Body Language of Stealing A Look
Cue: Stealing A Look
Synonym(s): Eye Darting, Darting Eyes.
Description: Stealing a look is a quick left or right dart of the eyes so as to avoid detection. The head normally remains motionless to reduce the changes of being noticed.
In One Sentence: Stealing a look indicates the desire to see someone or something, without others noticing.
How To Use it: To steal a look, use sunglass if possible. Keep your head oriented away from the target, and shift your eyes only, in their direction. If your target is a person, and they make eye contact with you, but you are wearing dark sunglasses, rest assured that your eyes are concealed. At this moment, you should avoid shifting the head away suddenly as this give you away.
Eyes can also steal looks without sunglasses in the same way but since the whites of the eyes are highly visible, you will run a greater risk of being discovered. Researchers believe that the whites of the eyes tell others where our eyes are looking because eye orientation is highly important as a signaling device in social contexts. Therefore, whenever you try to steal looks, be conscious of this.
Stealing looks shows others that you are interested in them but are timid about your curiosity. This comes across as suspicious behaviour and is not well received. Therefore, stealing looks is not a cue that should remain covert.
Context: a) Dating b) General.
Verbal Translation: “I’m curious and interested in what’s going on over there so my eyes dart without turning my head so I can evade detection.”
Variant: The eyes can dart when seeking exits when in undesirable circumstances, when nervous, excited, or even when thinking. See Looking Askance for an eye cue that signifies contempt.
Cue In Action: a) He was attracted to the girl in the subway, but didn’t want to make her feel awkward. He kept darting his eyes in her direction without moving his head. b) He kept glancing quickly over his shoulder at the angry girl. When she looked up, he quickly snapped his head back and continued the conversation with his buddy. He didn’t like her and certainly didn’t want her to know that he had noticed she was there, lest she come over and confront him.
Meaning and/or Motivation: Both sexes do it to check out a sexual prospect, a rival while at the same time remain safe from detection. When someone evades detection it is because they are not prepared to pick a battle or are merely collecting information about what is going on. This type of eye pattern is seen as cowardly and an indication of low confidence.
The eyes may also dart looking for ways to exit a particular situation without doing so overtly. This case may arise when someone is in an awkward conversation. Eyes may also dart due to fear. People generally associate darting eyes with lying, but research shows a poor correlation.
Darting eyes are considered be negative body language.
Cue Cluster: Watch for darting eyes that don’t want to be caught looking. The shoulders often remain lowered; there will be no gazing or smiling and no facial expression.
Body Language Category: Amplifier, Escape movements, Eye Language, Fearful body language, Indicators of sexual interest (IOsI), Intention movements, Low confidence body language, Lying or deceptive body language, Microgestures, Nervous body language, Negative body language, Suspicious body language.
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Surviving Secondary: https://wikileaks.org/cia-travel/secondary-screening/WikiLeaks_CIA_Assessment_on_Surviving_Secondary_Screening.pdf
Infiltrating Schengen: https://wikileaks.org/cia-travel/infiltrating-schengen/WikiLeaks_CIA_Advice_for_Operatives_Infiltrating_Schengen.pdf