Why is it <span title="awkward??????????????????????????????????">awkward??????????????????...</span>

Question

Why is it awkward when you walk past someone that's coming in the opposite direction & you have to walk straight past each other.. where do you look?

Answer 1

Right at their eyes and offer a hello and have a nice day.

Answer 2

Isn&#039;t it funny - I&#039;ve so been there!  I used to feel the same way and then had to ask myself why I was doing this.

So I always smile and sometimes I go crazy and say &quot;hi.&quot;  It took a while to start doing this (especially in the morning, I&#039;m so not a morning person), but it&#039;s nice and I&#039;ve met a lot of nice people.

Answer 3

It&#039;s because you don&#039;t know them and they don&#039;t you. There is generally a slight thought they might say something rude...it&#039;s always initial confrontation when you don&#039;t know someones personality or anything.  I generally scan over the entire person for specific things (weapons, strange behaviour, jackets that might have weapons in it, or strange looks), then after the scan is over and I am sure they are not a physical threat then I stare downward but tilted towards there general direction so I could see any rapid sudden movements if they were to happen.  That way you don&#039;t freak people out by staring but you are still sure that they aren&#039;t a threat.  Last thing you want is to walk past someone and get a knife shoved into your back as you walk by it&#039;s always best to make sure.  Same when you enter a room..you need to do a quick scan throughout all the areas of the room for peope with jackets/weapons and see if anything looks suspicious before walking into a crowd of people.

Answer 4

say a little something...doesn&#039;t hurt!

Answer 5

Omg I feel the same way. I just look forward, so they don&#039;t think i`m staring at them.  

Answer 6

I always look at them and either smile or say hi. We are humans that need to be acknowledged in this ever so impersonal world.

Answer 7

I know what you mean.  I like to make brief eye contact, give a small smile and a nod of my head and then look away.   I don&#039;t feel so rude that way, but yet I don&#039;t feel like I&#039;m trying to come on to a total stranger.

I think it feels awkward because the polite thing to do would be to greet someone who is so close to you; however, in today&#039;s society this could be dangerous.

When I was in college, I found that giving a smile and a &quot;hello&quot; to passing strangers was a good way to meet new people.  But that was years ago, in a small town and safe environment.  

Answer 8

i look them in the eye but if they stare back i would take out my cell and pretend it just rang or somethin lol

Answer 9

I have lived all over the US and I have noticed that in the northern states people tend to not talk to &#039;strangers&#039; and can pass each other shoulder to shoulder without speaking or acknowledging the other.  I came to understand that they are not necessarily being rude it is just their upbringing.  While in the southern states, I noticed that you have to at least smile and nod at everyone you pass by and even (gasp) speak to them whether you know them or not.  If you don&#039;t you will be considered stuck up or rude.