Struggles That Only People Watchers Can Relate To
Do you ever catch yourself sitting in class straining to hear the couples conversation 4 rows in front of you? What is that girl in front of you looking at on her laptop? Who do you think that man on the phone is talking to? The questions above are all common inquiries of the people watcher. The normal human is not concerned with the mysteries of random strangers in passing, but the people watcher must get to the bottom of it. How is the woman at the grocery store talking to her friend relevant to your life whatsoever? It’s not. But if you are a watcher of the people, It is the genuine fascination with the question “why do people do what they do?” which drives the need to watch. Being a people watcher most certainly has its benefits and its drawbacks. People watchers know something about the fundamentals of mankind, which the non-watchers do not (I’m not sure it is something to brag about during a job interview though it may make you seem “creepy”) Unfortunately, being a dedicated people watcher can put you in some pretty awkward social situations; Just like with any other hobby things can go wrong.
When the people being watched, catch you watching.
This is the code red of people watching. You are doing your thing, nonchalantly watching that man eat his Subway wondering to yourself “I wonder why he is dressed like that? And why did he get chips instead of the cookie?” when all of a sudden… He makes eye contact with you. What do you do? Smile or awkwardly look away? It is a daily struggle of the people watcher and often the source of much public embarrassment.
When your friends are unimpressed by your rare finds. You cannot believe the fight you saw outside of the student union today! A couple screaming across the courtyard over the boyfriend’s infidelity with the girl in his English class, and it was all in public! This was one for the books, and you cannot wait to share this great find with your friends. You’ve worked it up in your head and when you finally get to tell your friends about what you just witnessed… They don’t care. It is hard to not get upset with them, but lets face it, some people just don’t get it.
When a person becomes a regular… and then they disappear.
This kid sat in the same seat in Psychology everyday. Everyday he would suck up to the professor and make obnoxious comments throughout the entire lecture. You hated him. But you still had to observe. One day out of the blue, he just didn’t show up… and just like that he was gone forever. It is not that you miss him, just the consistency of watching him and listening to his conversations with the professor. Where did he go? What happened to him? The people watcher must sometimes leave some mysteries unsolved.
Making the transition from watcher to active participant in life.
This may be the biggest struggle of them all. People watchers are just that, great watchers. Sometimes when you are observing social situations you may get the urge to interact with these people. But this is new and unchartered territory for you. The urge to interact increases when the people are extremely attractive but that only makes the stakes higher. Getting up the courage to turn that glazed over stare into an inviting smile takes courage… but you’ve got this!