In many cultures , such as East Asia and Nigeria , it is respectful not to look the dominant person in the eye , but in Western culture this can be interpreted as being `` shifty-eyed '' , and the person judged badly because `` he would n't look me in the eye '' ; references such as `` shifty-eyed '' can refer to suspicions regarding an individual 's unrevealed intentions or thoughts .
In many cultures , such as East Asia and Nigeria , it is respectful not to look the dominant person in the eye , but in Western culture this can be interpreted as being `` shifty-eyed '' , or untrustworthy .