Why do we feel awkward making eye contact too long?
The Staring Contest
Why do we feel awkward making eye contact too long?
You're talking to someone and suddenly you realize you've been staring into their eyes for five full seconds. Your brain screams "ABORT!" and you look away at the nearest potted plant like it just said something fascinating. What just happened?
Eye contact is a superpower. In two seconds, your brain reads a face and decides: friend or foe? Happy or sad? Trustworthy or sketchy? We're wired to lock eyes because faces tell us everything we need to navigate the social world.
