Eye Contact

Eye contact is considered a sign or honesty and strength in many cultures, but in some cultures it is instead, taken as a rude gesture as well as a way of showing disrespect. Eye contact occurs when two people catch each other’s eyes. One culture that views direct eye contact as a form of disrespect is the Asian culture. Direct eye contact can also be considered aggressive in many cultures.

http://danddsmommie.spaces.live.com/blog/cns8B586E30788FB99!233.entry

In the U.S we normally start a conversation with eye contact, but after a short period of time we let our eyes glance to the side, then re-connect with the other‘s. It is a bit uncomfortable if your talking to someone that doesn’t break eye contact. It’s almost as if they want to stare you down to win a game. For the Asian culture, too much eye contact can be looked at as disobedience as well.
One example to further show our different view on eye contact would be if a child gives direct eye contact to his or her parents, in the Asian culture, it is sometimes looked as that the child is challenging the parent or parents’ authority. Here, in the U.S. a parent may get upset if their child isn’t looking at them at all. They may think that he or she isn’t listening or that they aren’t being taken seriously (disrespected).

http://go-getglobal.com/g3blog/2007/11/09/eye-contact-asian-style/

In the North American culture, we value eye contact for the most part. It shows a sign of honesty and respect, however, it can be a bad thing if it turns into a ‘stare down’. A stare down would be a way to show anger or become a bit of a challenge for the other person. So if your from another part of the world, I wouldn’t suggest staring at a big guy with muscles, even if it’s okay in your culture!

In the U.S. it is also said by some that one that cannot make eye contact with another, he or she is untrustworthy. Luckily, not everyone goes by that saying.