William Shakespeare once said, “The eyes are the window to your soul.”

To this day I agree with him. Your eyes do so much and writers, screenwriters, artists and even doctors understand this as well. Your eyes reveal so much—it’s time we recognize just how valuable they are: physically, emotionally, and symbolically.

Physically

Our eyes are something powerful because they manage to reflect stress, diseases, infections and injuries. Have you ever gotten that random eye twitch that won’t seem to go away? That is a sign of stress or exhaustion.

Sometimes blurred vision can be a sign of diabetes or cataracts. Your eye doctor can look at your eyes and see how healthy your heart, cholesterol and blood pressure is. One look at your eyes can tell them a lot about your body. Your eyes can also show that you need more sleep and that is the more common thing that we see in our eyes and in others. Lastly, around this time of year, you notice early signs of allergies.

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Emotionally

I can not tell you how many times I have read someone's emotions by looking at their eyes. Your eyes unconsciously show so much about what you are currently feeling and what you were feeling before. Much like how you can tell that someone has been crying, you can also tell if they are joyful, scared or ridden by anxiety.

The possibilities are endless. That’s why I love eyes, because they communicate the things we refuse to talk about. Eyes are beautiful and they do so much for us and for other people. It helps to let others know how much you need them or what kind of support you need.

Love

As a hopeless romantic I love eyes so much because that is one thing that is never going to change in a person. Someone's eyes are not going to change with age, so if you fall in love with someone's eyes (along with everything else) you'll find something that will last forever. The beauty of eyes is rooted in those who look into them. Not everyone you meet is going to fall in love with your eyes but that person for you, won't be able to stop looking into your eyes.

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Your eyes are also ways that you can communicate love and attraction. You might be aware that your pupils naturally expand in dim light and shrink in bright light. But they also dilate in response to strong emotions like attraction and love.

Research from the University of Chicago found that if a person is looking at someone they desire, their pupils will dilate without them even realizing. That absolutely fascinates me.

Another thing that is super interesting is how your eyes gaze at another person. Your eyes have the capability of making a simple glance into something more romantic or distant. Your eyes unconsciously have a way of looking or gazing at people you find attractive or that you are in love with.

This is why in the movies they always have that one scene or multiple scenes where one partner is gazing at the other, in a way that is so beautiful and so loving that you can’t help but swoon. The way you look at others is so important.

Why do Books, Movies and Social Media Care about Eyes so Much?

I’m sure you’ve noticed that the romance books you read or the rom-coms or action movies always talk about eyes. They describe what someone’s eyes look like and they contribute it to their personality or character. You will know about the characters eyes before you learn their name.

But why is that? Why is it that girls are obsessed with long eyelashes and the perfect eyeliner and eye shadow? The reason is rooted in our biology. We all know that eyes are important and we can’t help but draw attention to them. The idea is that if someone has striking eyes, they will have a striking personality. If they have eyes that are full of anger and animosity, surely they are the villain or bully. Whereas, if you have someone with beautiful eyes, full of light, youthfulness and joy they are more likely to have a personality that everyone loves.

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Books focus on eyes because they tell a story without having to use many words. Eyes add a dash of romance and a pinch of emotion that other words and descriptions can’t mask. As readers we have learned to look for words that tell us how the characters are looking at one another.

Are they gazing? Are they peeking? Are they giving cartoon character vibes? Whatever it is, it is important. We have developed this skill as readers. We have also seen this when characters fall ill. The description of their eyes is clearly different from the description we once had. Movies use this same tactic, the only difference is that they can physically show this to us. Seeing this tactic used in a physical sense reminds you that love is real and that it goes beyond cards, kisses and gifts. It’s a more meaningful experience.