Am I Normal?social
I find extended eye contact extremely uncomfortable, even with people I like
Human eye contact is a high-bandwidth social signal that evolved in contexts of competition and intimacy. Prolonged eye contact with anyone — stranger or friend — activates arousal systems associated with threat, attraction, or dominance. The average comfortable eye contact duration is 3.3 seconds; beyond that, discomfort rises steeply regardless of relationship.
Have you ever done this?
Be honest — have you ever done this?
Related fact
People with higher anxiety show comfort with significantly shorter eye contact durations than average. The Japanese norm of avoiding direct eye contact in many social situations is an adaptation that reduces the cognitive load of interaction.