[Mohammad]

i look like i'm trying to burn holes through people when i pay attention to them. i stand very still, i usually face them, and i sometimes tilt my head when something they say doesn't make sense. it is, however, extremely rare for me to ever actually interrupt someone in their explanation.
the overall impression is of someone who is mad at you, unfortunately
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. fortunately
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, my friends and colleagues eventually understand that this is just me being me. i am not judging them looking at them like so - i am just paying attention.


so, how do you look like when you're paying attention? pictures will work, but may i request words, please?

[HAL 9000]

No real difference from what I look like when I'm not paying attention.

[jkatra]

I'm definitely emotionally impassive. I'll often nod my head and ask questions revealing that I was paying attention. I've learned to break eye contact once in awhile so that people aren't too intimidated by my gaze.

[discontinuous]

Mohammed, you look like you can pull some seriously intimidating looks. I used to do so as well, it's just about breaking eye contact once and a while. That way it won't look like your analyzing whether they make a good supper.

Now, it`s more the complete opposite for me unfortunately. My personal problems are affecting my social life and people wonder if I'm even paying attention...

[BlackFlames]

Just stare at them or look mad

[Nemesis]

Dunno... presumably I would be paying attention to something other than my face as I pay attention...

[roninpro]

I usually make eye contact and keep it. This is sometimes accompanied by facial expressions relating to what the person is saying. If I am not in a position to do this, then I at least give some verbal cues to indicate that I am paying attention.

[clayman]

i think i stare uncomfortably at people's faces.either that or i dont look at them in the face not at all.

[benr3600]

I generally don't look at people at all when they are answering a technical question of mine. I have noticed that I am always looking to the right, making sure to fully use the left hemisphere of my brain to comprehend what is being told to me. I'm sure this is perceived as disrespectful to some people, but it's just my natural inclination, and I refuse to change it.

[Aezur]

I have two different ways of doing this, not sure on what it depends, maybe my moods...

1. stoic look, having the expression of an olg grumpy oldman, thinking on what I'm hearing and possible writings I might do on it, entire sentenses coming to mind out of pure sugestion, too bad I never write them down, but it would probably break it anyway...

2. really interested look, trying to get a reason to speak so I can influence the lecturer to delve deeper in a discussion I might like, making face expressions acordingly to what is being said...really expressive ones, the kind that you imediatley pereive that I'm alling you an idiot or am fascinated with you...

[Beric]

I lock eye contact completely. Sometimes I find this makes people uncomfortable. I nod a lot when I find a topic of interest or I agree with its logic. I may even smile if I like it enough. I may be asking heavy questions. I seem to tilt my head to the side, particularly if I'm pondering what someone's saying. Teacher always tell me I'm extremely transparent with my feelings in lectures (I'm an auditory learner).

[RIMN]

I have actively studied body language my whole life and have experimented/praticed with communicating through this medium. I always maintain eye contact when I am conversing with someone and I use my facial expressions to relate my feelings on what they are saying without interrupting them.

[Sk8ordude]

Probably similar to a look of not paying attention, I only have 2 looks they are happy and bored. The thing is I'm never bored thats just what my neutral look comes off as.

[Supaslim]

I'm told I look very "intent"- eyes burning through the speaker, leaning forward, clinging to every word intent. Interrupted now and then if I'm taking notes and have to look down to write.

Because of this, when I'm not in a classroom setting, I tend to avoid eye contact when somebody is speaking to me. I sort of maintain a right angle to them- they look at me, and I look to the side. Most of my friends and acquaintances are used to this, by now. I used to actually look at them when I listened, but then they would always trail off and ask if I'm mad at them. Sigh...

[Imperator]

"Focus" for me is expressed much the same way as you.

When I'm really Focused on my work, for example, people have said I look ready to tear someone's throat out.

Less intense attention usually comes across with a furrowed brow, scowl, or frown. It's often the case when I'm paying attention someone will ask "what's wrong?".

[mieu]

o___o

^How I look. Also known as my 'care face.'

[CaptainAwesome]

2 ways for me to look when I am paying attention.
1.(Comic: only used around family/close friends)I look at them directly (Giving my "undivided" attention, as it were)and widen my eyes to the point of looking insane (O_O)
2.(Serious: used around those not family/close friends) As before, I look at the speaker directly and may place my hand on my chin if seated, and if not, I may scowl or frown.

[Robot]

I either maintain eye contact with a blank expression, or I'm darting my eyes between whoever I'm listening to and whatever object(s) are pertinent to the conversation. If I'm being briefed on a job, I look at the tools I'll be using, especially if the job is new or unorthodox.

[TylerRDA]

The same way I look at flying pigs

[Kricket]

Somewhere between extremely angry and extremely distracted. Sometimes it would be nice to just have an screen for a face that scrolls words, like "Processing incoming data..." so that people know what's going on.

[gypsy stardust]

I think I might be a tad scary sometimes. I took an Excel class on data analysis a few months ago. At one point, the instructor quipped that he wants to always stay on my good side. I had no idea what he was talking about so I asked. He said the way I was looking at him he was afraid he would burst into flames.

I told him that was my trying to figure out how something is working face...

Silly man, if I WANTED his head to explode I would have done it long before he had the opportunity to comment on my expression.

[melthearth]

Mouth closed and an intense stare either at the talker or an inanimate object. Even people who have known me a long time still ask what's wrong when I am listening or thinking intently. Apparently I either look angry or disturbed..

[kyo]

I've had real difficulty with managing this look, since just about every day the same two teachers tell me to pay attention during class. I do tend to day dream, but sometimes I'll require drawing random doodles to maintain actual attention on the class. So to answer your question directly: I look like I'm not paying attention when I'm paying attention. Or am I...? Haha.

[Why]

Kind of blank or angry and stern. I just noticed my head always tilts in some direction.

[Pseudonimum]

I guess I break eye contact and look on the other direction, as if I was thinking to myself alone. But I make sure to look in the eye sometimes just for the person to know I'm still there paying attention.