you. please don’t do that. it’s scary.
in general, 3-5 seconds is about right; the person listening usually looks longer than the one speaking. but it really depends on whom you’re looking at—and where.
maybe you’re in an elevator. or, maybe you’re out hiking and, suddenly, you’re face-to-face with a grizzly bear. what if you’re in an elevator with a grizzly bear? i’d say 3-5 seconds is a tad long, unless you and the bear ride up together everyday.
and 3-5 seconds may be too long if you’re in a non-western culture, or talking with a really shy person.
he got off at the next stop. i’m sure it was the way i handled 