this post was submitted on 06 Jan 2025
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I have heard from multiple people that eye contact is essential in letting a girl (or guy, I guess) know you're interested.

But what is the 411 when it comes to said eye contact? Do you keep looking until she does? Do you then keep staring? Or is like looking at the sun? What's the deal?

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Behavioral mirroring is often a sign of trust or comfort, and applies to levels of eye contact as well. If someone is subconsciously doing the same things you are doing (e.g. longer and more direct eye contact if you initiate, more or slower blinking, more smiling, more relaxed postures to mirror yours), those are good signs of interest.

The converse is also true. If you are doing a lot of direct eye contact, and it seems like the other person is often looking away or closing up their body (crossed arms or rotating their torso away), that's a sign to reduce some of those behavioral signals to match.

I'd say there isn't a "This exact amount" to most things, as people are all different in their preferences, and it's more about adjusting up and down with someone, in response to their small non-verbal or body language signals. They will likely be doing the same with you. Also, as others have mentioned - you can be more direct with words. If this is something you're unfamiliar with and there's someone you trust, you can say directly that you're uncertain and ask something like "I'm not great at knowing how much eye contact feels correct, could you let me know if you notice too much or too little?". If they are friendly with you, they'll also likely be comfortable with the small request.

Also, just to say it - eye contact can mean the general eye area - it doesn't mean your exact pupil to their exact pupil. I find that if I focus on the literal eye/pupil, then I get strained trying and keep attention on that specific small area. If I focus on the general eye area (nose/forehead/eyebrow/general eye) - they both can't tell that it's indirect eye contact and it's easier to let my body auto pilot focus

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago

It’s not just eye contact, there’s all the rest of it too including other body language and how you’re speaking to someone.

That said, I used to occasionally hang with a guy that chased all the girls (the kind of guy that would ignore you as soon as a girl he could be interested in showed up) and he would all but stare at her in conversation. Made me uncomfortable by proxy, lol. Seemed effective, but that’s what he did.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

My opinion is that nothing insincere works, and you'd better find that interest inside yourself and allow it to guide you. Even if you won't manage a lot of eye contact.

But admittedly I have a diagnosis and I don't have a girlfriend.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

find that interest inside yourself

I looked in my asshole but found something else entirely. Where is can I look? What other spot can I pick?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

I suppose you don't really need a girlfriend with such looking skills.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 days ago

There are plenty of videos out there on body language or "non verbal communication". A common one which i picked up on long ago and to myself referred to as "the uppy/downy" look is what you want. It's a clue someone MIGHT be into you when they make eye contact, look away (usually down), then make eye contact again. Allegedly they are checking you out, looking away, then looking to see if you're still looking. It's fair to say it works both ways.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 days ago (2 children)

It's literally going to change per person

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 days ago (2 children)

I'm going to need class 101 on 411 as I've no idea what it is

[–] [email protected] 15 points 2 days ago

In the US, 411 was/is a phone number you could call for "information", specifically directory assistance. Many carriers no longer offer it.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 days ago

like this 👀 idk man how am i supposed to show you from here

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

sometimes i keep looking until she does, sometimes i keep staring at her. it doesn't matter, based on the condition

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Just smile, like genuinely, and wave or acknowledge her with your head when she looks. And if she turns away then stop, she's not interested or she's playing manipulation games. There's no "right look", that's something Hollywood made up for romance movies. The only bad thing you could do is exactly what they do in those movies. Sitting across the room and trying to just use your eyes reads as creepy. So if you're trying to catch her eye, you should also be trying to get to her, talk to her.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Who is this picture of? She looks familiar.

Is she a movie star?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Okay this isn't working I just sucked face with my phone for like a minute.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

Yup same here, that's why I wanted to make this post.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 days ago

There's a song:

"I was looking back to see if she was looking back to see if I was looking back at her"

And also an Islamic proscription against looking twice at a person of opposite sex since it signals interest.

So at least one sort of look that signals interest is the looking again. I also think the kind of sideways look with a smile is good.

Do not go for intense and smoldering. That is some sort of advanced level shit that we civilians cannot manage, it will go wrong.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Smile with your eyes.

Whatever that means.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

It means squint, pucker your mouth, and blow a fart.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago

Snap snap grin grin wink wink nudge nudge say no more! Know what I mean, nudge nudge?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

One element is to smile with your teeth. If a woman smiles with her mouth closed, it's just a friendly thing. Old gf told me that and a couple of decades of observation have born that truth out.

Know that face you make when you really want to smile, but are obviously holding it in? That can work.

Making strong eye contact, holding-it-in-smile, then blushing away, just to look again with a full-teeth smile sends a strong signal.

OTOH, if you have to consciously think about how to compose your face, you better be a trained actor. Humans have a solid sixth-sense for the disingenuous.

In any case, don't merely stare without expression. Yikes.

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