Notes on the Psychological Impact of Wearing Sunglasses After Dark

Notes on the Psychological Impact of Wearing Sunglasses After Dark

Premise: At the age of 17, I discovered something ground-breaking. I’d been bullied for the previous four years (since eighth-grade), but I was able to stop this based on the use of a common-item; dark glasses. I was diagnosed as near-sighted at the age of 16, and was forced to wear corrective-lenses. During a visit to the optician, the next year, I saw a display of gradient-tinted glasses. I managed to have a pair purchased, I believe the funds were a gift from a cousin.

The effect of these simple lenses was extraordinary. I was no longer bullied. It came to a very fast stop. Here is the psychology involved;

When a mother scolds her child she stares into the child’s face, using her stare as a form of dominance. The child, on the other hand, will look away (submission) when being scolded, often leading to the statement, “You look at me when I’m talking to you!”

In my experience, bullies are extroverted, non-reflective types (cyberbullying, not withstanding, is an unrelated phenomenon. It draws from the security of anonymity to engender aggressive tendencies. It also posits no visual physical cues to go along with the communication-dynamic) and extroverts, when speaking, follow the exact same mode of dominant eye-command as a parent. In addition, the “Alpha ”*, (replace for ‘parent’ or ‘bully’ from this point”) bully much like the parent, looks away from the speaker when listening. This sets in the mind, the very clear (yet subconscious) message, “When I speak, it matters, when you speak, it doesn’t” dynamic.

(Please note that the terms Alpha and Beta are used to denote power-dynamics, and  are not necessarily indicative of only Alpha-Beta relationships solely,  and can include Alpha-Sigma relationships, in which the Sigma experiences neither intimidation, nor desire to participate in the psycho-social heirarchy, but will used the underlying methods to avoid the psychosocial-games, which the Sigma sees as a waste of their time and energy. 

Introverts, on the other hand, are the exact opposite in their usage of their eyes. When listening, the introvert will stare at the speaker’s face, trying to read visual cues. Conversely, when speaking, the introvert look around, (not at the person’s face, which the introvert feels is rude and too intimate) making them appear nervous and submissive, thereby cueing the alpha to dominate them.

This hind-brain behavior can be easily corrected with use of a pair of mirrored, or darkened glasses. With use of dark glasses, the Alpha’s gestures and movement become a cue to the

introvert (Beta) that the Alpha is nervous and unsure. Conversely, with use of dark glasses, the

Beta’s smooth of non-existent body-gestures, cue the Alpha that the Beta is more confident than they. Social-dynamic: balanced.

Negative connotations of sunglasses after dark:

1) Person is high

2) Person is blind

3) Person is a liar

4) Person is “trying to be cool.”

Note: In the statement “trying to be cool” we see an obvious distaste for the sunglasses after dark (SAD) wearer, as though an attempt to be cool is a negative thing, or an attempt to be better than the viewer. Also inherent in the statement is the suggestion that the person is failing the task of “coolness”, and are in a constant present-tense state of ‘trying’ yet never achieving.

5) Person is mentally ill.

6) Person is lacking in self-esteem.

The eyes, it seems (and eye contact) are filled with a deep psychological power and have an intimate connectivity to others by nature.

Among men, the eye contact works as a sort of mechanism for measuring aggression and therefore insuring proper placement in the pack. By blocking eye contact (not avoiding eye contact) the male SAD wearer cannot be placed according to perceived strength. He becomes an unknown-quantity. This is psychologically unnerving to other males on an animal level.

When a woman, on the other hand, sees a man wearing SAD she may feel an additional intimidation, as women use the eyes as a barometer as a person’s feelings. She may be repelled yet strangely enough captivated by the challenge of trying to get the SAD wearer to remove his shades.

Positive aspects of wearing SAD:

1) By avoiding pack placement you tend to avoid male conflict and contests of aggression.

2) The masking effect lends a bit of intimidation, which adds power to your side.

3) You have the ability to scan a room for danger without appearing apprehensive, which is viewed as weakness.

4) You have the ability to scan your surroundings for females without appearing to do so.

a) See who is looking at you (they feel more comfortable looking because they don’t think you’re looking at them if your face isn’t turned in their direction).

b) See where the attractive women are, whom they are with, and if they have a boyfriend that will return in a few minutes, this makes it safer for you to approach.

5) An unreadable expression may lead to discomfort in others, yet this discomfort is not directed outwardly. The reaction given toward the SAD wearer is usually neutral.

6) The way the brow furrows is similar in both anger and sadness. The SAD hide sadness and intensify an angry brow, as the brain is attempting to make eyes out of dark lenses the psychological effect is that of angry brows over large black eyes.

So the perception of the glasses is greatly disparate between wearer and viewer. Interestingly enough, the act of wearing SAD seems to have quite an impact on the viewer, yet the viewer’s feelings/opinions have no impact on the SAD wearer. Thus the SAD seem to give the wearer a seeming “evil- (eye) power” over the viewer.

-CNF