Eyes Don't Lie

What does the quote, "The eyes are the windows into our souls," mean to you?

There are certain things I enjoy exploring, one of them being the minds of other people. It’s hard to peek into people's minds, especially strangers, at least it was difficult at first. People don’t think they're easy to read, no one does until you realize it, but it can be very simple. Eyes are the windows into our souls; a classic quote you may have heard time and time again, but it holds to be true.

I find it easy to look into a strangers’ eyes and confront what emotion they’re feeling. The other interpretation I have of this quote is that the way people see things and their perspective can be an insight into who they are. Recently I said something to my sister in law that stuck with me, I was surprised I said it, as was she. It was my first time having a mature and philosophical conversation with her, I’ve known her since I was 6. There’s one view, one picture, one song, but a million different ways to see it.

The ability to put ourselves into others' shoes can reveal a lot about ourselves and that person. Truly looking into their eyes and seeing from another's eyes we can learn, imagine the things we did not even know of. A good personal example of this is when I was working with dementia residents as a nursing assistant. Some would bite, yell, kick, hit, and curse me, pull my hair, calling me the devil reincarnated. It hurt at first, freshly 17, personal issues, medical issues, it was too much. One day I truly looked them in the eyes, the look people with late stage dementia is ingrained into my mind, there’s a life in their eyes, but they’re lifeless, still. When I opened my mind into what they’re actually seeing, all the behaviors made sense. Some were protecting themselves from someone they didn’t recognize, some were enraged because they knew they were slipping, they knew they were no longer independent. I could go on and on about what the reasons could have been. Reading this in my own mind it sounds like a coping strategy, an attempt to remember they still are human despite the kick to my ribs and into a nightstand from a few feet away. This is another reason I’m interested in seeing life through others' eyes, I can catch my own emotions, patterns, mannerisms, etc.

I’ve also noticed I started looking through others' eyes because people find my issues unreal, they find the way I articulate words, present myself, is very mature, but too me, because this is my normal, I never thought of it that way. People also tell me they can't believe I'm so smiley or happy, “all the time,” with all of this. I walk around with a smile, confidence, live life, and my issues include being chronically depressed with chronic pain, and heart issues. To me it's normal, it's how I live, I feel I have no other choice but to live anyway, other people see it as strong, impossible as they like to think.

Since I was little I’d always examine people's eyes, looking into their souls. I've been labelled as psychic with strangers because I have been able to tell them their life story before they open up to me at all. When I was little I believed it was a defence mechanism, shielding myself from a huge outburst from my mother. I'd rather see it coming and run while I can. Don’t get me wrong, I can handle others emotions, however it would tell me if I was saying the right thing, not even just with her. Being bullied and considered a black sheep, I tried to fit in through doing this. I also believed maybe I could conceal my emotions if I learned the million and one ways they could present.

Maybe this is a way to convince you that you never know what someone's going through because of my own experiences with it, maybe it's to tell you to pay attention to others eyes and perspectives more, and be receptive to them. Whatever message I deliver writing this, I hope it gives you something to reflect on or think about for a while.