#304 People-Watching

We all do it.

Whether you're in a coffee shop, a park, or any other public setting, you've probably taken part in the art of people-watching. Simply put, this involves watching and observing people from a distance. The main reason we do it is to observe the way people act, dress, and talk to make inferences about what kind of a person they are.

After a long morning at work you deserve a break from it all. The pressure, the deadlines, the drama, the constant bombardment of emails. We all need a break from it all. A lunch break isn't complete without some quality people-watching. This brings me to my first of three reasons why people-watching is so awesome.

1. It's relaxing. You can put as much or as little thought into it as you want. You can merely stare with an empty mind or you can study your subjects intently. People are fascinating! Especially when they aren't aware someone is watching them.

2. It passes time. A lunch break in the cafeteria goes by much faster when you can sit and observe a group of people throwing the frisbee outside.

3. It's inspiring. I can't think of a time when I was people-watching that I didn't witness or hear something or someone that I turned into a conversation starter later. "Hey, you'd never guess what I saw this guy wearing!" or "This couple was talking about how much they loved that new movie in theaters, we should go see it!"

And although it can turn creepy if the person you're watching looks back at you, people-watching is definitely a healthy alternative to Facebook creeping. Watching people in the real world beats stalking them on facebook any day, which is why people-watching is...

AWESOME!