The eye contact thing is still so strange to me. I hear alot of people say that eye contact is important in communicating, but it's hard for me to do that. Well, I can only do that with people I don't know well, but with family, I can look away a bit because they know I'm still listening to them.
As for the culture thing, I do agree with you that the weird Double Standard with cultures is stupid. I mean, I am of Mexican descent, but I wouldn't mind or be offended if another person adopted Mexican culture. Although, one has to be careful as to not blur the lines between adopting one culture and mocking a culture.
Yeah, to me, listning is done with the ears. WATCHING is done with the eyes. Those are very different things. That's why we HAVE body language. But you can't watch the body if you're watching the face.
Well yeah, but most people who do this aren't mocking anything, but they're percieved as such. How can we be a truly international world if we can't go outside what limited cultural experiences we've had in our lives/heritages?
I don't understand the need to say that a culture is only for people who have some previous connection to it. What does bloodline have to do with anything?
In the west, making eye contact is supposed to show honestly or sincerity. I don't use much eye contact myself (it makes me uncomfortable), but if I really want someone to know that I'm being serious, I'll look them in the eye.
It's odd. I know that people are listning to me when they respond to what I've said. They can look at me all they like; that doesn't mean they're listening, it just means they're watching.
I don't exactly know why people, at least in the States, value eye contact so much, but it's something I learned as a kid you do to show you are paying attention. I generally look at who I am speaking to, and try to make eye contact, but sometimes I just look at their face.
I will say I do like it when people are showing me they are paying attention, and can sometimes be a little bothered if it seems they are not paying attention to me so... I can see why some people have the "eye contact rule" I guess.
I'm not sure where I learned it, but it's sort of something that seems to be "What people do", even though many people in the comments have said they don't. So... yeah.
Haha, yeah, it's that sort of thing about "why do we do it?" "We just do" that bothers me. There's a host of ways to show that you're paying attention. Looking right at someone's eyes seems to be more of a way to distract someone than anything else.
Honestly, I never understood the eye contact thing either. :/ I do it as a habit since being told to do it from childhood, but it doesn't make sense. You listen with your ears, not your eyes.
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The eye contact thing is still so strange to me. I hear alot of people say that eye contact is important in communicating, but it's hard for me to do that. Well, I can only do that with people I don't know well, but with family, I can look away a bit because they know I'm still listening to them.
As for the culture thing, I do agree with you that the weird Double Standard with cultures is stupid. I mean, I am of Mexican descent, but I wouldn't mind or be offended if another person adopted Mexican culture. Although, one has to be careful as to not blur the lines between adopting one culture and mocking a culture.
... Not sure if any of that made sense though.
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Yeah, to me, listning is done with the ears. WATCHING is done with the eyes. Those are very different things. That's why we HAVE body language. But you can't watch the body if you're watching the face.
Well yeah, but most people who do this aren't mocking anything, but they're percieved as such. How can we be a truly international world if we can't go outside what limited cultural experiences we've had in our lives/heritages?
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I see what you mean. *nod* Although, it helps me remember what others say if I look at something else besides their face. ^u^
*shakes head* I don't know, but I really hope that someday, all cultures can be anyone's culture, as long as they respect them.
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I will say I do like it when people are showing me they are paying attention, and can sometimes be a little bothered if it seems they are not paying attention to me so... I can see why some people have the "eye contact rule" I guess.
I'm not sure where I learned it, but it's sort of something that seems to be "What people do", even though many people in the comments have said they don't. So... yeah.
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