By Emily Chan
For as long as I can remember, my favorite activity was paying attention to what others were doing with my beady little eyes. Especially as a quiet person, people-watching became almost habitual. I found it interesting how others interacted with each other and honestly never thought much about it. I mean, what else could I possibly do with my time if I refused to make connections with others?
But as the years passed, I began to question my habit. What exactly was I getting out of looking at other people’s lives?
Well, in addition to being easy entertainment, you actually gain a lot of insight on the world through people-watching. People watching is a phrase that describes “the activity of watching other people, especially in public places.” By watching other people, you’re able to take in everything around you. Through this, one is also able to glimpse into how people interact with each other and their environment. Think of it as collecting data!
The benefits of people watching are that:
It’s therapeutic
Oftentimes, the stressors present in our lives almost seem to consume us. Although there are many ways to evade stress, there isn’t a stress reliever quite like watching others. Getting out of the house and finding a quiet place to sit can actually provide a sense of peace in our hectic daily routines. Essentially, you’re providing yourself an environment that forces you to slow down and connect with the real world and real people. It’s almost like the healthier equivalent of stalking other people’s profiles on social media!
Helps you stay present
When you begin to become more observant, you also learn to enjoy the moment. While you’re looking at the small mannerisms of others, you don’t have time to worry about the past or future. You are experiencing what’s happening right now, the present. Being present in your daily life is extremely important as it helps you focus on the simple joys of life, rather than focusing on your fears. Likewise, by focusing on the good rather than those fears, you also decrease your levels of stress and anxiety.
Fosters empathy
It’s very easy to become absorbed in our own lives and become ignorant to the struggles of other people. By watching others’ small trials and tribulations, you’re able to realize that they are human just like you — they also have ups and downs on a daily basis. For example, someone may drop their ice cream on the ground, while someone else may have found a coupon for the ice cream parlor in the depths of their bag. When you see the person who had just lost their cool treat, you become more conscientious of what that person may be feeling. You may feel for them due to their unfortunate (although minor) circumstances. By being empathetic and learning how to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, you’re able to see things from other perspectives. This is a skill that’s extremely beneficial to have when conflict arises in your future relations with others.
Helps you learn
By watching the actions of other people, you’re also able to learn from them. We learn from other people in the sense that we imitate the reactions of others to the world. 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 reaction to an unfortunate event can teach us to not let small things ruin our day when they inevitably happen.
That being said, it’s important to understand that the goal of people-watching is to observe those around you, rather than judging others. So, when partaking in people watching, it’s crucial to have good intentions if you truly hope to learn and grow.
