Avoid strangers glances and smiles

It strikes me as odd that a lot of people avoid glances because it makes them feel uncomfortable. Why?

Also, would you smile back if a stranger smiled at you? Do you smile at strangers? I was inspired by one woman who smiled at me on a day I was emotionally weak. Since then, I've been smiling at strangers hoping to make someone's day a little brighter. Do you see anything wrong with this?

smiling at strangers is very satisfying. i make a point to do it because i get a lot out of it. even when they dont smile back i still feel better about myself when i am smiling at people. plus the simple act of smiling releases chemicals that make you happy.

Smiling at strangers...I find it kinda creepy. Unless of course it's a girl in which case it's my day.

I have trouble with this one and I'm not sure why, but I try to recognize others as they pass me, but if suspect they are uncomfortable with this I ignore them.

i dont know, i find it kind of strange how some people are...there have been times when i smile or even say hello to a stranger and they completely ignore me, like i did something wrong.......people dont trust or even aknoledge other people anymore....
i find that most elderly people (in their sixties or older) will smile or say hello back though......
is it a generational thing?
i dont know, im 22 and i'll smile or say hello to someone i don't know,my boyfriend is 25 and so will he,maybe it has something to do with the way you're raised,although we were raised completely different.....
i've thought about this before and it always leaves me sort of puzzeled

I think it has a lot to do with fear, there is a lot going on in this world.

It was real bad like that here after the oklahama city bombing, but I think we're somewhat back to normal again.

But as a truck driver going into New York, I found people like that all the time there.

Yeah I agree with okcitykid the youth of today have to deal with their fear of people. Everywhere you turn the media is blasted with the most catastrophic events that took place the other day. Newspapers base their front pages with crimes and health information. People fear strangers instead of trusting in the common good.

You know that's a good question with most likely many answers. People are probably uncomfortable with it or just fearful. I've noticed it considering I'm the person that will randomly wave at strangers or says hi and most of the time get ignored.

it is quite a generational thing, i must say i don't tend to smile at strangers or say hi, witout some reason to do so, say for example introducing myself to someone at school or at a party.

Could it be an urban thing? There is the belief that people in the Northern states and in cities are cold and always in a rush.

Its the fear we instill by making metal detectors at school, and just plain being overprotective of our children
i usually do the whole head nod thing (to guys) and sometimes hello

i say thanks to people who open doors for me or let me past, when im wandering around town or stuff like that, but i usually only nod to guys i know.

its not just an american thing, i'm british and it happens over here, and we dont have metal detectors etc round our schools. it's just that everyone is a bit bust with their own lives to make conversation with strangers. how much of a new thing is it? i don't think there ever was a time when everyone said hi, regardless of whether or not they knew each other.

It feels so awkward though. I smile at a woman and she turns away coldly. Why can't we look at each other in the eyes?

Next time that happens to you, approah the personw ith this qeustion, then ask them whats wrong? And listen to their response. Ask them why they feel bad and not well enough to give a simple smile back.
Often times people use body langauge without knowing it and often times it is mistaken for rudeness.

that is true, understanding someones body language is usually harder than understanding what they say. if someone grins at you, you dont know if they find your appearance amusing, or if they are just smiling at you.