I too have stared at the sun for far longer than is recommended (30s+), and had no issues, but it certainly is a risk:
> In a study after an eclipse in Turkey in 1976, around 10%of [sic] those with damage had permanent visual loss to the extent that they were not able to read a car number plate at 25 yards (23 metres) with the affected eye or eyes.[0]
IIRC, an eclipse is particularly dangerous because the lack of light doesn't trigger your pupils to constrict as much or a "too-bright" response to look away, but the visible portion is still sufficient to cause damage.
> In a study after an eclipse in Turkey in 1976, around 10%of [sic] those with damage had permanent visual loss to the extent that they were not able to read a car number plate at 25 yards (23 metres) with the affected eye or eyes.[0]
IIRC, an eclipse is particularly dangerous because the lack of light doesn't trigger your pupils to constrict as much or a "too-bright" response to look away, but the visible portion is still sufficient to cause damage.
[0] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1116382/