 |
| via left hand |
It is a tendency especially for us Asians, to avoid staring in the eye. It is interpreted as being rude.
However, for this week, I am encouraging you to do this exercise. Learn how to look people in the eye.
As you go through your day, try to catch people's eye and hold it for two minutes. Do this with strangers or with people you are not really close with. Hold it until the other person looks away.
If they freak out and call you out, then just say you thought they look like someone you know back in high school and you are not sure, thus the stare. If they don't accept your excuse then just let it go. If accepted, you might have just met a new friend.
So what are we trying to achieve on this exercise? To develop a uncommon habit of making decisions, both for yourself and for others
I did this exercise as part of "Do Something You Have Not Done Before" activity.
While i can stare at my wife for hours, I have not really stared at people's eyes longer than a minute. Even during meetings. I might look someone in the eye while explaining a subject I am totally familiar with but the tendency is to look away if I have stared too long.
So I did this exercise and learned that this helps.
Posting here the instructions from the book "4 Hour Work Week"
- Focus on one eye and be sure to blink occasionally so you don't look like a psychopath or get your ass kicked
- In conversation, maintain eye contact when you are speaking. It's easy to do while listening
- Practice with people bigger or more confident than yourself. If a passerby asks you what the hell you're staring at, just smile and respond, "Sorry about that. I thought you were an old friend of mine"
(P.S. This is part of the series Quick Wins. Small actions that you can to today to improve your life. If you want to read the related posts, click the Tag Quick Wins)
