When you're walking around town avoiding eye contact w/ ppl

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goldfish21
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08 Mar 2013, 3:43 pm

What do you find your eyes fixating on & noticing?

I'm just curious if any of your replies will be consistent with the things I tend to notice, or if the things I take note of aren't so much by nature but rather by nurture due to things I've learned over the years.

I'm going to just leave this thread open for a bunch of replies before I comment as to what I've noticed myself noticing more often than not.


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zethra09
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08 Mar 2013, 4:21 pm

My eyes wonder around or I look at the floor most of the time. If I happen to find someone's eyes I look away as fast as possible.



Robdemanc
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08 Mar 2013, 4:23 pm

I notice buildings, adverts, traffic, the things people are wearing, the curves in a road, shop windows, whether the sun is out or not, rubbish on the ground, puddles (if there are any), all the horrible noises.

I try not to take notice of anything but I remember lots of pointless things like the above.



zethra09
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08 Mar 2013, 5:16 pm

I missed the part where you were talking about what you notice haha. Well I'm kind of agorophobic so most of my mind is preoccupied with getting in and out asap. If my mind is free then I usually notice misspelled words or I involuntarilly calculate unit cost if i'm at the grocery store. I also tend to notice people giving me weird looks which makes me more paranoid than I already am unfortunately.



hyksos55
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08 Mar 2013, 5:16 pm

Living in sunny Texas I wear sunglasses a lot so I can hide behind them. But as far as what my eyes are fixating on & noticing, it’s usually the ground and other people’s shoes.


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MrStewart
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08 Mar 2013, 7:20 pm

I look at the ground mostly. It isn't because I am avoiding eye contact. In fact, I wouldn't say very many autistic people consciously and actively avoid eye contact. It's more that the eyes of another are not a focal point and receive no more attention than any other part of the body would. That is how it is for me, anyway. I don't mean to speak for anyone else.

Anyway, the reason I look at the ground is because I have a tendency to trip on things if I do not pay close attention to the path I am walking. I fear I will fall, so I always watch the ground.



jk1
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08 Mar 2013, 7:45 pm

I tend to be looking at the ground in front of me, I don't know how many meters away, when I'm walking in the city. I don't know the reason why I do that. Possibly for avoiding eye contact, not stepping on something yukky and/or making sure the ground that I'm going to step on is safe.



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09 Mar 2013, 2:11 am

MrStewart wrote:
It isn't because I am avoiding eye contact. In fact, I wouldn't say very many autistic people consciously and actively avoid eye contact. It's more that the eyes of another are not a focal point and receive no more attention than any other part of the body would. That is how it is for me, anyway. I don't mean to speak for anyone else.
.


It's similar for me. I don't really avoid eye contact that much, it's just that eyes are just one thing among many to look at. I look at everything around me.


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ZombieBrideXD
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09 Mar 2013, 6:40 am

i dont consciously avoid eye contact, but when i consciously make eye contact it makes me anxious and uncomfterble, i usually look everywhere



Cafeaulait
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09 Mar 2013, 6:59 am

jk1 wrote:
I tend to be looking at the ground in front of me, I don't know how many meters away, when I'm walking in the city. I don't know the reason why I do that. Possibly for avoiding eye contact, not stepping on something yukky and/or making sure the ground that I'm going to step on is safe.


Exactly the same for me. But I do sometimes make eyecontact with strangers. But it makes me uncomfortable if I do it too long or with everyone.



lamontge
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09 Mar 2013, 8:05 am

I find myself counting, there are 5 boards on the step leading up to the house 36 boards make up the railing. x cracks on the sidewalk, number of nails how many windows, its amazing for remembering what is where. But at times it is sensory overload.
If I am not counting I am lost in thought and usually not paying attention to whats going on.



Joe90
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09 Mar 2013, 12:23 pm

I often walk around avoiding eye contact with people, because I worry that if I make eye contact, they're going to make eye contact with me too, and just the thought of a stranger looking in my eyes fills me with social fear, because I immediately think ''oh my God they're judging me!'' I know this is completely irrational because people make eye contact with others all the time. It's a natural thing people do. I've noticed my friends and relatives and everyone else I have ever spoken to or been with in public always look up at other people. So I should bear that in mind and just do the same thing. If you can't beat them, join them, as they say.


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09 Mar 2013, 12:39 pm

I mostly look at the ground/sidewalk. If there are any plants or flowers around I notice and remember them in particular. I usually notice things about strangers that other people don't notice (fashion items, birthmarks, etc), probably because I am unconsciously avoiding looking at their faces. The same goes for unfamiliar rooms, I can remember the specifics of furniture placement and decor that other people seem to not notice, once again, probably because I spend conversations glancing around the room instead of at the person I'm talking to. As far as eye contact, sometimes I can do it without too much discomfort, other times not. If more than one person is looking at me, I get really nervous. For instance, three restaurant employees standing at the exit thanking customers, I will bolt by with my head down, trying to smile politely but unable to actually look at anyone.



Joe90
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09 Mar 2013, 12:58 pm

I can actually make eye contact with people that I am coming in some sort of contact with, like cashiers, bus-drivers, train-conductors, waiters/waitresses, etc etc etc. I find it natural and not so daunting. But just walking past strangers in general in the street feels more daunting, also there's no need for me to make eye contact with them, as long as I can see where I am going. This can be awkward though when I walk straight past someone whom I know in the street because of not looking at them, and it makes me look unfriendly then. That is always awkward.


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izzeme
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09 Mar 2013, 1:22 pm

i dont really notice a lot when i'm walking, i usually go on 'autopilot'; unless i am actuvely looking for something or following a routeguide; in which case i'm looking for specific identifiers, for the exclusion of everything else



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09 Mar 2013, 1:50 pm

when I am walking around town I like to look at the things in the shops and I am absorbed in my own thoughts. I don't pay attention to other people at all, accept to be courteous, like saying hello to shop keepers if they greet me, but that always seems awkward. No matter where I am, even in a crowded grocery store, I don't notice people at all. It's like I am all alone on a deserted planet. Afterwards, I remember walking down the aisles, looking at the food or whatever, but I don't remember any other people being in the store.