9mo ago

staring rule

119 comments

I remember being young and thinking middle-aged people are staring at me because they want me /they disapprove/whatever.
Now I'm middle aged myself, I know the staring is way more likely to either be something along the lines of "ah that kid is so 90s, I never had that green colour but blue Fudge used to wash out to green like that..."
Or "have we run out of natural yoghurt, we bought that 500ml pottle last week but we had curry twice, maybe I should get some more..."
- Or "have we run out of natural yoghurt, we bought that 500ml pottle last week but we had curry twice, maybe I should get some more..."
  This is me. I have to really watch where I'm zoning out because I have absolutely been called out for staring when my brain was miles away.
  
  Me too, it's like the boring version of those "reveries" in Westworld.
  
  I did this once in freshman year HS. I was sitting on my friend's desk zoned out staring at a book on someone else's desk, and I came out of it when a girl said "THOSE ARE BOOBS"
  Idk how long I was staring, but I was still kinda pissed because she was just standing in front of me for no discernable reason.
- "OK so she must've bleached the full head then done the green side first, then the black side. Man her scalp must be itchy as fuck. What did I used to use to stop the burn? Coconut oil? Yeah that's right. Smelt like Malibu for a week or so, and had to throw out that set of pillow cases. Man that sucks, I loved those pillow cases, perfect for winter. I wonder if you can still get them?"
  
  Morpheus: ".... and find out just how deep the rabbit hole goes." Only it's more like an interconnected maze of rabbit holes leading everywhere. I wonder if you can still get "pina colada" Malibu?
  Theoretically she could part her hair with a knife and bleach the green side, wait 20 min and put the black side on with a toothbrush, then wash it and add the green as required?
  I love how Gen Z has gone back to all that stuff.
  
  I've gotten multicolor hairdo once. The darker colors don't need bleach at all, just put black over natural.
  If you separate your hair strands properly you can apply both dyes at the same time in one session, minimal crossbleeding.
- I'm still wondering how the 90s entered kids garderobes again overnight. Sometimes I see a very funny xxxxxxxxwide jeans and I talk about that with my kids in the car and yes I do stare a bit with curiosity and amusement.
  
  Fashion goes in cycles. Personally I'm just waiting for the nice wide jeans to filter down to an affordable price point and then I'm going to get some for myself.
  I hate skinny jeans. They feel cloying and I'm pretty sure they promote swamp crotch.
  
  I know this Is an old post, but in the early 2000s 70's fashion came back in vogue -- a 30 years difference. And 30 years ago from today is the 90s, so it makes sense.
  I think it's a result of the 40 year old crowd. They're a demographic with money and starting to get nostalgic for their childhood, so the market caters to that . Kids get exposed to it, a few trend setters decide it's cool/vintage, and it takes off from there.

Jokes on you then. I'm probably staring because I'm trying to figure out what's going on with that eye makeup, and I have no idea what that face is supposed to mean.
- It's the same face I am making trying to figure out the eye makeup

Middle aged men today? They’re millennials and that’s called a 1000 yard stare.
You’ll understand soon.
- They’re thinking about the house they can’t afford.

All I see is crazy eyes which means she'll most likely let me do the weird stuff
- I can fix her
  
  As a middle-aged man with a long history of crazy chicks in my past... Yeah this is working for me
  
  She could fix me
  ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯
- they say it's better the second time

Plot twist: they are into that and see that as a yes
(that as in what they are doing to repeal the middle aged man)
- then I continue making that face and hit them with one of these :3
  
  So you're into BDSM as well?
  
  half life crowbar sound effect
  
  Hi Mia, this was the only good reply to this whole post. 🩷
  
  the uno reverse card is played, they are into head bonks! 🤣
  
  BONK
- Yes, they already said it's about middle aged men, same plot

Yeah, if I'm staring at you, it means a) I'm thinking about what I'm cooking at home, or balancing HOR production with HOR-to-fuel conversion in Satisfactory and b) my eyes are so bad (I haven't had prescription glasses for years now) that you're a blur of colors.
That said, I wonder if she likes board games.
- But all men are creeps, surely you're lying? Men only stare at woman because they're pigs, obviously. /s
  
  That's a horrible thing to say about women.
- I feel the eyes one. When I was a kid and showing old people how to use a computer, I used to think they were slow. Like they had to think. Now that I'm older, I'm waiting for my eyes to focus.
- That said, I wonder if she likes board games.
  GET AWAY FROM US, BOARD JAMES!!

There is a difference between a guy staring into the void, and an older guy checking you out. I've experienced both and I don't understand how people manage to confuse the two.
- Being either self-absorbed, or traumatised?
  
  What? No. Just either stuck in a general thinking mood or think about all the things he'd want to do to you
- One day, about 10 years ago, a guy pull out a knife to fight me in a subway station because he thought I was staring at him. Also got some nasty comments from women who thought I was looking at them when I didn't even notice their presence. Now I try to look at the floor in public in case I get lost in my mind.
  
  Fuck that's horrible. Yeah. I made eye contact with a guy that lasted too long. We were walking towards each other. He grabbed the back of my head and pushed it down. Wasn't as scary as it sounds. Just disrespectful. I avoid eye contact too. Some people are just evil.
- It is in fact really easy to tell the difference, you just hear more about the times people make the mistake because it's not noteworthy when somebody goes "that guy's just staring off into space" and is right. You also likely have a bigger emotional reaction, assuming you're a guy, to a woman mistakenly thinking a guy is staring at her and being wrong than you do the knowledge that women get stared at a lot, so it makes the first seem like it's happening more often.
  I've lived on both sides (trans) and can tell you I didn't realize it was this common to get really obviously stared at by older men. And the older they are the more likely they are to do it, which is lucky, because I'm much less afraid of a 70 year old man doing anything to me than a 20-40 year old. I find the only thing I can do in that situation is to avoid looking them directly in the eyes, because they take that as a sign to approach.
  
