People Watching is So Educational
You can learn so much about people just by observing them
People-watching, like in a crowded airport, is one of my all-time favorite sports. You can learn so much about other people just by observing them and their interactions with others.
Especially when they don’t realize anybody is watching them. Which is most of the time. Airports are great places to be aloof. Nobody cares.
From a safe distance, you can tell what kind of people they are. Good people, bad people, somewhere in the middle people are all revealed by their actions.
You don’t have to even be close enough to hear their conversations. Just watch their body language.
It will give you a lot of clues about their personalities. You don’t need to eavesdrop, just observe.
You are not being nosy, just curious. Explorers like Jane Goodall, the noted English anthropologist, often did that by stalking wild animals and observing their behavior.
She is considered the top expert in the world on chimpanzees, studying them for over 60 years. And we all know there is not that much difference between people and chimps.
She is considered a little over the top by some people, but she has worked consistently on conservation and animal welfare issues all her life.
The same principles of observation she used can apply to people. You can watch people pose and posture, strut and swagger, pout and sulk across a crowded room.
You can see people assert their superiority or perceived inferiorities by their body language, their distance or closeness to each other, and the way some lead and others just seem to follow and gravitate to them.
You don’t have to have excellent hearing to see them fighting, gesticulating wildly, or crying. Keen vision is definitely an asset, however.
Some are obviously laughing, some are sad and sullen. Some stop to help somebody who has fallen while others just ignore them and walk around them as if it is not their problem.
Some people go out of their way to comfort upset children, help people out who are in distress, or even assist in cleanup chores when needed.
Some will just run over others in a desperate rush to get to the boarding area faster.
Nothing is more important than their frantic rush to be first, to get to the head of the line, to be the first in the queue to board the plane.
Why? Oh, don’t ask why… oh don’t ask why. But it is very revealing about their character.
Airports are relatively safe places. Everybody is just there because it is a transit point, a hub of connectivity to facilitate getting from Point A to Point B. It makes no difference to you as an observer.
Airports are just way stations, not destinations in themselves.
It’s the behavior they indulge in to achieve their goal that is the telling point about their true personalities, and the most fun to observe.
Most people in an airport are relaxed and anticipating either a vacation getaway or returning to the comforts of hearth and home.
Some are seasoned business travelers and you can tell by their confidence, assurance, and smooth moves around the airport and all its attendant facilities.
Like the location of the best food kiosks, the popular bars, and the restrooms. They know the best airport lounges and the most convenient place to charge their phones.
They never need to ask for directions from anybody. No hesitation, no doubts, no worries, no hassles.
There is some anxiety about missing a flight by some people, while others are nervous about the very notion of flying in the first place.
Some people are givers, some are takers. Some like to comfort others, while others are just into themselves.
Congratulations, back-slapping, and smiles all translate in silence, even across a large concourse with no need to hear the exact words.
Everybody smiles in the same language anyway.
So the next time you are at the airport, indulge yourself in a little harmless people-watching. You are not invading anybody’s privacy, just observing them from afar.
Try it, you’ll like it!
People are people, no matter their race or culture. We are all connected…