The Power of Eye Contact

Our eyes were made to connect, and I love this fact!

I find it so fascinating that scientific research has proven that newborn babies are so tuned into eye contact that they are able to gaze into and follow a person’s eyes regardless of which way their head is tilted. We are profoundly wired at birth to connect in our effort to thrive on plant earth.

The reason?

Anthropologists believe our eyes evolved to help us survive and achieve a greater level of trust, cooperation, and connection with others — depending on the type of relationship that is being maintained or established.

We tend to like people with kind eyes, are attracted to people with a twinkle in their eye, and can be seduced by a potential love with a deep gaze.

We can also be intimidated and turned off in an instant by someone who doesn’t have our best interest at heart. Eye contact, and the emotions it evokes, can literally reshape our destinies.

Here are some reasons why eye contact is so important for our everyday lives:

#1 - Eye Contact Can Make Us Feel More Understood

We are more likeable and warm when we make eye contact with others. Eyes reveal the emotions and feelings we are experiencing moment to moment. You can really feel what someone else is feeling by looking into their eyes.

#2 - Eye Contact Instantly Deepens Relationships

It helps us judge someone's character, feel more at ease when first connecting, and if all goes well, can help lead to the formation of a relationship and/or friendship that lasts.

Uninterrupted gaze with another being can be a sign of love and can lead to arousal — and who doesn’t love a good story of love at first sight ????

#3 - Studies Show That People Who Make Strong Eye Contact Gain More Trust

Studies also show that people who make strong eye contact are trusted and believed more than people who avoid eye contact. They come across as trustworthy and sincere. Giving someone undivided attention with your eyes can truly make all the difference. 

#4 - Eye Contact Can Help You Be More Persuasive

Making strong eye contact leads others to see you as more confident, powerful, qualified, competent, and stable. It’s a huge tool, when used genuinely, for winning others over and connecting in meaningful ways.

As you go forward after reading this article, I dare you to think deeply about what your eye contact practices have to say about you. If you find yourself shying away from eye contact, maybe dare yourself to practice it a bit. Take time to study those around you as well. Become an expert as to what the eyes around you are saying and wanting you to know.

It’s all such a journey! ????