The psychological reasons behind averting your gaze
This article was co-authored by Cameron Gibson, R.C.C. and by wikiHow staff writer, Aly Rusciano. Cameron Gibson is a Registered Clinical Counsellor in Vancouver, British Columbia. Cameron specializes in working with men to support their struggles with anxiety, depression, trauma, OCD, and developmental disabilities. He holds a BA in Psychology from Carleton University and an MA in Counseling Psychology from the City University of Seattle. Cameron is also the Program Director for Manifest Wellness, a men’s mental health clinic, where he works to destigmatize mental health support for men and increase access to counseling.
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Eye contact. You probably don’t think twice about it until someone doesn’t give it to you. Why are they avoiding your gaze? Did you do something wrong? More often than not, someone’s distracted gaze isn’t because of something you’ve done. Anxiety, introversion, and crushes can all make people look the other way. Take a look at the list below to learn the physiological reasons why people avoid eye contact.
- If someone’s avoiding your gaze, it may be because they’re shy or have social anxiety. Eye contact makes them nervous, so they try looking elsewhere.
- Another possible reason is that they might have a neurodevelopmental disorder like autism or ADHD. In this case, eye contact can be overstimulating.
- Sometimes, someone averts their gaze if they like you as more than a friend. They may think that looking you in the eyes will reveal their feelings.
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Source: HIS Education