With the eyes, you can always know the evil and negative intents of people. The eyes bear a lot of messages and when one is observant, one gets the best of those messages. To peruse the deepest thoughts of people, it is always advisable to start from their eyes. In fact, a research outcome opines that infants have the ability to respond to different eye gazes as early as seven months old. This shows they do not trivialize the importance of eye cues for the purpose of bonding and, therefore, are able to detect subtle, unconscious social cues that provide the foundation for developing social skills (Vanessa, 2018).
Let us kick-start our discussion of the undeniable proofs from the eyes. People often squint at you when they do not like you or something you are saying. It can indicate suspicion. If you see someone squint at you (and it is not low light) address them directly and clarify your point. They often will be amazed you picked up on their disbelief. When you overlook the squinting eyes of people, meaning that you are not bothered about the misconception people might have had about you (Vanessa, 2018).
The widening of the eyes can be used to show dominance, aggression or even submission, depending on how it’s done. When the eyebrows are lowered, it is a way of being dominant or aggressive, whereas raising them indicates submission. An interesting research by Keating & Keating finds that several species of apes and monkeys use exactly the same gesture for the same purpose. This is to confirm the ‘universality’ of the signals. They also discover that those who intentionally raise their eyebrows are perceived to be submissive by both humans and apes, and those who lower them are aggressive (WSTM, 2018).
Little did you know that the direction which a person focuses on after being asked a question also exposes their intents. For instance, when a person looks upwards they are often thinking. In particular they are probably making pictures in their head and thus may well be an indicator of a visual thinker.Looking upwards and to the left can indicate recalling a memory. Looking upwards and the right can indicate imaginative construction of a picture (which can hence betray a liar). Be careful with this: sometimes the directions are reversed – if in doubt, test the person by asking them to recall known facts or imagine something. Depending on the context, looking up may also signal boredom. Head lowered and eyes looking back up at the other person is a coy and suggestive action as it combines the head down of submission with eye contact of attraction. It can also be judgmental, especially when combined with a frown (Changing Minds, 2018).
Conversely, looking at a person can be an act of power and domination. Looking down involves not looking at the other person, which hence may be a sign of submission (‘I am not a threat, really; please do not hurt me. You are so glorious I would be dazzled if I looked at you.’). When you are feeling guilty, you will also look down. Looking down and to the left can indicate that they are talking to themselves (look for slight movement of the lips). Looking down and to the right can indicate that they are attending to internal emotions.In many cultures where eye contact is a rude or dominant signal, people will look down when talking with others in order to show respect (Changing Minds, 2018).
The ‘doe eye’ gesture is used to make sexual desire. A softening of the eyes, with relaxing of muscles around the eye and a slight defocusing as the person tries to take in the whole person is sometimes called doe eyes, as it often indicates sexual desire, particularly if the gaze is prolonged and the pupils are dilated. The eyes may also appear shiny.
Sometimes, because liars are aware of not maintaining eye contact as a telltale sign, they then decide to maintain a more-than-normal contact. Eye contact longer than normal can have several different meanings. We look more at people we like and like people who look at us more. When done with doe eyes and smiles, it is a sign of attraction. Lovers will stare into each other’s eyes for a long period. Attraction is also indicated by looking back and forth between the two eyes, as if we are desperately trying to determine if they are interested in us too. When done without blinking, contracted pupils and an immobile face, this can indicate domination, aggression and use of power. In such circumstances a staring competition can ensue, with the first person to look away admitting defeat. Prolonged eye contact can be disconcerting. A trick to reduce stress from this is to look at the bridge of their nose. They will think you are still looking in their eyes.Sometimes liars, knowing that low eye contact is a sign of lying, will over-compensate and look at you for a longer than usual period. Often this is done without blinking as they force themselves into this act. They may smile with the mouth, but not with the eyes as this is more difficult (Changing Minds, 2018).
Staring at a person can indicate a wide array of meaning. During this process, the eyes become wider than usual, blinking rate reduces and the person is focused at a particular thing or person. Staring at a person can indicate shock and disbelief, particularly after hearing unexpected news.Prolonged eye contact can be aggressive, affectionate or deceptive. A short stare, with eyes wide open and then back to normal indicates surprise. The correction back to normal implies that the person would like to stare more, but knows it is impolite (this may be accompanied with some apologetic text).The length of an acceptable stare varies across cultures, as does who is allowed to stare, and at what. Babies and young children stare more, until they have learned the cultural rules (Changing Minds, 2018).
References
Changing Minds (2018).Eyes Body Language. Retrieved from http://changingminds.org/techniques/body/parts_body_language/eyes_body_language.htm
Vanessa (2018).How to Read People Through their Eye Movements and Uncover Hidden Emotions. Retrieved from https://www.scienceofpeople.com/read-people-eyes/
WSTM (2018).Clues from the Eyes. Retrieved from http://westsidetoastmasters.com/resources/book_of_body_language/chap8.html
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