The Power of People Watching

The significant power that people watching holds is something that blows my mind. Not a lot of people know the true meaning behind it. When they hear the phrase their minds immediately think of stalking. But really that’s not the case. Some people resort to this action to help tame the thick boring atmosphere they find themselves in, or like me. They do it naturally. Most of the time people don’t even realize they’re doing it until something else catches their attention. I however do it for enjoyment. I would say personally I consider the art of people watching a hobby. As a writer, my brain is always sniffing out possible storyline and character ideas. If I’m in line at the grocery store, waiting in a doctor’s office, or sitting on the subway. My brain will start spinning, making theories about someone I’ve never even met, based only on the things I notice in the first few moments of us sharing a space. From their body language, to little snippets of their conversation that I catch. I make a whole storyline for them. Although It may seem ‘weird’ or even boring. People watching has its benefits. Emily Chan said in an article for Baron News that “By watching the actions of other people, you’re also able to learn from them. [..] Going back to the ice cream example, the person who dropped their ice cream may simply pick it up, take a deep breath and go along with their day.” This right here says so much. If something bad happens to an individual, they won’t take it too seriously and go on with their day. If they can easily brush it off, maybe you can too? The art of people watching takes skill and practice. Some days it may be easier than others. Some storylines will come to your mind faster than others and that’s okay.

Featured Image: Cover 1 by Brady Knight