Eye contact is suddenly an issue

[Doubtfuldaphne]

Is it weird to look someone in just one eye when talking to them? With some people I find myself doing it usually if they're quite confident types that stare at you or look very directly at you when they're talking to you. . I panic that I look weird but I come over all shy (I'd rather be seen as shy than weird)

I don't make eye contact. I tend to look at the persons nose with occassional breaks to stare desperately thoughtfully into space. I don't think anyone has ever noticed.

I focus on the bridge of people's noses to save flicking from one eye to the other. I started doing it when I had a teacher with a pronounced squint and didn't want them to think I was uncertain of what to do.

What is the Kevin Mcloud thing by the way?

I tried gazing at dc's teacher's 'bridge of nose' today but I kept feeling I must look a bit cross eyed. I couldnt do it. Oh well will try her eyebrows tomorrow!

No, don't gaze at them! Just use that as your focal point to let them know you're listening.

My god this is something I have never really thought about. Now next time I talk to someone I am going to be concentrating on how I am looking at someone rather than on what they are saying

I look at mouths. It helps me to hear what people are saying, properly.

Despite the fact I work in retail and deal with customers all the time, I find it incredibly uncomfortable to look people in the eye - I look at noses an awful lot, or just 'unfocus' my eyes so it's a blur. I have to know someone well (or have had a drink ) to look them straight in the face. It works fine, except when I go off and look something up and then realise I only have a vague idea what they look like in order to find them again

Oh ffs I've just found midwife trying to work out if I can look at both eyes, just one eye or flick between eyes.

I'm on a packed train and the people opposite now think I'm odd.

*myself!

I also look at mouths rather than eyes.

It's only in the last few years that I have realised I do this and now do try to look at eyes, but I find it really hard - doesn't feel at all natural to me.

I'm not hard of hearing, but having become aware of this little quirk, I have realised that I think I am lip reading to some extent.