The eyes can detect tiny changes in the bodies of others. Laboratory instrumentation has shown that some of these slight changes are detected at the subconscious level and affect blood flow relating to sexual arousal. These slight body changes in others alert us to how they are feeling about us from moment to moment.
Here are some of the subtle changes the eyes can detect.
- Changes in skin tone and texture due to blood flow changes when emotions fluctuate.
- Changes in eye pupil size as interest peaks and wanes.
- Tensioning and release of tiny muscles in the face and scalp from emotional changes.
- Eye angle changes (even at a distance) as one diverts attention away or on something.
- The precision timing of eye contact indicating interest, disinterest, or intimidation.
Our eyes are very expressive and send many body language messages in numerous ways.
For example:
- Glistening eyes from extra tear duct secretion causes a twinkling and glittering look that indicates strong emotion. This could be either distress, short of crying or excitement such as passion or triumph.
- Narrowing the eyes deliberately indicates anguish and distaste and may be used by directing it to another who is the source of that feeling.
- Glaring eyes are used to intimidate. This cue is also used by many animals. In males, it may immediately trigger fight or flight responses accompanied with hormone release.
- Unfocused eyes mean a person’s mind is wandering and not paying attention.
- Lowering the eyes indicates modesty or submission. This relates to the bow as a sign of respect to others or feeling of inferiority.
- A wink with the closed eye directed at a person implies a shared secret.
- Frequent blinking during conversation indicates high interest. Some women use a rapid flutter of their eyelashes to get a man’s attention.
Eyes are Important for Your Mate Selection
Compared to the primates, only humans have a white area around the center-colored portion of their eyes. And even though the male eye is slightly larger than the female eye, the female eye has a higher proportion of white showing. Women interested in attracting men’s attention will do well to use wide-eyed and darting eye movements to flash as much eye white area as often as possible. Men are attracted to that!
Men are attracted to young healthy women because they have the best success in producing healthy offspring. Bright, white areas in a woman’s eyes plus long, thick eyelashes are excellent indicators of female good health. Women know how their eye contact can activate men’s hormones and interest. Therefore, women are very careful to avoid eye contact with men in public – unless the women want attention. If a woman wants attention from a man, she knows eye contact (plus a little smile) is one of the fastest ways to get it.
One of the important considerations for men choosing a mate is the female’s age. The age difference is not as important to women, but men in all cultures prefer young women. Over eons, these selection criteria by men have been to their advantage for producing the maximum number of healthy offspring. Young women have the least chromosome damage and have the best chance of producing healthy babies.
Men unconsciously recognize the youth of woman by the size of her ears comparing the size of her eyes.
The ears and nose continue to grow constantly as we age, but the eye size remains nearly the same throughout life. Cartoonists know this and use it to make their characters appear young and appealing by drawing them with large eyes and small noses and ears. Women throughout history have also taken advantage of this fact and made themselves look younger by using makeup to increase the apparent size of their eyes. And for enough money, surgery can change the nose and ears to remove a decade or two.
Secrets About Eyes and Flirting
Here is a flirting signal women often use during a conversation with a man. As she speaks, she looks to her upper right side. This does two things. First, a large area of white is revealed indicating “femaleness” and good health. Second, looking up to the right indicates she is thinking mental pictures about the FUTURE. That might raise his curiosity! He may wonder, “Is she picturing the same thing I am?” (Probably not!)
If she looks up to her left (observer’s right– as in this picture), this indicates she is thinking mental pictures about the PAST. (Maybe she recalls last night!)
These eye movement patterns are done naturally by nearly everyone who thinks with mental pictures. (Some small number of people think in sounds and some with feelings.) Of course, if you plan to use this in flirting, you should enhance your eyes with an abundance of eye mascara, eye shadow, and perfectly shaped healthy eyebrows. When done slowly and with a coy head tilt, this body language eye movement can greatly stimulate a man. It is an art form that the best flirters develop to a highly effective level.
Facts About Your Amazing Eyes
The eye is truly a magnificent organ with a remarkable structure that we take for granted. For example, the retina (back of the eyeball) is made up of 137 million cells. As we look out and study the world around us, one-and-a-half million simultaneous messages are going to the brain each moment. For efficiency, the data flow is reduced as most of the retina cells (130 million out of 137 million) see only in black and white. Only a relatively few cells (7 million) respond to color. This greatly reduces the amount of information the brain must process from moment to moment.
Here are more fascinating facts:
- There are approximately 200 tiny hairs called eyelashes immediately above and below the eye. They grow only to a fixed length and then fall out in about 3 to 5 months. Each hair is replaced by another one, and none has time to turn gray like other hair on the body. The life span of the hairs in our eyebrows is about the same, but some of the replacement eyebrow hairs may become gray as we grow older.
- The cornea is the only tissue in the human body that doesn’t require blood.
- All humans have the ability to see ultraviolet light, but it is passively filtered out by the eye’s lens. People who undergo surgery to remove the lens can detect ultraviolet light.
- Blue eyes originated 6,000 to 10,000 years ago as a result of a genetic mutation prior to which all humans had brown eyes.
- Most women are subconsciously attracted to brown-eyed men.
Our Eyes Constantly Work to Help Us Survive
Tear ducts in the eyes secrete a fluid to keep the eyes clean and lubricated. The tears are antibacterial and keep the eyes free of infection even though they are exposed to uncountable bacteria in the air. When we cry, the tears, facial expressions, and sounds send body language messages to indicate happiness, sadness, or distress. Most primates and land animals do not weep. However, reports are indicating that seals and sea otters do weep and shed tears when emotionally distressed, such as when they have lost their young. A woman in Australia accidentally killed a kangaroo with her automobile and later saw the mate standing over it and weeping.
The dark center of the eye called the pupil is constantly sending unconscious body language messages. The pupil is an excellent and reliable broadcaster of emotions. When the pupil is closed down to a small opening (when not in bright light), it indicates a lack of interest or something distasteful. Dilated (wide open) pupils indicate high interest. The pupil dilates as much as 45% when looking at something pleasant. When talking to a partner of the opposite sex, this high interest may be “desire”. When a person looks around, at the mouth and maybe even lower body parts, there is “lust in those orbs!”
Are Your Eyes Sending the Right Message?
Since the eyes are our most powerful body language message transmitters, here are some general rules about using your eyes:
It is OK to look into the eyes of another person for longer periods of time when it’s a situation like written below.
- You like or love them.
- You are far apart and trying to improve communication.
- You are deeply interested in what they are saying.
- You know they are extroverted and like being close.
- You are expecting an answer or response. (Also drop the tone of your voice at the last word to signal you are waiting for a response.)
