this post was submitted on 27 Mar 2026
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Anyone else just not like looking at faces (lemmy.zip)
submitted 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) by hodgepodgin@lemmy.zip to c/asklemmy@sh.itjust.works
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Sometimes I just don’t want to look at faces. Sometimes not even my own— I have to force myself to meet my own eyes. In public it’s either no eye contact or just a furtive glance. At work I catch myself accidentally drifting my eyes somewhere else like the floor or a random tool bag.

I know we’re all put together differently but this seems to be something a lot of people now have.

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[–] lengau@midwest.social 10 points 3 days ago

I'm autistic. Yes I hate looking at faces.

[–] CraigCabbage@feddit.online 7 points 2 days ago

I hate looking at faces. I have autism if that has anything to do with it

[–] teft@piefed.social 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Have you been screened for autism because that's a classic sign.

[–] hodgepodgin@lemmy.zip 3 points 3 days ago (2 children)

I thought about it but it’s a shame/anxiety thing for me. I have a brittle social support network and few real connections besides the ones my parents made for me or the ones I made accidentally. And I’ve actually kinda broken a few of them through ‘no contact,’ so it would really just be exacerbated at this point…

[–] rimu@piefed.social 5 points 2 days ago

Knowing whether you have autism or not doesn't change who you are, it gives you knowledge you need to navigate the world better.

[–] teft@piefed.social 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I would talk to a therapist if you can afford one. Even just a consult to see what they might think could be a good idea. They can teach you coping mechanisms or exercises to minimize the anxiety you feel.

Just know that lots of other people also don't like looking at people's faces.

[–] bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 days ago

Yeah usually especially if I'm telling a sad story. I don't like others feeling for me.

[–] Flying_Penguin@lemmy.zip 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I hate looking at faces. For me it is because we do not look the way i think we should. We look wrong.

[–] starik@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Do cartoon faces look more right?

[–] Flying_Penguin@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 days ago

No they are about the same. Except for anime, which is way worse, mostly because of the eyes being exaggerated.

[–] sad_detective_man@sopuli.xyz 2 points 2 days ago

Yeah I don't like how strangers want to hold my gaze. Or the things that they think they can read from me by looking at my face. The advent of getting to wear masks in public has been great for me

[–] answersplease77@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

I dont unless I was talking to them. most people dont

[–] Hideakikarate@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 days ago

It has to be a conscience effort for me, then I have to not continue to stare at their face in order to not be seen as creepy. It's a constant balancing.

[–] WalrusDragonOnABike@reddthat.com 1 points 3 days ago

Given where you're posting, the sign that someone is an extrovert is that they look at the other person's shoes instead of their own. /j

I have a tendency to avoid looking at people I think and suspect the habit partly came from the same place as not wanting to see myself.