Salamun Alaikum,
Whether it's talking or listening. I'm not comfortable making eye contact with people. I've been thinking about this for a while so I did a google search on it last night to see if there's others who feel the same. Apart from a post on reddit, I couldn't find much.
What do you guys think? I personally find that I become self-conscious. That impairs my ability to listen and to empathize with the person I'm talking to. However, I do so much better when I'm not directly looking at them and the conversations are so much better but society dictates that there is something wrong with you if you don't.
I do remember coming across a hadith which mentioned something about staring while talking or listening but I can't remember the exact words. I don't think The Holy Prophet (sawa) encouraged it. I don't think it's the norm and I don't know when it became the norm. Please share your thoughts if you feel the same or how you go about conversing with people.