Should I ask my coworker why does he stare at me?

[Anonymous]

I have joined this job a few weeks ago. It was their mass joining session and 3-4 of us joined as freshers. I've met this coworker here (he's also a fresher) and he seems to be a decent person. We have had some work-related chats. He'd probably be a couple of years older than me.

However, the issue is that I've caught him looking at me and usually he stares at my face when I'm not looking at him. Whenever he realises that I have noticed it, he either looks down or looks away. In fact it has been happening since day 1. It's not the indecent type of staring, I can see that he mostly looks at my face.

I can guarantee that he's not looking at me because he finds me pretty or something. It's probably the contrary, I look odd, unpleasantly odd. I have a resting serious face (I've big, round eyes), I have been bullied for my appearance a lot in my younger years. I was so insecure that I wore a mask to everywhere I went for 6+ months after covid-19 ended. The students I met at my last year at college never saw my full face. Even now I do it whenever I feel insecure.

The more he stares at me, the more I feel like he's looking at my flaws. Should I tell him that it's making me uncomfortable and ask him why does he do it?

[Stevepro68]

This is very similar to another anonymous question. I will say to this person what I said to the other. There are always at least two people in any interactions. You only ever really know what you are feeling and thinking. Everything else is an assumption on your part. Try to step back and ask how much of this narrative is coming from your interpretation of the situation? It could be equally likely that he finds you attractive and it's a compliment.

[Asker]

Oh, I haven't read that confession. I'm sure he looks at me because I have caught him looking at me many times, even while having group conversations (where I'm talking to another person and he's there), I noticed him staring. I don't think there's any reason to find me attractive though, there are plenty of beautiful women in our workplace.