We all watch people. Not in a stalker way (hopefully), but out of a genuine sense of curiosity. When a lesson is dragging on in class, there’s an opportunity to zone out and observe fellow students doodling in notebooks. Parks are filled with kids on swing sets, picnics, dog walkers, and other forms of life just waiting to be seen. A coffee shop is the writer’s prime working spot. Not only is there an endless supply of caffeine just waiting to fuel their creative bursts, but there’s also a constant flow of material walking in and out of the door. These are just a few of the ideal locations for what many have deemed, “people watching.”
It is a sport, a hobby, and an art form all at once. At times, when our own lives become too difficult to think about any longer, taking a step back and noticing the people around us might be the best cure. We often forget that we are not alone in our struggles. As many people, including myself, start a new phase of their lives, whether that be at college or working, it is a comfort to look at the people who are on that journey with us. Choosing to put down a phone, close a laptop, or simply shut off one’s mind could lead to endless possibilities just by tuning into the world.
No one can know a single person just by looking at them. Too much has happened in their stories to figure out through a glance. Although somehow, their experiences have led them to coexist with you in this one moment. When you look at a person and think about the circumstances in life, you are imagining others' complexly.
Here's an example: I’m at the beach. I can tell that the two girls next to me are college friends. They are talking about the rides they enjoy at Six Flags. The people behind me are parents with their adult daughter. She’s a teach and she just recognized one of her students who also happened to be at the beach today. (Plot twist, the mother behind me was actually a teacher that works at my old high school). Further down my right, I can see a much older, extremely tan man talking to a pair of girls on blankets. He’s shirtless. I can tell they are strangers to each other. I don’t know if he’s making them uncomfortable or just trying to be friendly. Nor do I know how the conversation began.
There’s something about trying to gaze through the lens of others that exercises a component of empathy. People are trying to understand, assess, and let their imaginations wander. There is almost a method behind it. Not to say that there is a right or wrong way to people watch.
Some have even turned people watching into a form of art. This video from PBS’s, “The Art Assignment,” asks the viewer to place an object on the street and observe/document how people interact with it from a discreet location. It has a more directed purpose attached and is a fun project a group of friends could even make a day out of.
You never know who or what your glance might lead you too, so stare on. Watch those couples failing at group yoga. Make up a life story for the guy sitting next to you in traffic. Take another look at that cute guy eating an entire tub of ice cream at a concert. Observe and absorb. It's one of the best things life has to offer.
