Why do i find it hard to look people in the eyes?

I don't know, maybe shyness, anxiety or even past learnings. It took me a long time to see my mother had a long time to look people in the eyes, and I like my mother for a long time in my life I found it uncomfortable. I don't anymore. I just look in their eyes now if I'm talked to. When I noticed this of my mother, I also learned just before, if you have difficulty or find it uncomfortable, breathe for a few seconds, pretend you are looking at their eyes, while maybe focusing on their bridge on their nose between their eyes, their lashes, or anywhere that almost creates direct connection in eyes. Once that becomes easier for you it becomes the rest becomes easier.

It will feel cheating at first, but it becomes natural. I expect you are shy, wanting meaning, while holding yourself back from shyness. These suggestions helped me. She's also much more communicative with her eyes now.

You say "these days." I have the same problem these days. It now seems more likely that a face-to-face response to what I say will be an impolite retort. In days past, I remember replies that were kinder words that pertained more closely to what I've just said, whether pro or anti my opinion. One tends to arm one's self against such shocks as we're seeing these days. Maybe you're doing what I do: avoid eye contact to separate yourself from your conversant and thereby blunt the sting.

I'm the same ,i think in my case long time abuse as a kid is a big part of it. Part of me is still a child and I'm afraid if people look in my eyes they will discover I'm just a broken kid pretending to be an adult .

I think I’ve said this to someone here before. A way to make it easy for you is just to look at their pupil, the black dot in their eye. If you’re just focussing on the pupil, then they think you’re engaging with them, but really you’re just focussing on the black dot in their eye.

That’s the trick that worked for me when I was young and it just became a habit until I became really comfortable with just looking in their eyes and at their faces and having really nice conversations with people

I have moments like that too. For me it's social anxiety but that isn't the full answer.
Maybe it's my fear that I might convey some wrong emotion I consciously didn't even mean to. Or maybe looking in the eyes is just too distracting and it's hard to focus on the words then. Idk, many possible explanations out there but it could be some hyperfocusing on how we are perceived or how to read another person even if it isn't all that important in the moment but the brain does whatever it wants to do.

It's a weirdly intimate act. It's supposed to establish closeness so that you can convey that you're listening or that you're committed to building trust, but most of the time you just don't want to get that close to strangers. We can listen just fine without locking eyes. It's an odd custom that feels completely unnecessary most of the time

In the most broad sense, looking people in the eyes creates the expectation of a mutual plan or understanding.

If a person lacks eye contact it can mean many different things, mostly involving struggles with exactly that. Maybe you don't trust yourself to successfully follow the conversation, or maybe you don't trust them.

It's not a stupid question. I would imagine you can't make eye contact because some people can look you straight in the eye and lie. You're probably tired of that.

I'm scared if I look people in the eye I'll say what's really on my mind