rare low vision disorder & am NOT a visual person. I don't pay much attention to visual stuff. I sometimes talk to people without even looking at them.

I look very few people in the eyes directly, I read a book that said you should alternate between looking at the parts of someone face to divert contact with the eyes. You should never gaze into the eyes for a prolonged amount of time unless you are intimate with someone.

I look AROUND people's heads, but it's really hard to keep my eyes still and I never remember to look at the face.

I never knew the "look someone in the eye" thing was a real thing that people do until I was 23 and someone asked me what color my girlfriend's eyes were and I had no idea.

Also someone just helped me figure out that I don't get other people's jokes because I'm not looking at their face.

I stare at people's chins or their shirts. I'm short, so I can kind of get away with that.
People don't get my jokes, never mind when I don't get theirs at all. *sigh* It's a shame since my jokes are often quite witty and smart.

Someone described it really well recently: "When I look at people all I see is hair and clothes."

I also stare at people's feet when walking to better determine which way they're going so I don't crash into them.

All my life I've found prolonged eye contact confrontational, thus I believe I've never looked into anyone's eyes for more than a second at a time. Very uncomfortable for me to try to maintain.

I usually have to explain my jokes to people.
Whenever I accidentally make eye contact, I feel so embarrassed that I instantly look away, and if they are talking to me I usually get distracted and fidgety.

^Yeah, that's exactly it! "YOU CANNOT HIDE! I SEEEEE YOU!! !! !"

I go to a lot of effort to look people in the eyes once or twice while I'm talking to them, but its only for 1 or 2 seconds each time. It kills me to do it, but it's what I have to do to get by in this NT world. I literally feel my face clench up as I do it, my shoulders hunch up and everything, probably looks like I'm in pain.