eye contact is tricky

welcome to introspection ft. harsehaj! ⭐️ i’m harsehaj, an 18 y/o always up to something in social good x tech.

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onto today’s topic: eye contact is tricky 👁️ 

how long do i make eye contact before it’s uncomfortable? i can never tell. not making eye contact at all, however, sends a restless or disinterested message that i don’t want.

every “conversation tips” guide will always include a point on maintaining good eye contact, but it’s more complicated than that. excessive eye contact can make an encounter unbearably awkward. 😬 

i have absolutely no problem maintaining eye contact when the other party is speaking. when it’s my turn to speak, i find it difficult to keep looking at my conversation partner. i look out and away when i’m thinking, or i’ll switch between their eyes and some stationary object.

as someone that speaks pretty frequently in front of crowds or audiences, i’m more in my element when i’m able to switch my gaze around to multiple people, rather than just training it on one.

maybe it’s my worry of making the situation uncomfortable or getting too distracted by focusing on eye contact rather than the actual content of the conversation. 📖 

it’s tricky juggling being intentional with body language while also making quality conversation. i think body language helps reign in a conversation and set up a good first impression, but after that it’s all up to your energy and the quality of the conversation from both sides — there’s no longer a need to be so particular about how you’re timing a smile or keeping up with eye contact.

what kind of eye-contact-giver are you?

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