I’m making this post on a throwaway anonymous account because I want to ask something about how my mind works that I’m deeply ashamed of, and I want to hear honest opinions of other people’s perspective - probably mostly men but ofc anyone is welcome to answer. I’m obviously a man, in my late 20’s.

It’s about seeing attractive people in public. I’m talking about seeing girls but I guess it applies to anyone you’re attracted to.

I know I’m not supposed to stare but I can’t help it. Little glances when I think they’re not looking, looking at their bum or chest or face or legs. I will change my walking route to innocently walk past them and steal another look. If they’re nearby it’s like they occupy my mind and I have to keep looking, and I keep thinking about them and picturing them nude and imagining putting my hands on them. Never interacting, never saying anything, never openly staring, but just internally in my head.

tbh it’s not even just attractive girls, it’s basically all girls. If any girl has walked past me in the street or the store or on a bus, I have almost certainly checked her out. When I’m driving my head will turn away from the road to look at a girl on the sidewalk as I pass. I went to the beach this weekend and I couldn’t keep my eyes in front of me because of all of the girls in bikinis, and some of them undoubtedly noticed me looking.

It’s like I’m constantly scoping out everyone in my vicinity at all times, and always looking at their boobs and bums semi-consciously, and I can’t really stop. I know it’s horrible and creepy, and it probably makes them uncomfortable, but I kind of let it happen anyway. And I can’t even say why really… it’s not like I get pleasure from looking at them, or that I’m looking for someone who I could approach or anything. There’s literally no reason for it. It’s just this passive activity that my brain automatically does to all girls at all times. And… I will pick a different route to walk along a more busy street just because I know there will be more girls to look at.

When a guy walks past I probably couldn’t tell you what he was wearing, or his hairstyle, or what he looks like. I don’t notice. But when a girl walks past I notice all the details of her appearance, her body shape, her boobs in particular, her hair and face. I’m kinda disgusted by this aspect of my mind.

Obviously I know people find other people attractive and check people out. But… is it this constant for everyone? Are you unable to keep your eyes and mind away when someone attractive walks past? Does looking at others’ bodies constantly occupy your mind when you’re in public? Or am I just so starved that it’s broken my brain? Is this internal obsession with girls’ bodies just what it’s like to be a straight guy… or am I different??

  • Noel_Skum@sh.itjust.works
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    1 month ago

    You sound a bit thirsty but otherwise reasonably normal.

    An appreciative, furtive glance is received vastly different to a lecherous stare. Be aware of what your face is doing.

    If a girl even remotely suspects a man is following her then 99.9% of the time you will cause terrible fear. It’ll never occur to her that you were just temporarily detouring to appreciate an ass so fine you want to build a temple for it.

    Remember that the world in your head and the world outside your head are different places with different rules. Outcomes can vary.

  • gnufuu@infosec.pub
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    1 month ago

    I will change my walking route to innocently walk past them and steal another look.

    Yeah that’s something you should probably stop doing. People notice, and it might not look as innocent as you might think. Many among them will act as if they didn’t notice in order to avoid a confrontation. Just stay on your route please.

    • DrSoap@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Women notice. This is marked down as predatory behavior, even subconsciously, and you’ll lose any respect you’d get in social or work relationships with the women who notice.

  • oxbech@feddit.dk
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    1 month ago

    I’m going to be honest that your “infatuation”, as it were, with all women seems fairly extreme to me. I do look at all people as they go by, and might think to myself “damn, she was cute”, but for me that’s about it. I might steal an extra look, but only rarely.

    As you say yourself, you think they notice and I think you’re right. You also mention that you don’t like it but just “let yourself get away with it”. Maybe it’s worth trying to not let yourself get away with it? Make a conscious effort to stop? Self improvement is possible and even quite rewarding at times! And self control doesn’t come naturally to the rest of us either. I wouldn’t think this kind of behaviour is particularly healthy for you, but that’s just my two cents. Best of luck!

  • Azzu@leminal.space
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    1 month ago

    I mean I assume you don’t have much sex or a girlfriend or anything.

    In that case, at least from what I know from myself or my friends, this desire to look is completely normal. I think you might follow that desire a little bit too much (as it is something you can control), but the base feeling you have is something most men experience.

    Your nature is telling you to approach women and have sex with them. For some reason, you don’t, maybe because you’re scared, socially anxious, people have told you being sexual is terrible, whatever. This part of your nature is very strong, and as it seems the only thing left for you is looking, of course you’re going to want to do it.

    If you actually approach women and have a healthy sex life, that desire probably goes down, but of course now you’ve also made it a kind of compulsive habit, so it might be hard to break.

    It’s honestly quite ridiculous to me that you’re ashamed of looking at sexually attractive people. Despite what some radical feminists or whoever will tell you, just looking and being sexually attracted is nothing shameful. It’s more likely that this shame itself is causing the issue, since you’re sexual, yet that is for some reason shameful so you can’t satisfy it, causing you to have more of a sexual desire since you have so little of actual action.

    Sexuality is our main drive, it is constant, and there’s nothing wrong with it as long as you inquire about people’s boundaries and respect them.

  • baggachipz@sh.itjust.works
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    1 month ago

    Cis male who’s much older than you: you’re not alone, but my drive to do so has tapered over time. Polite society is, in large part, about overcoming primal caveman (or “lizard-brain”) urges. Primal urges are different for different people.

  • melsaskca@lemmy.ca
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    1 month ago

    Having a quick glance at something that attracts you is normal. Being sneaky about it is where the behaviour needs to be corrected, or, at least questioned. I think you’ll be okay in the long run as you seem to posses self-awareness, which a lot of people have not cultivated in themselves. You are different in exactly the same way that everyone else is.

