Why would someone want to people watch? There can be many reasons. Understanding why you want to stare at people can help gain more insight from the experience. It is a healthy alternative to stalking people on Facebook or Instagram. How much more refreshing and informative is it to people watch your ex in real life? Many choose to people watch also because they have such boring lives that literally watching people walk around is exciting to them. Also, serial killers and criminals people watch to find their next vulnerable victim. The most important thing is to establish and understand your purpose.
The biggest mistake in people watching is interacting with the subjects. Once you make yourself known to them, you instantly become really creepy. Most people do not like to be observed by creepy people. Some examples of things not to say are:Excuse me, can you repeat what you just did? I missed some of the details.Wow, that was great.This subject seems to walk as though they are severely uncomfortable and their essence reminds me of overcooked Fedelini.Can you tell me your schedule so that I can watch you everyday?
When people watching, it is important that you observe from an undisclosed and imperceptible area. The goal is to not be noticed. This should be taken seriously and to extreme lengths. Consider costumes, camouflage, or disguises. For example, if you were observing a monastery, it would be wise to disguise yourself in full monk-attire. Make sure the location you are choosing is not invasive or inappropriate.
Choose one person at a time to observe. Select them from the crowd and ask yourself questions about the person. This can help you gain more information and achieve your purpose of people watching. Ask questions such as: Who is this person? What do they want? Did they brush their teeth today? Do they watch reality television? What might their mother be doing right now? Are they the next Youtube sensation?
Two is always better than one. Grab a good friend and people watch together; that way, you can share observations. Or, you can start people watching each other. You might learn something new about them you never knew before. Just make sure you do not let them know you are watching them. Unless they know that you are watching them and they are watching you too. Then again, this might turn into an awkward situation. You actually probably should not watch each other.
If you can, be sure to record every detail. This can potentially be valuable information. You may be witnessing scenes of a murder mystery and your observations hold the key to its explanation. Also, try to take pictures. If you have a Snapchat, definitely use that. Post the pictures on your Snapchat story so that everyone can see how great people watching is and they can people watch with you through the app. After all, that is what Snapchat was invented for. Do not get caught doing this. If you do, the person may sue you for a lot of money and you might go to jail. Do not let that happen.