It’s the kind of gesture that few people notice. However, experts in psychology believe that looking at the floor when someone is talking to you gives information about your personality. Depending on the individual and the circumstances, it can indicate shyness, disinterest, attraction or social anxiety. In this article, discover some possible meanings.
Are actions more eloquent than words?
If you are interested in psychology, you will know that your interactions go far beyond the simple use of words. Your gesticulating hands, your face miming your emotions, and above all, your eyes capturing and transmitting a myriad of information, all this shapes your relationships on a daily basis.
During each of your conversations, your body takes revealing poses. This can be a hand slipped into your pocket, a finger brushing your nose, etc. These seemingly innocuous gestures are not. In reality, they are true windows into your feelings and your most intimate thoughts.
A look that turns to the ground during a conversation, for example, is far from anecdotal. However, its meaning varies according to the context, the relationship between you and the person you are talking to and the specific circumstances. Fortunately, experts in psychology have studied this behavior.
Psychology explains why we look down
Staring at the ground during a discussion is far from being a universally clear gesture. When faced with an unknown face, this evasive gaze could well betray a reserved nature, or even a certain inner fragility. According to psychology, for people with social anxiety, avoiding face-to-face situations becomes a form of armor.
In other words, it is a way of navigating the tumult of interactions without feeling overwhelmed. That said, what does that same downward gaze mean when it meets the gaze of a familiar face? It could then signal a mind elsewhere, a weariness in the face of remarks considered repetitive or just unstimulating.
A constant avoidance of eye contact could mean disengagement, according to psychology experts. It is a sign of a conversation that is struggling to captivate or, even worse, is creating a palpable uneasiness. Sometimes, this evasion reveals an attempt to escape an exchange perceived as sterile or bland.
However, don’t jump to conclusions! This same avoidance can also take on a completely different meaning in the arena of feelings. Indeed, in the subtle game of seduction or in the midst of a strong emotion, looking away can be a sign of an emerging attraction. However, it is circumstantial.
Do you look down when you speak?
Did you know that your eyes sometimes wander not out of rudeness, but because they are overwhelmed by intellectual activity? Psychological studies have proven it. Researchers have discovered that when your brain is working hard to decipher a complex idea or organize your thoughts, your eyes tend to look away.
It’s a way of freeing up cognitive bandwidth. A bit as if your brain were saying to our eyes: “Let me think in peace!” And then there’s that irrepressible urge to escape from a burdensome situation. A fleeting glance in the direction of the exit could well be the discreet signal of a mind dreaming of somewhere else.
If this is the case, perhaps you are looking for a way out, even an imaginary one, to escape a conversation that is dragging on.
