Why do people blink their eyes a lot?

I've noticed in public places that people blink their eyes a lot. Yet when I have my eyes open they stay open and they only blink when I need to blink but these other people blink a lot.

Also, it seems like whenever I snap my fingers anywhere, people seem to blink as a response to the snap of my fingers. I don't know if there is scientific evidence to support that their blink of their eye is caused by my snapping of fingers but it just seems like whenever I DO snap my fingers that this happens.

Has anyone else noticed that people seem to blink their eyes a lot of times in public? What could the reason for it possibly be? Nervousness? The environment? Moisture in their eyes from the air?

Interesting post. I myself an am eye blinker and others notice it quite often. Usually I find myself doing it more often when I am nervous. It is unconcious, but sometimes I become aware that I am doing it. My eyes do dry out very quickly and they always have. I can't ever win a staring contest.

I think it may also be a sign of tourretts (spelling?) in some people because I have been asked if I have this condition. It's possible I suppose but I don't think so.

Not that I have ever flown, but I have read that "excessive blinking" is a sign that you will be singled out for extra security checks in airports. I think this is bs. Just because I get nervous in public places and blink more than they think I ought to, this designates me as a potential terrorist? Poppycock!

[edit on 13-11-2008 by Mav3rick]

Blinking, known less commonly as nictating, is the rapid closing and opening of the eyelid. It is an essential function of the eye that helps spread tears across and remove irritants from the surface of the cornea and conjunctiva. Blink speed can be affected by elements such as fatigue, eye injury, medication, and disease. A person blinks approximately once every two to ten seconds. The blinking rate is determined by the "blinking center", but it can also be affected by external stimulus. When an animal (usually human) chooses to blink only one eye as a signal to another in a social setting (a form of body language), it is known as winking. However, some animals (for example, tortoises and hamsters) blink their eyes independently of each other.

en.wikipedia.org...

There you go, problem solved. I found it informative and enlightening on why we do it.

reply to post by bigvig316


That's me. I have big eyes which means more surface area for my contact lens and so, in very dry environments, I need to blink to make tears.

But as for what in the world is going on with John McCain and George Bush...I just think they are lyin'.

People also tend to blink more when they are nervous, which can be a sign that someone is lying when they are telling you something.

However don't take it as gospel, because someone can just plain be nervous and still telling the truth.

Holy jumping ........

and i thought i was paranoid.....

But seriously, suppose if two people stare at each other and are blinking simultaneous would they preceive to be not blinking at all...??

Is there a certain frequency with witch we blink ,meaning are the times in between the blinking every time the same........

Oh h**l ,this is gonna keep me up all night.

Thanks for the post...

Originally posted by bigvig316

Blinking, known less commonly as nictating, is the rapid closing and opening of the eyelid. It is an essential function of the eye that helps spread tears across and remove irritants from the surface of the cornea and conjunctiva. Blink speed can be affected by elements such as fatigue, eye injury, medication, and disease. A person blinks approximately once every two to ten seconds. The blinking rate is determined by the "blinking center", but it can also be affected by external stimulus. When an animal (usually human) chooses to blink only one eye as a signal to another in a social setting (a form of body language), it is known as winking. However, some animals (for example, tortoises and hamsters) blink their eyes independently of each other.

en.wikipedia.org...

This is interesting. Particularly the part about fatigue. I do tend to become aware that I am blinking excessively when I haven't had much sleep.

Have you noticed that some people have a "hard" blink as well? Like squinting the whole eye? I have found myself doing that from time to time as well. I don't know why.

[edit on 14-11-2008 by Mav3rick]

I think blinking from "snapping" the fingers is a natural protection response.

Any unexpected sharp noise could be interpreted as a threat from an outsise source. A response to a possible accident.

A more rapid blink could also happen when concentrating on someone talking... the subconsious acknowledgement of pieces of information.

I also blinked last night for about 8 hours.

