Published on 12, July, 2020
I am on the autism spectrum and I know those on the autism spectrum are often said to be socially awkward and have difficulty making friends.I was reflecting on this in the context of making eye contact and I know those on the autism spectrum often have difficulty making eye contact, as I do.Why I reflected on both was my feeling that reliable social contact with others may be guided by differences in how neurotypical people feel about social behaviours. For example, I notice I don't make eye contact because I find it incredibly uncomfortable to look somebody in the eye. I'd rather look just about anywhere else.But that then to me implies it's as much a feelings thing as a skills thing. I don't avoid eye contact because I don't know how to look into people's eyes, I avoid eye contact because I find it extremely uncomfortable.If you are on the autism spectrum will you please reply by writing something how you feel about eye contact and will you also write something more about what your theory is about social skills but also what the differences are between neurotypical people and those on the autism spectrum while we each try to be sociable? So, eye contact and being sociable, go! :)
i find eye contact rude.... its like your challenging someone, you dont want to give them that... i only give people any sharp eye contact if im really angry and i want them to know im gunning for them. otherwise, to anyone that isnt deemed your enemy its just rude.i think japan has the same idea as me, they find eye contact to be a challenge and to be rude and disrespectful too in their culture... its just different culture... but yet these ideas are in all cultures, just that the dominant idea for our culture became to mainatain eye contact at all time for some reason. it very well could have been that the idea that eye contact is rude could have been the dominant idea in the west too but yet the maintain eye contact idea won out... what is socially norm is still just a variable idea that not all adhere to.