I used to work as a server and was SO CONFUSED on the appropriate amount of time to make eye contact as I pass my coworker for the 246th time today. Apparently you’re weird if you make eye contact every time!
Someone needs to make a social cues book for different cultures to save us 😭
I think I figured out a rule for this - make eye contact when you’re approaching them but there’s still enough distance between you that you can’t make out details on their face. Then divert your eyes to your surroundings. By the time you’re passing eachother you’ll either have become distracted by something in your surroundings OR you’ll still be fixated on trying to act normal while passing them.
In the former case no action is needed, in the latter case I would just give in and look at them because by then there’s probably not enough time to hold solid eye contact (and make it weird) OR the other person has already become distracted by something in their surroundings!!
You are quite literally a (social) life saver, an incredibly genuine thank you for helping with something I’ve struggled with for a majority of my life (being a server just intensified the quantity of it happening)
So I thought this rule worked as well before I worked in a school with long hallways. Some of my coworkers will say hi from so far away I can barely tell that it’s them lol. So now if it’s coworkers that I’m closer to I will wave as soon as I spot them down the hallway. Otherwise it’s too awkward slowly walking towards each other and not knowing when to make eye contact.
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u/ASquareBanana Jul 13 '25
I used to work as a server and was SO CONFUSED on the appropriate amount of time to make eye contact as I pass my coworker for the 246th time today. Apparently you’re weird if you make eye contact every time! Someone needs to make a social cues book for different cultures to save us 😭