  Am a woman. And sorry to hear about your bad experiences. Guess it comes with the territory huh? Older men sure know how to be creeps. And older women too. Cougars are predators after all.

I’ve got to admit, a girl makes that face at me, I’m going to walk up and start explaining the plot of Krull (1983) for as long as she can hold it. If she makes it through the whole thing I’m pretty sure we’re legally married.
- This is the most random thing I've heard in a while. 🤣 I love it!
  As a lifelong fan of the movie, I approve of this tactic.

Half the time I have no idea what I am staring at. It's like having closed eyes, but they're open. It's my autopilot staring, not me.
On a side note, that lip piercing (just like any other piercing in mouth) may cause tooth damage and/or gum recession over time. It's a bad idea.
- that lip piercing (just like any other piercing in mouth) may cause tooth damage and/or gum recession over time. It's a bad idea.
  Nope, nope, nope. Incorrect. Vertical labrets, which this person in the picture has, do not go into your mouth at all. It goes vertically straight up through your lip. No part of it is ever inside your mouth.
  I feel you on the autopilot eyes, though!
  
  The piercing that’s sitting 2mm from her front teeth in the photo will never collide with them? Yeah ok chief, I do have eyes here. I’m sure she never chews on that conveniently place fidgeter.

~~Maybe don't look so cool like the girl I want to be if you don't want to be stared at.~~
Cool hair...sorry
- Wowwww victim blaming much?
  
  Victim of looking cool?

you remind me of my acid dropping goth friend from the 80's. the "crazy" stare really sells it. wanna take drugs in the park and laugh at people in pleated jeans?

Is that flirting? My Social skill is still around 12/100, but I heard that face is what people call flirting
- I think she's trying to put them off to get them to stop staring. So the opposite of flirting. But it's not super clear
- Could be "come hither", could be "I have mace"
  
  You're not helping!

I am middle age! I get stares from college kids haha, I look younger than I am. I don’t care who looks, and I am too autistic to stare at others 🤷‍♀️

The narcissism on so many levels is such an adorable aspect of this generation
- The narcissism on so many levels is such an adorable aspect of ~~this~~ every generation
  Same thing happened in : 90s with Goths, 80s with New Wave , 70s with gender fluid androgyny, 60s with hippies, 50s with rock and roll... 20s with flapper girls.
- People like to star apparently.

The responses to this post have been disgusting
- Yeah its like they don't understand the difference between just looking at someone that has a cool haircut and someone creep staring at you to where you feel unsafe.
  I don't want people staring at me like I'm a zoo animal. Bur apparently people in the comments here don't understand that.
  
  I mean, cockatiels can be seen in a zoo.
  If you look like one, people will stare..
- Cool story chief.

I think this image is peak "do I want to be her or be with her?"

NGL, kinda hot.
- Worth a doorslamming?

Starring at you? Like you're a supporting character in a movie or like Mario?

This would make me stare more. Maybe even say something, like, “are you ok?”

When I was 18, this girl would have been my idea of absolute perfection.

Look at your getup, do you want attention or not?
- So if people dress a certain way its okay to stare like a weirdo? The post isn't about just looking at someone. Its old creeps staring at young girls. There is a difference.
  
  Weirdoing begets weirdoing. All sexuality and age stuff aside, she is being weird too, which seemed like the point here.
  Though I wonder how much age really has to do with it. These days her classmates probably are running AI off her yearbook photo, if not her instagram. So an old guy looking at her funny in meatspace is probably more innocuous.
- "She's asking to be objectified."
  No, she's not. And this sexist argument needs to stop.
  
  Sexist to notice someone with bright unnatural hair and heavy near clown makeup, sure. She’s keeping such a low profile, I can’t believe she would be looked at.
- "everything I don't like is attention-seeking"
  
  Who said I didn’t like it? I just think it’s silly to draw attention to yourself then not want that attention.

"Tonight on ABC, Middle Aged Man...starring..."
- And if you can correctly guess what he's thinking about, you'll win yourself $1,000,000,000!

What does it mean when a middle aged man stars at you in public? Or, is starring at you? That sounds like some kind of situation in which you could probably call the cops.
- man stars at you in public? Or, is starring at you? That sounds like some kind of situation in which you could probably call the cops.
  Staring is illegal?
  
  It's super uncomfortable. I nowadays feel like a movie star but without any of the positives that go with it and only the negatives. Well mostly, sometimes someone smiles nicely which is nice.
- The cops would probably guest star at you.

love on first sight

Huh. There's always someone who looks like someone you have almost forgotten.

I'm so confused! All of the comments seem to understand, but I've got NOTHING. Is she doing something? I just see a smile!
- She's trying to do ominous wide-eyes, like a manic character from a cartoon or something, the idea being that she would "scare away" the older gentleman with her "unhinged" look.
  Of course to anyone who has lived even a week in the real world, instead it just looks like somebody trying to looking intimidating and failing
  
  Intimidation isn't the goal, mocking the creeper is.

Sia later

would not work on me

and then, junko pose

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