Watching A Whole Crowd
Tagged as: Nov 09So I just finished traveling for work. It was quite an interesting experience. First of all, I’ve not traveled for work before. Secondly, it was supremely interesting getting to watch this whole slew of people that I would not normally get to watch.
People watching was probably one of the more interesting things that I got to do.
Why do we like to watch people?
I’m of the mind that we (well at least I) like to watch people because we are interested in the human experience. Well that and because very often it’s pretty amusing. Or perhaps at the very heart of the matter, we like to see how we stack up against everyone else that’s around. Sometimes they’re stranger, sometimes they’re scarier, and sometimes they’re just like us. Alright they’re never just like us. We wouldn’t ever want to admit as much anyways.
People are interesting. Even the boring ones. Because the boring ones are very interesting when they don’t know that they’re being watched.
Benefits of people watching
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Laughter
You gotta hand it to people, they’ll do some ridiculously hilarious things when they’re unaware that they’re being watched
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Entertainment
Just because you forgot your electronic device or book, you’ll still have something to do. Almost no matter where are (unless you live as a hermit in which case this post is not for you).
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Learn
Other people have had different experiences in their lives. Perhaps watching them will teach you lessons about how you can be a better person.
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Smile
Catch those “cute” moments that nobody was supposed to see. You know, that darling thing that a child did or that self-sacrificing act that someone does for another. It’ll brighten your day and maybe next time you’ll be the one who puts a smile on somebody else’s slightly-creepy-people-watching face.
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Help
If you’re not aware or watching, someone could need your help and you would have never known. If you’re people watching, you’re (by definition) aware of your surroundings. So that makes it easier if you see someone getting hurt or in need of your assistence because you’ll see the need and lend a hand, won’t you? Let’s hope so!
People watching is a great thing to do. And it’s even more fun to do when you are surrounded by people that you would not normally be around (as I was this past weekend for my work conference). I didn’t know the vast majority of them, but I still enjoyed getting to watch them. I got to see how they interacted, I got to laugh at humorous things that I saw, and I got to amuse myself even (hopefully nobody really noticed me doing so).
people watching!! one of my favorite leisure activities! it’s also interesting to observe other people observing other people. i find it rare to happent, but when it does, it’s interesting. the benefit i find here relates to No. 4
Haha watching the watchers. Well that does sound intriguing! What do you think when you see these people people watching?
I like the way you think and I’m a watcher of people as well. Do you think having a blog and writing has increased your interest in observing people? I’m a writer at heart and tend to like to watch the human experience. Which isn’t always the best when you should be EXPERIENCING the human experience!
You also seem to like people - by that I mean you may get annoyed with their lack of personal hygiene habits but overall, you seem to like people. I am basing this on my own experience and feelings but I think if you LIKE people, you tend to like observing them.
Since you had such a great time being on the road for work - does this mean you’d like to do more business trips? I’m glad I fell into consulting - it changed my life!
I don’t think that having a blog has increased my interest in observing people, but it has increased the amount of time that I spend to convert that interest to language. And that’s a good thing because it forces me to actually learn and understand what it is that I’m witnessing. I don’t consider myself a writer (although I do consider myself a reader) but writing is the easiest way for me to get my point across since the Internet is a very visual-oriented medium. I do definitely try to experience things. I think that it’s all too easy to always just view others while you stand on the sideline. I’ve made resolutions to be one who participates in the past.
Hm, I’ve never really thought about whether I like people or not. I suppose that I might, but I definitely hold people accountable for wrongs that they do. And actually I can get more outraged about these things than the common person. Now whether that indicates that I like people more or whether I’m just hard is up to others to decide. I’ll have to think about that one more before I figure out whether the fact that I like to watch people is because I like them. So I take it that you like people?
I really doubt that I’d want to do more business traveling. I don’t think that I’m cut out for it. I’m rather a homebody, and the busyness of the half week was draining. I take it that consulting changed your life for the good. How and why?