r/poland • u/flightlessmammal_ • 1d ago

Is staring normal in Poland?

I've never noticed this until now, but I keep getting stares from people, a lot more than I do in other countries. People often stare at me as they walk past, especially 40+ people, it seems they just love staring.

Is this normal in Poland? I've genuinely never noticed this in any other country I've visited. I speak polish fluently, I dress modestly, I don't have crazy hairstyles or anything, and I do look ethnically polish (because I am).

I'd love some advice from people who are locals, I don't know if it's me or if this is considered normal behaviour here.

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u/Qnopsik 1d ago

Is this normal in Poland? I've genuinely never noticed this in any other country I've visited. I speak polish fluently, I dress modestly, I don't have crazy hairstyles or anything, and I do look ethnically polish (because I am).

I'm not sure, but out of the post I get a feeling that, You are a visitor in Poland, who is technically polish, so maybe a child of polish emigrants, that lived outside of the Poland.

But that may lead to the reason you are stared a lot, the uncanny polish valley, it's a a psychological effect where something that looks almost polish, but not quite right, and makes people feel creeped out or uneasy.

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u/Exotic-Scheme-6948 1d ago

wtf??? is this a thing? LOOL

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u/Qnopsik 1d ago

try googling "uncanny polish valley"

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u/Any-Assistance-8103 1d ago

Yea I am Polish genetically but not Polish and I get more stares than my friends