I’m a great people watcher. I’ve been doing it for years and I’ve noticed it’s a declining art or hobby. Most of my people watching over the years has been at airports. I would watch all the various people walking to gates, shopping, talking in groups or couples, eating and drinking.

At one time, everyone at airports, cafés, bus terminals, stadiums, and arenas used to be people watchers, but it’s a declining practice. Why?

Because our digital devices have replaced the novel art of people watching. We don’t look around anymore. We are so absorbed with our social media and other apps, that we don’t have to look elsewhere for creative amusement. I think it’s a shame. People watching can provide so much stimulus and stoke the fire of our creative furnaces.

Here are some secrets of people watching and reasons why people watching is important:

1. It Keeps Us In Touch With Other Human Beings

We may not speak with the people we are watching, but we feel things about those people and it’s a link that automatically helps us form relationships.

2. It Provides Insights About How People Behave

Whether you write, lecture, make speeches, or teach, we all need to use examples of behavior to make our points. People watching provides a constant stream of material with various different examples of behaviors that we can use.

3. It Keeps Our Minds Creative

Wonderful games can be played by looking at people and imagining their lives.

What do they do for a job, where are they from, what are their partners like, where are the going, where have they come from? And you know what? We don’t have to be right!

4. It’s A Release

It keeps us from our devices. It’s a great day dreaming break where we don’t have to be doing.

We can just be. We can just let our mind be free to go wherever it wants and use our imagination.

5. It Helps Us With Our Storytelling

It helps us create a story about the people we are watching and allows us to go with the flow and think!

So next time you are where people are, put your hand-held device away and watch, observe and think.

Do you enjoy people watching and what have you learned from this? Please share your thoughts, I would love to hear your views.