Originally posted by bigvig316

Blinking, known less commonly as nictating, is the rapid closing and opening of the eyelid. It is an essential function of the eye that helps spread tears across and remove irritants from the surface of the cornea and conjunctiva. Blink speed can be affected by elements such as fatigue, eye injury, medication, and disease. A person blinks approximately once every two to ten seconds. The blinking rate is determined by the "blinking center", but it can also be affected by external stimulus. When an animal (usually human) chooses to blink only one eye as a signal to another in a social setting (a form of body language), it is known as winking. However, some animals (for example, tortoises and hamsters) blink their eyes independently of each other.

en.wikipedia.org...

There you go, problem solved. I found it informative and enlightening on why we do it.

Thankx for the info

but what i was wondering is that if you are not nervous, don't have an eye injury, are not on medication or have a disease or are affected by other stimulus, in normale operating mode so to say...if you blink with a certain default blinking rate.(get what i mean...???)
And is this default rate for everybody the same or is it age dependent or something like that???

never knew eyes could keep me this busy......

Blinking in conversation with someone can elicit two types of responses. The first is attraction. I have found that members of the opposite sex tend to blink more when they are mildly flirting, or very interested in one on one conversation. A noticeably slower blinking pattern when you are close with you significant other is a big indicator that the romance level is high.

The second response is deceit or nervousness. A person who is unsure of their stance in one on one conversation tends to blink more. This also applies to lying.

i blink when i am shifting my gaze, if it is in public, people may be shifting their gaze between the street, the pavement, oncoming pedestrians etc., just a thought.

And sometimes blinking is just blinking. It does not always indicate something diabolical or even anything at all.

reply to post by nerbot


That's interesting. I think this is all weird because I hardly ever blink my eyes. I only blink my eyes when something in my eyes bothers me. I've noticed that when you snap your fingers that people turn to look in the direction which they hear the noise coming from. I think it's all interesting. Is there a reason for this?

reply to post by Frankidealist35


My answer is I do not like to be around other people, as they irritate me to no end! I blink as a reaction to people, i have always done this, i cannot look people in the eye when I talk to them, i look elsewhere. I was actually dumped by a boyfriend who couldn't stand this trait, he thought I was hiding things from him, and the truth was I can't look at someone without my eyes wstering up, it's wierd i know. So at work, I work in retail oddly enough, I avoid eye contact period. This is probably why I have no friends, unable to give direct eye contact.

I just read this and I was like thank God.. I recently started this blinking crap and I hate it. But, I am really nervous or I am lying so it makes sense. It started with my friend, he confronted me about something that happened, I'm in recovery and he heard I relapsed and was asking me and I was going to admit everything but I wasn't ready to at that moment, for he was standing in front of one of my family members and I didn't want them to know, so all the sudden, I'm BLINKING like a jerk off, I'm like, ummm.. oh man, my eyes are dry, when they really weren't, and I was bugging inside my head, I felt like he instantly knew something was up because of the blinking, I felt like my face was all red, because I felt like such an IDIOT with this RAPID blinking, never in my life had this happen.

Then fast forward a month or so later, I report to probation, and I was sooo sick and I took a cold medicine and it had that crazy stuff that DXM in it, and I seemed kind of out of it I guess, I didn't even know it had DXM in it, my mother gave it to me and then I took it and I felt really disgusting and I asked her, is this the crap that has that DXM crap in it? I hate it, I feel like I'm on X and my pupils are pinned and stuff. So my PO was asking me all these questions, so again, the BLINKING started again SO bad, and she wanted to urine me (and I was clean so I was fine with it) but I was so nervous, I actually had to sit and close me eyes and told her I needed to collect myself, and my voice was all shaky and I kept blaming it on the medicine but really, I was so bugged out inside because of this BLINKING issue happening AGAIN so bad, I had to sit like an IDIOT with my eyes closed in front of an OFFICER and I wasn't even guilty of anything, LOL.

Then this week again, my therapist was kind of reeming into me about how I missed group last week, etc. And again, I started the blinking again. Now, this is a pshycologist, and you think I would feel comfortable telling my doctor who I get all sorts of medications from for my other disorders, yo dude, I have this weird blinking crap starting, but no, I was crying wolf with Ohhh the light in my eyes, do you have visine, saline solution something? LOL.

I am glad to know though that I am not the only one who does this. To think though I use to be able to be such a rotten person and lie to people with a poker face and not blink for 10 hours if I had to if you were sticking a hot poker in me, lol...