DANGER SIGNALS
The eyes, it is said, are the windows to the soul. Often, the way in which a hostile person looks at you can be a predictor of what his plans are for you.
Cops, soldiers, and mental health professionals are all too familiar with “the thousand-yard stare.” This is the person who seems to be not so much looking at you as through you. He may be unresponsive or inappropriately responsive in other ways. What this should tell you is that in this moment he is in an alternate reality of his own, a place where you are probably not welcome. When you see this, start “creating distance” unless you in fact are a law enforcement officer, health professional, or someone else who has a responsibility for containing and restraining this person’s actions.
The opposite of the thousand-yard stare is the “target stare.” This is the guy who narrows his eyes and glares directly at you. The narrowing of the eyelids does for our vision what shutting down
