Let ’s just settle one spot before we get into the how s and why s of staring . Regardless of intent , context or even the facial facial expression of the person staring , it makes most people – in most cultures – uncomfortable to be steadily gaze upon . Unless you are a person that take on everyone is in awe of you , being gaped at is rude because it make hoi polloi feel self - conscious . Etiquette and manners dictate that we should make those around us feel at ease . Anytime you ’re give someone the notion that they ’re stick out out , the motion is usually going to number as unwelcome .
But that ’s the extremely short , non - interesting answer and does n’t really get to the crux of the matter of our inquiry . It does n’t serve how we decided star was an noisome caliber and it does n’t address if perhaps it ’s metre we start rethink our corporate aversion to it . So let ’s begin with a littlepsychologyaround our willingness – and some would indicate congenital penury – to stare .
Let ’s acknowledge that the human brain seems to enjoy category . Are you a man or a woman ? Is this target liberal or small ? threaten or safe ? It ’s something we do well-nigh constantly and seems to come quite naturally [ source : Invisibilia ] . Of course , most of us who are sighted do this by looking at the world around us and serve it . Even glance at a stranger ’s face postulate a pretty enough categorization process , where we see to it the eyes , olfactory organ and sassing quickly for recognition [ source : Musolf ] .
The thing is , a modest deviation in what we ’re used to – let ’s say a prominent nascence mark or a scar at the lips – might mail ourbraininto overdrive , as we now might not as quickly scan and forget . So what do we do ? We stare . Some posit that this is a expert survival mechanics for making certain we ’re adhere with our own family or community or –at the very least – it implies we ’re avoiding enemies [ beginning : Musolf ] .
Now in a manner , that could be an argument for why it ’s rude to stare . It imply that someone is dissimilar or strange - seeming . That ’s a very dangerous and noisome action towards a individual with a disablement or who is physically scar by a cultural or racial signifier different from our own . But one study argue that the answer to gaze at nonage populations in our culture is less about opinion and more about understanding .
The 2012 University of Southern California study had participants observe everyday actions by both typical - abled the great unwashed and those with a " refreshing biological effector " [ source : Liew ] . ( For example , a woman without in full develop arm might be shown accomplishing the same task with her residual limb . ) The researchers discover that when watching a typical person using their workforce , the brain was rather quiet ; when a person with residual limb was show , the psyche of the player establish tremendous activity [ reference : Liew ] . But even more interesting ? As they continued observe , their mind hush to the same levels as when they watched the typically - function video .
What does this say ? It might imply that watching multitude who are dissimilar than us is really helping us learn and empathize . It does n’t exactly give you costless reign to gaze at strangers , but it might not ache to read why a tiddler , for instance , might demand a lesson in conflict after nearly keep someone who does n’t await like them .
