starring people down

[dear john]

the place i live in now is so strange.

 

people like try to half stare you down but dont go through with it.

 

in my old nieghborhood, it was bad, you risked getting your butt kicked if you walked down the wrong street at night and that street was one street over from mine. people had the ultimate stare downs there.

 

but where i live now, nobody has that stare. people try to act like they have an attitude wih me and i just stare at them, eventually they get scared and go away. and it is not this scary star either, i dont have any thoughts of hurting these people, it is just a stare, i know the risk of looking way, so i cant because im afraid of what the unseen person might do. these people who look away know that the stare is supposedly hard core and if they can stare someone down than they feel tough, but do they know why people get starred down.

 

i dont really know what questions i want answered, i just want to hear some responses.

 

do any of you stare others down?

 

do you think it is an art?

 

can it be taught?

 

or does it have to be pounded into you by fear?

[Shorin Ryuu]

Um, I'm sure being able to "stare someone down" is more of a side effect rather than a general skill. It is simply you not being fazed by what is around you. Note that this is different than just obstinately not blinking or looking away, because you can be force yourself to do that.

 

I'm not sure if this was a "brag" post or not, but maybe you are looking into it too much? Pun intended, by the way.

 

I don't usually stare at people too much, simply because it could be considered rude by a lot of people. If I see someone looking at me too long, I might return the stare for a little bit, but I usually stop because I get bored or stop caring.

 

In other words, perhaps this "staring" is a sign of over aggression on your part? You claim not to be harboring any feelings of violence or whatnot, but it seems strange. Just curious.

[Ricochet]

When I lived in France, I used to get hit on by creepy guys sometimes. I found that saying anything to them, even "Go away" only encouraged them. Eventually, however, I found that a cold stare would send them on their way.

 

I called it the Icy Parisian Stare Attack!

[DLopez]

 

I can just picture someone that "wins" one of these staredowns... they go around bragging, "Yeh, I glared him into the ground, dawg! His eyeballing was so weak, Lasik won't help him!! I'm the stare-master, dawg!"

 

[cathal]

ROFL!!!

 

DLopez, that is the funniest thing I've heard all week!!

[dear john]

it is not a brag, it is more like a fear, like you cant look away, i dont know just wanted some responses.

 

most people dont usually brag about starring others down, they just do it like it was an everyday thing. you really cant be proud of something like that.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

Just like in the animal kingdom, staring can be percieved as an open challenge. If they back down to your stare...cool...you won. However, one of these days you'll run into somebody that won't back down and will challenge yo ueither verbally, or physically. And for what purpose?

 

I've had people stare at me blatently in an attempt to intimidate. I stare back for a few moments...change the expression of my eyes to "boring!", and look away. If he wants to consider himself the "winner"..fine by me.

 

BTW Ricochet...I'm assuming you're female? Or are you male and attracting "creepy guys"?

[thaiboxerken]

I like it when hot chicks stare me down.

[47MartialMan]

I have a force of habit, from training, not to stare.

 

Actually using peripheral vision.

 

When I was young, I had a speech impediment. I would stutter when talking to someone while making "eye" contact.

 

Upon realizing this, when I started my martial art training, my first master had me practicing peripheral vision. Another advantage than a "fighting concept"

 

To which, I no longer stutter, but I still have a somewhat habit not to "look" someone in the "eyes" when talking.

 

Some people "freak" on this as much as "staring".

[Master Jules]

My students tell me the scariest thing theyve ever seen is the fact that I dont look "at" them....but "through" them.