Looking into the eyes of the interlocutor, we are able to inspire him with a sense of our superiority.
Psychologists from the University of Texas (USA) invited volunteers to play negotiations*. Before that, they were shown photographs of people, and some were asked to look directly into their eyes, while others were asked to look at their foreheads or chins. It turned out that those who looked into the eyes of people in the photo before the game behaved more confidently in negotiations, they more often managed to insist on their own *. True, psychologists warn: this way of demonstrating strength is effective if there are no formal status differences between the interlocutors (for example, army ranks). In addition, a direct look may not work if your goal is to win the support of the interlocutor, to convince you that you are right.
1 Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 2015, vol. 39, № 2.