The Good Eye Explained: Meet the Evil Eye’s Benevolent Counterpart

Magic happens when you look through loving and compassionate eyes.

You’ve probably heard of the Evil Eye.

In the words of author Mary-Grace Fahrun in Living Folk Magic: Crafting Your Own Magical Life, The Evil Eye is “the belief that a gaze filled with envy, anger, or ill intent can bring misfortune to the person being looked at. It is one of the clearest examples of thought forms combined with strong emotions affecting people and their environment.”

Because, yeah! We are all connected. Thoughts and emotions have energy. When someone wishes us ill or sees us through unforgiving eyes, I can’t help but believe that it can negatively affect us on some level.

But, of course, the reverse is also true. It will positively affect us when someone gazes upon us with compassion and the authentic desire for us to thrive.

I first heard about the Good Eye on season 2 of the delightful Netflix rom com, Nobody Wants This. In episode 10, Noah (played by Adam Brody), tells Joanne (played by Kristin Bell), about the Jewish practice of “ayin tovah,” which means to look at someone with “a good eye.”

It seems like Jesus was alluding to the Good Eye and the Evil Eye in the Sermon on the Mount when he said “… if your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness” (Matthew 6:22-23).

In Greece, the Good Eye is called ophthalmos haplos.

But choosing to look at others with generosity, forgiveness, and compassion is a universal blessing and a cross-cultural value.

As we go into the holidays (but also always) let us spread love and goodwill by setting the intention to see others with the Good Eye.

What is The Good Eye?

The Good Eye is the Evil Eye’s benevolent counterpart: it’s when you choose to look at someone in the best and most positive possible light. You assume the best. You are ready to forgive. You look for traits to admire and respect. You truly want the person you’re looking at to succeed and thrive.

Naturally, just as the Evil Eye is a bit of a curse, the Good Eye is a blessing. Both to the other person and to you.

How Does The Good Eye Work?

Last week at the supermarket, I was not thinking about the Good Eye at all. But I had an experience that clearly illustrated what it is and how it works. (I realized this later.)

As the cashier started to scan my items, I said hello. She was completely silent and didn’t even look up. Right away, I felt snubbed. As I began bagging my groceries, I noticed my feelings were hurt because I believed I was being deliberately ignored. But instead of reacting angrily, I breathed into that feeling and let it be there. Then I remembered the times that I worked retail years ago, and how hard it was: how pummeled by everyone’s energy I would feel some days. This opened my heart to the cashier. Then, I noticed that she was setting my items down very gently. I began to see there was a kindness in her demeanor, which I would never have noticed it if I hadn’t opened my heart.

After I paid, I smiled and thanked her. She smiled back radiantly. At that moment, I had a strong feeling that she was hard of hearing. And if that was true, she wasn’t ignoring my greeting! She just wasn’t hearing it.

Without consciously casting the Good Eye, I was casting the Good Eye. And in doing so, the experience shifted positively, both for the other person and for me. A cash register interaction might sound like a little thing, but the fabric of our lives is woven with the threads of little things.

How Do You Cast The Good Eye?

We can cast the Good Eye on anyone: strangers, public figures, family members, and friends. We can cast it up close or from across the globe. Here are some ways to do it.

The next time you notice you’re about to snap at someone, judge them, or assume the worst, stop! And cast the Good Eye instead. Take a deep breath, acknowledge your feelings, and send yourself kindness and love. (Notice that I didn’t say to judge your feelings or to tell yourself you’re a bad person for having them. That’s because you begin by casting the Good Eye on yourself.)

Then, you extend that same kindness to the other person by considering possibilities that shine a more favorable light. Maybe they are caring for a sick or dying loved one at home. Maybe they’re hungry and worried about where their next meal is coming from. Maybe someone just said something that hurt their feelings. Maybe they’re wounded, exhausted, or overwhelmed. Or maybe you’re simply misunderstanding their motives or meaning. (Even if none of these things are really true, you don’t actually know what is true! So if you’re going to tell yourself a story anyway, why not land on something compassionate, and something that brings you more peace?)

When you disagree with someone’s beliefs or life choices, instead of inwardly maligning them or writing them off, cast the Good Eye. For example, you might ruminate on why their beliefs or choices might bring them comfort, empathetically imagine how they may have come to those choices, and remember all the many times when you believed differently than you do now.

Another excellent opportunity to cast the Good Eye is when you notice your envy causing you to wish misfortune or suffering on someone. Again, stop, breathe, and send yourself love. Acknowledge your feeling of lack, and be compassionate with yourself for it. Then, see if you can shift your perspective to being happy for the other person. Perhaps you can see their blessings as evidence that you can also have what you want. You might inwardly repeat the old school Law of Attraction affirmation, “What [the] God[dess] has done for others, [S]he now does for me and more!”

You’re also casting the Good Eye when you just plain get in the habit of seeing folks in the most loving and forgiving possible light.

What are the Benefits of The Good Eye?

Firstly, the Good Eye will help you feel better. Remember how I left the grocery store feeling good? Similarly, after giving someone the Good Eye, your mood and general sense of well-being will improve. 

In looking at others with the Good Eye, it becomes more natural and habitual to look at ourselves with the Good Eye: to give ourselves grace, send ourselves kindness, and generally let ourselves off the hook. There are many proven benefits to self-compassion, such as self-worth, resilience, and authentic connection.

Looking at our loved ones with the Good Eye blesses and deepens our relationships with them. Looking at strangers and acquaintances with the Good Eye might help transform them into friends.

The Good Eye also blesses its recipients with positivity and luck. Imagine how much healthier, happier, and vibrationally uplifted you would feel if everyone you ran into thought positive thoughts about you all day. But even just a single such interaction has far reaching effects.

And when you offer the Good Eye to those you disagree with, it becomes easier to find common ground and to be a positive influence on them. After all, none of us are likely to take advice from someone who clearly doesn’t think highly of us. But when you can tell someone respects you and wants what’s best for you, you are so much more likely to listen to them and consider what they have to say.

Well, what do you think? Are you excited to start gazing at folks with the Good Eye? Please chime in below. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

P.S. Here’s my post about the Evil Eye.