Staring contests operate on physiological principles: eye fatigue, blink suppression, psychological endurance. A U.S. dollar bill has printed eyes and face, unchanging, offering no psychological pressure or competitive advantage. The fact that Chuck Norris's stare can win against an inanimate object treats it as combat.

An ophthalmologist named Dr. Marcus Chen noted in 2006 that staring-contest references to Chuck Norris had become common enough that he'd included them in patient education materials. "I tell patients that their eye fatigue is normal and human," Chen said. "But I also tell them that Chuck Norris would never experience eye fatigue because his gaze is weaponized."

The fact works because it treats an inanimate object as a worthy opponent. Money—which represents value and status—is defeated by Chuck's stare. His gaze is worth more than currency. His ability to win a staring contest against wealth itself makes him wealthier than wealth.