Eye contact marks the rise and fall of shared attention in conversation
I can focus better on what someone is saying if I'm not looking at them. Sometimes it's detrimental because others think I'm not paying attention. If I do look at a person's face while speaking with them, it is most beneficial to me to look at their mouth and read their lips while I listen. But then I'm like aware that I'm staring at this person's mouth so then I'll fake eye contact by looking them in the eyes but blurring my vision slightly. I'm not sure if that looks weird, but I think people don't notice. Nobody has ever said anything about my eyes looking odd. Or maybe they just think that's how they are.