Why we do not like stranger to stare at us?

Saint

Saint

Valued Senior Member
Why we do not like stranger to stare at us for >10 seconds ?
We will feel uneasy and maybe annoyed.
What's the psychological reasons?
 
When people look at you for more than a few seconds, it generally means they are interested in something about you. It could be that they are sexually attracted to you or that they want to pick a fight with you. It could mean a whole host of things but all of which should make us feel uncomfortable.
 
We don't always like our friends staring at us either. ("Stop looking at me!") When a stranger stares at us, we're uncomfortable because we don't know what they're up to. When a friend stares at us, we're nervous because they know too much about what we are up to.
 
Saint said:
Why we do not like stranger to stare at us for >10 seconds ?
We will feel uneasy and maybe annoyed.
What's the psychological reasons?
Click to expand...

We suspect they will try to eat us.

And if that stranger is me... well, fair point on your paranoia then.
 
Actually, in seriousness, that works for cats also. The wife used to lie on the floor, stare the cat in the eye and make little breathing noises. Eventually - and every time - the cat would dart in and half-heartedly smack her in the face. Always. It was great fun for the family, and demonstrative that most organisms aren't too keen on it, presumably for the reasons of the attacking or eating, above.
 
Saint said:
Why we do not like stranger to stare at us for >10 seconds ?
We will feel uneasy and maybe annoyed.
What's the psychological reasons?
Click to expand...
It is probably because we start to think there is something wrong and that is why they are staring. Not to mention that we might feel uncomfortable and uneasy because it may make us feel unsafe and unsure.

Not to mention that when adults do it to other adults or children, it can feel downright creepy. Even more so when they start following you and staring at you.
 
Staying alive and healthy is a full-time job, even 11,000 years after the end of the Stone Age. We have to be aware of our surroundings everywhere except when locked inside our homes--and even there we need to be on the lookout for strangers, wild animals, falling trees, crashing cars and airplanes (not to mention drones), in our yard.

If someone is staring at you intently, he has made a decision to concentrate on you, at the expense of the potential dangers that might come from any other direction.

Why is he doing this??? What's so important about you that he considers this a rational decision?
 
Not knowing what they are thinking is probably the worst of it. I've had staring moments in bars where I anticipated a fight; whereas, at work or in similar situations, the question of what went wrong comes up. The environment and social situation plays a role, I believe. I had a friend who was a people watcher. he would stare at people without regard for what they might think about it. I think people just interest him so much that he couldn't stop looking.
 
GeoffP said:
Actually, in seriousness, that works for cats also. The wife used to lie on the floor, stare the cat in the eye and make little breathing noises. Eventually - and every time - the cat would dart in and half-heartedly smack her in the face. Always. It was great fun for the family, and demonstrative that most organisms aren't too keen on it, presumably for the reasons of the attacking or eating, above.
Click to expand...
Weird, I know dogs take staring as aggression, but I thought it was different for cats, where staring shows interest. I have a bunch of cats and they don't care if I stare at them.
 
She was making little breathy noises at the same time, so perhaps there's a vocal component.
 
A dog will sniff your butt if you let it. Dogs are very social animals. I've seen them interact in many situations. I'm still not certain what brings on the aggression--whether it's a look or some other trigger.
 
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