What? People watching : the action or practice of spending time idly observing people in a public place.

Why? Many individuals partake in people watching subconsciously, without even realizing it. Others find it amusing and choose to do it. It's human nature to take interest in other humans around you. It's also a great way to combat boredom and entertain yourself.

How? The first precaution I advise taking when people watching is avoiding making those you are watching feel uncomfortable or creeped out. This means averting eye contact with your subjects and avoiding blatant stare downs. People watching is supposed to be unobtrusive and unnoticed. Also, If someone becomes aware they are being watched, chances are they are going to modify or change their behavior. This is known as social facilitation.

When you people watch, you are observing characteristics or behavior of an individual or group -- their actions, mannerisms, interactions, appearance, etc. You may even do a little eavesdropping if you want to listen in on some conversations. You are stepping outside the bubble of your own world and observing the worlds of other people.

If you want to make your people watching a little more interesting, create your own story behind the person you're watching. This is especially entertaining if you're people watching with a friend.

Where? As an avid people-watcher, I have discovered some prime people watching locations. While you can technically people watch anywhere there are people around, I have learned that certain places make for more interesting observations.

The airport is my personal favorite location. I cannot think of a better opportunity to watch a more diverse group of people in one convenient place. The only thing people at an airport are certain to have common is the fact that they are traveling. Besides that, you could find any type of person imaginable there. So next time you have some time to kill before your flight, just take in the people around you.

I've also discovered concerts to be a great opportunity to people watch. It may be the combination of alcoholic beverages and live music, but something about concerts just makes people let loose. Sometimes watching the people around you may be almost as entertaining as the show itself.

Sporting events are another fantastic setting to surveil the people around you. These types of events attract a diverse crowd and very diverse types of fans -- all the way from the overly-competitive fan who blows up if the ref makes one bad call, to the person whose favorite part of the game is the cheese nachos and the wave

What Now? Get out there and discover just how intriguing the people around you can be.