Let’s face it: the real pandemic isn’t a virus; it’s awkward eye contact. You know the feeling—one minute, you’re minding your own business, and the next, you’ve locked eyes with someone across the subway, grocery aisle, or while waiting for your order at a restaurant.
Welcome to the modern tragedy that no Shakespeare could have written: The Fault in Our Stares.
It starts simply. You’re bored, your eyes drift, and—bam! Someone else is doing the same. For a moment, you both think about pretending you were really looking at that interesting spot on the wall. But it’s too late. You’ve made a silent connection that gets stronger the longer neither of you looks away.
At this point, social protocol demands a reaction.
You might smile awkwardly or quickly look away and start checking your phone like something important just appeared on your screen.
The Moral of the Story
There’s no easy solution to the fault in our stares. We can’t all be masters of casualness.
But remember: everyone feels just as awkward as you do. So next time you lock eyes with a stranger, give a nod to show you understand. If you want to ease the tension, pretend you suddenly remembered something surprising and look away with a dramatic expression.
Or, if you are feeling bold, raise your eyebrows as if to say, "Hey, we’re in this together."
And if nothing else works, pretend you’re looking at an interesting ceiling tile. People will appreciate it.
I’ll never forget my most memorable eye contact mistake: I was waiting for coffee, accidentally stared at a stranger for too long, our eyes met, I panicked, and decided to pretend I was really interested in the pastries behind them which I was forced to buy to prove my innocence!!
No comments:
Post a Comment