Why Do People Always Stare at Me: 13 Practical Reasons.

2. You look familiar.

“Why do people always stare at me?” Well, it could be that your face looks familiar. Believe it or not, there are people with familiar faces. If many people have asked you if they knew you, you probably have a familiar face. Having a familiar face could be good or bad depending on what they know about the person they thought you looked like. You’ve probably seen or heard of celebrity look-alikes before. You might be one.

3. They know something about you.

When people stare at you, it could be because they’ve seen you do something they like or hate; heard good or bad things about you, or they’ve read something about you that interests them. This is particularly true if you see a group of people staring at you whenever you visit a particular place.

4. They are trying to read you.

When you enter a room, and you find people staring at you, it could be that they are trying to read you. This happens to many people too, and therefore, you should not let it bother you. People stare at others because they are a good distraction from their boredom. As soon as the next person comes in, they remove their gaze from you and focus on the next person.

5. You have qualities that make you stand out.

If the tallest or shortest people in the world enter a place you are in, you’ll probably stare. People stare at people with qualities not considered ‘normal’ within a given situation. For example, a person with black hair amid people with red hair can be singled out easily. A tall child in a family of little people will get lots of stares. A year-old child who speaks with understanding will get lots of stares from people. Perhaps people are staring at you because there is something about you that stands out.

6. They want to exert dominance over you.

Sometimes when people stare at you, they want to establish power over you (the new kid in the block). People like these can be found in pubs, small neighborhoods, certain businesses, games, and competitions. It is never a good idea to bother staring back at people. Be confident in your lane and own it. This way, they will find it difficult to intimidate you.

7. You have a strong aura.

If you have many people staring at you no matter where you go or what you do, it could mean that you have a strong aura. If you notice that people scrutinize every decision you make, even when it shouldn’t be their business, you have a strong aura. They do this because they are intimidated by you. Sadly, the kind of attention people with a strong aura get can be problematic, and that is why they prefer to live a quiet life.

8. You’ve done something wrong, and they are judging you.

When you notice a group of people staring at you attentively in a particular setting, you’ve probably done something or you’re currently doing something that has drawn their attention towards you. They may be judging your every move and would probably say something to you if they feel that you’ve gone way out of line. For example, if you’ve visited some conservative societies and probably lived with them for a while, you would likely get stared at for wearing short clothes, having a tattoo, or tinting your hair because their culture or religion does not permit it. They might also judge you if you have tattoos and dyed your hair. The funny thing is that sometimes you’ll have no clue that you are doing something wrong except when told.

9. You have something they want.

Sometimes when people stare at you, you have something they want. Such people will continuously stare at you to make eye contact with them and perhaps nudge them to come closer. If you’ve been to many poor neighborhoods, you will understand this. What of moments after you’ve done your hair at the salon and people stared at you? Another example is in public settings that need you to fill out forms. At times, people forget to bring along a pen, and therefore, they stare at people to know when they can approach them and borrow their pens.

10. They have something you need.

Not everyone that has what you need will walk up to you and tell you that they do. A person staring at you in such a situation wouldn’t want you to think they are creepy, desperate, or fraudulent. They’ll only stare at you until you figure it out. Strange right? Yes, it happens. If you find people staring at you, keep an open mind. They could be helpers. They could point you in the direction or lead you to the people you need. They could also have the product you desperately need.

11. They are trying to warn you.

Sometimes, people cannot outrightly warn us about an impending danger. Doing so may put them in danger themselves, and therefore the only way they can warn us is to stare at us, hoping that we will begin to entertain doubt and walk away from the situation. Sometimes the best thing to do when someone is staring at you is to be observant and attentive, especially if you are threading in unfamiliar terrain.

12. You are unfamiliar.

When people stare at you, they might be trying to figure out who you are. They’ve probably never seen you before and can tell that you are not from around there.  They stare at you out of suspicion or curiosity. They stare at you to see if they can predict your behavior and be alarmed by your presence.

13. You draw attention to yourself.

When people stare at you, it is because you’ve chosen to draw attention to yourself. People stare at what they think is different from the norm. When you dress a certain way, look a certain way and act a certain way, you will most likely draw attention to yourself. Imagine you decide to eat with your hand when every other person eats with a spoon, fork, or knife. Expect people to stare at you. Carrying 15 boxes of pizza when you already look overweight will cause people to stare at you.

What to do when someone is staring at you.

No two situations are alike, and therefore you should not use one method to confront people you see staring at you.

When you find people staring at you, mentally take a quick examination of the entire scenario by asking yourself some key questions.

• Am I new to this area?
•  Is it a small town?
• Am I wearing something colorful or unique?
• Do I have features that make me stand out?
• How were they staring at me?
• For how long were they staring at me?
• What does the person staring at me look like? Should I be worried about them?

When you find people staring at you, you can either;

1. Smile and wave.

When people stare at you, and their facial gestures say they admire you, the best thing to do is to say hi if you are close to them, wave, smile, and go your way. However, we wouldn’t encourage you to pay attention to every admirer staring at you. Sometimes pretend not to have seen and go your way except they approach you to say hi.

2. Make a joke.

One great way to stop people from staring at you is to put them in the spotlight. What better way to do this than crack a joke they won’t miss. “My bra is screaming; stop staring at me.”

3. Make comical gestures.

Another way to make people stop staring at you is to make comical gestures. You have to be wise about using this method. The safest people to use this trick on are young children or admirers.

4. Stare back confidently.

There are times when people stare at you to intimidate you and establish dominance. It is important you stare back confidently, keep your gestures unfriendly, and then ignore them completely. Do not even look at them throughout your stay around them.

5. Ignore and mind your business.

Sometimes the best way to handle those staring at you is to ignore them as though they do not exist completely. Remember, not everyone is worth your attention; therefore, learn to stop bothering about who is looking at you or not. People staring at you could mean absolutely nothing. They might not even know they are staring at you.

6. Move away from the place.

It’s not a good idea to stay in a place where a strange person is staring at you, or a group of people is staring at you poorly. You never can tell what they are up to.

7. Don’t take it personally.

Remind yourself that staring is normal human behavior that you should not take personally. Remind yourself that people’s intentions can be mean, childish, friendly, and many more when they stare. Remember that some people are not staring at you even if it feels like they are staring at you. Teach your mind never to allow how people stare at you to define your day or make you feel less confident in yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions.

1. When someone stares at you, what does it mean?

• You look familiar
• You have qualities that make you stand out
• You have something they want
• They are trying to read you
• They are trying to assert dominance
• You’re doing something that draws attention to yourself
• You have a strong aura
• You are physically attractive
• They are trying to warn you
• They have something you want or need
• You are unfamiliar.

2. What does it mean when someone keeps looking at me?

Usually, most long stares should be seen as warnings. Meaning you should be very attentive and careful. The people staring at you could be creepy or might be warning you of impending danger.

However, there are times when people stare out of curiosity. You may have a quality that stands out. You might be very tall or from a different race. You might be wearing a unique traditional attire that they’ve not seen before.

Whatever reasons people might have for staring at you for a long time, be more attentive and careful until you are sure it is a harmless stare.

In summary

There are various reasons why people stare at you. Sometimes their motives are good and sometimes bad. Teach yourself not to ruin your day or disturb yourself because of people’s stares.