  • YappyMonotheist@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    If you’re a heterosexual man you’re probably gonna find most/a good chunk of women until they’re in their 40s attractive to very attractive and have some natural bodily reaction to it. That’s just how it is, that’s how we became billions. A man must control his horny and his angry, that’s our responsibility, at the very least their expressions, in order to remain moral and prosocial. One thing I can say is that, if you’re in love and getting busy often with your one and only, you stop being so sexually obsessed with other women, in a very deep and perhaps biological level. That’s what I’ve found out at least, and I’ve been with my lady for a little over a decade now and all of my friends except two very good lads are women. I’ve never crossed a boundary nor have I even wanted to. 🤷👍

    So, don’t worry, you’re just a horny young (late 20s is young) man because of the hormones, if anything it’s healthy, it’s how our ancestors had to be to get out of the caves. Focus on love, find your one and it’ll kinda go away. ✌️

  • RBWells@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    It’s normal & I don’t care, only care about behavior - I expect straight guys are looking at women, aware of attractive women, notice nice figures, men are very visual in general, nothing bad about it. And I expect gay guys are constantly checking out men as well.

    Bad is remarking on it all the time, touching, staring really hard when the lady looks uncomfortable about the staring, looking at boobs when someone is talking to you - you already know all this! Just noticing, you aren’t going to be able to turn that off and ought not if you could.

    Me, I notice looks but not often turned on by anyone’s look. And I notice guys looking and do not care, don’t think it means anything.

  • CultLeader4Hire@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    I’m a woman I assume men “look at me” in the way you’re talking about, I also often look at men in similar ways, albeit with significantly less urgency, as long as the person looking isn’t leering or ogling the other person I don’t think it’s a problem. If you do happen to make eye contact a simple nice smile and getting on with your day is the best friendly/non threatening way to diffuse it acting shady like you got caught doing something bad makes it seem like that.

    It’s normal just be discreet and respectful if you do happen to be caught

    • AmILikeYou@lemmy.zipOP
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      1 month ago

      Thanks, that is a helpful perspective. I kinda just assume that any time I look at anyone it will be seen as creepy, but as you say it’s not like I’m staring or even making eye contact usually. Although I probably would sheepishly feel like I’d been caught doing something wrong if I did make eye contact with anyone.

  • LavaPlanet@sh.itjust.works
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    1 month ago

    You know that phenomena where you buy a yellow car, and then you suddenly see yellow cars everywhere?

    Brains are really suggestible.

    You don’t need to be ashamed, if your brain has gotten into a habit you don’t appreciate, or is negatively affecting your life, it’s something you can work on.

    Gals are pretty, I’m not attracted to them, myself, but I absolutely get it.

    What you want is to feel like you’re in control of enjoying looking, and not that it’s a compulsion, like it’s driving you. That’s gotta be almost taking all the pleasure out of it for you. I could imagine that would be hugely annoying.

    Just start by noticing other things, go out specifically to see something, birds, trees, bugs, water, boats, whatever you find interesting, and start retraining your brain towards something else, if you try “not” to look at something, it’s still the main focus, if you try not to look at girls, the focus is still girls, it’s easier to help your brain notice other things. Count how many of something you see. Just let your brain notice girls as you go, notice what it’s telling you and then move back to what you were looking at redirecting towards.

    You don’t have to do what your brain tells you to do, you aren’t your “thinking brain”, you are the entity that observes your thoughts, you might be inadvertently feeding those thoughts into a bigger thing than you want them to be, by actioning on them. I would suggest, try not walking or actioning them. That feeds that wolf, which is perfectly normal and fine, but hes just gotten a little too much for the space you want him to occupy.

    This is all ok, its a perfectly normal, developmental stage. It will calm down on its own, too, don’t stress.

  • Sunsofold@lemmings.world
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    1 month ago

    A look or two is normal. Looking at sexy people scratches the feelgood brain bits. Changing your path to gawk is getting a bit sketchy. You should probably masturbate a bit more often, or better yet, find someone to share orgasms with. You’re craving it.

  • anon_8675309@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    You had me up until you said you would change your route.

    I see a nice ass, I’ll take another look. I won’t alter course to walk past again though. I feel like that needs addressing.

    • RampantParanoia2365@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Yeah, I’ve maybe followed a nice bum like a few steps (there’s a reason I tend to pick the woman if games offer a choice), but changing routes is pretty creepy, and I’d be way creeped out if I were her and noticed.

    • MinnesotaGoddam@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      I dunno. I’d follow the hypothetical Queen Amelie of Assington around all day if my own ass wouldn’t fall off.

      Because of course I’m Regent Lump of the Lowlands. I guess if we’re playing monarchy.

  • janonymous@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    I definitely had a phase like that. I also was quite disgusted with myself and tried to rein it in as much as possible. I wouldn’t intentionally walk somewhere to see more girls. I also started to fight the urge to glance, because it just felt wrong to me. That went on for a while until I got tired of fighting my own body. I briefly stopped, but quickly noticed that the more I indulged, the stronger these urges got. So, I started to rein them in again to a level that felt good for me.

    I think it’s okay to glance at a pretty women, but that’s it. No staring, no trying to get more glances. It takes some willpower, but the more I practiced and the older I got, the easier it became. Also it does feel a little rewarding to notice the urge to peak at the girl in the short skirt, but to keep your eyes straight until she is gone. Makes me feel like a little superior to the other men I see leering.

    One simple trick is to look around and check out who is glancing/staring instead. A lot of people do that, men and women, though mostly men (at least at women). It’s probably normal, but can be interactive for some. I think it’s important to accept that part of yourself, but also to not indulge it too much. If this seems impossible, I think consulting a therapist might be the way to go.