# What makes "the creepy guy"... creepy? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 10, 2005, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-the-creepy-guy-creepy/330344 "2005-11-10T04:25:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-the-creepy-guy-creepy/330344/121 "2005-11-16T00:42:11Z")
Thinking back on people I have noted as being creepy - the creepyness was a result of a combination of **ugly and overly confident**. By ugly, I dont mean purely aesthetic ugly - but facial expressions ugly. And by creepy I do not mean dangerous, violent or socially inept. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-the-creepy-guy-creepy/330344/122 "2005-11-16T03:47:46Z")
**trupa** --where has anyone here said anything about being mean or rude or nasty to these people? Again and again, manners are brought up–how we are civil and/or polite to the “creepy ones”. I realize this must hit home to you–but I posted myself that if you are not obviously retarded or autistic and you exhibit lack of eye contact/inappropriate eye contact etc THEN I would be creeped out. High functionin or not, I can usually spot autism or developementally delayed folks because I am trained in assessment. I don’t turn it off when I’m off duty–and it’s a PIA, often. I am sorry to get testy, but I am feeling like we can’t even come in here and bitch about a common occurence and try to find defining characteristics etc. We are exploring a phenomenon here–not dissing your son. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-the-creepy-guy-creepy/330344/123 "2005-11-16T18:20:07Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > **trupa** --where has anyone here said anything about being mean or rude or nasty to these people? > > Again and again, manners are brought up–how we are civil and/or polite to the “creepy ones”. > > I realize this must hit home to you–but I posted myself that if you are not obviously retarded or autistic and you exhibit lack of eye contact/inappropriate eye contact etc THEN I would be creeped out. > > High functionin or not, I can usually spot autism or developementally delayed folks because I am trained in assessment. I don’t turn it off when I’m off duty–and it’s a PIA, often. > I am sorry to get testy, but I am feeling like we can’t even come in here and bitch about a common occurence and try to find defining characteristics etc. We are exploring a phenomenon here–not dissing your son. I hear ya. And the sad fact remains, most of us are not trained to pick these people out. We remain polite, but you can’t _help_ but be creeped out by someone who exhibits these traits. It’s a built-in response to feel this way. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-the-creepy-guy-creepy/330344/124 "2005-11-16T22:58:21Z")
**trupa** does make an interesting point, though - if there is no chance of danger whatsoever, what does it hurt us to be polite and kind to people who creep us out? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-the-creepy-guy-creepy/330344/125 "2005-11-16T23:18:38Z")
Well, if someone makes you uncomfortable, to the point of the creeps, it’s pretty hard to be buddies with that person. Cordial, yes. Polite? Definitely. Sitting with someone at lunch? Eh…occasionally I suppose. But it’s hard to strike up a friendship with someone who doesn’t respond in a way that makes you feel like you’re in a two-way street situation. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-the-creepy-guy-creepy/330344.md?page=6)