Gain people’s interest or get into a fight?

You can gain people’s interest or get into a fight by looking into their eyes. Normally, human beings perceive their surrounding world by relying on their sight. But gaining their interest or getting into trouble is basically dependent on how, when, and for how long you do the looking. Keep in mind that looking into other people’s eyes is different from staring at them and the majority of people can understand the difference.

Communication is not limited to speech but can be extended to other modes such as gaze. Newborns start communicating with their caregivers by looking at the most attractive thing in the room. Interestingly, the caregivers understand exactly what the child is interested in and give that to the baby. This usually happens simply by gazing at a red ball, for example, laughing at it without saying any words explicitly. Thus, shifting gaze can get the child ready for communication skills such as decision-making.

The same phenomenon happens to grown-ups and adults. Oftentimes you can notice that your communication with someone breaks down when you do not maintain visual attention with them. It means that the communication stops when you do not look at them anymore. Imagine yourself in a room with two of your friends/colleagues. When you choose to speak to one of these people, you have to look into their eyes. And then the flow of conversation changes when you gaze at the other person.

How to gain people’s interest and not get into a fight?

One strategy to maintain or stop the flow of conversation, therefore, is making shifts in your gaze. Remember that you should not stare. Keep your gaze to 3-4 seconds and shift to another person. A key point for good public speakers and business holders is to know how to keep eye contact with their audience. In a meeting, not only is it important to deliver a reasonable speech but also to maintain proper eye contact with the attendees. Following this, the people in the room will understand that they are equally important to the interaction and their participation is crucial. As a result, the interaction develops, and chances for making better connections will increase.

Looking into people’s eyes, however, is not always as easy as it may sound. Some believe that it makes them vulnerable and insecure when they exchange gaze with others. Moreover, some scientists say that having eye contact can make the interaction more intimate and we avoid eye contact with people we don’t like. Also, it is said that one way to identify if someone is telling the truth is by observing if they have direct eye contact with you.

All that being said, we should keep in mind that humans are social creatures and they can express themselves not only in words but also by the power of their eyes. Having proper gaze can help people connect with, relate, persuade and/or win over the intended speakers. This can be a helpful tip for business people and those who want to be more influential when they start a talk. Now, do you gain people’s interest or get into a fight when you look at others?