Why Me?

The summer sun blazes down on the town’s population. Couples roam the streets among the quaint shops. One couple laughs harmoniously, unaware of the world around them, while another holds a stiff muscled girl, attempting to strut on her own. Even more people, walking alone and walking with others, saunter through the streets. And where do I come in? I’m the third wheel of one of those groups. Instead of listening to my best friend and her boyfriend prattle on about mushy gushy stuff, I find more interest in the people I don’t even know. I have more reasons to pay attention to them than I do to my friends.

One of the biggest reasons for my curiosity in people has to do with trust. I don’t trust people, and I know that I’m not the only one. Being able to read people allows you to judge how much trust you can put into a person. It doesn’t matter how fast you can read people, so long as you can. Trusting a person, who you think is flighty, may be a risk. When you need her most, she could very well flit away, not caring that you were at a breakage point. Also, there’s reading moments. A best friend, whom you trust with every minuscule detail that goes on in your life, can become the most belligerent person when angered and the most self-centered person when upset. With the ability to read when she’s in one of those moods before she even speaks, you can avoid trusting that person at the wrong time. Simply stated, reading people is majorly kick-butt when deciding how much to trust someone.

On a shallow side, people-watching alleviates awkward moments. I am one of those people who tend to find themselves in awkward moments; it’s wonderful being the odd man out. If you are someone like me, people-watching is your solution. Unless you find your awkward situation in a secluded area, entertainment and education lie within those around you. The more people around other than you, the more easily removed from the situation. Although, it’s usually helpful to multitask. This means keeping track of the group, what they’re doing and what they’re saying, as well as watching people. This is important because you don’t want to miss a chance to be less of an outcast should your friend present you with that chance. While the actual ability to read people isn’t on the vanguard here, the attempt to learn is on the vanguard. Here, it’s the attempt to learn that distracts your mind from the present situation.

Hobbies are also a major role in people’s lives, and understanding how people function can sometimes help people with their hobbies. Some of the things I do that require knowledge of people include writing and drawing. These interests can be used to convey the emotions of real or fictional characters. In order to do this efficiently, a basic level of understanding is needed. You can’t depict a person, who is angry, if you don’t know how an angry person acts. Even drawing requires noticing the difference in appearance, the muscles that tighten and the overall posture. The effect of these, as well as many other hobbies, increases as your understanding of people increases.

People are an ever evolving species. Our culture is ever-changing and the way in which we interact changes with it. Staying on top of how people and how they work has endless benefits. And it doesn’t hurt that people-watching can be done pretty much anywhere. There’s no reason to not make an attempt to understand those around you. So, should you find yourself waiting in a Dunkin Donuts for your friend or hot date, take the five minutes to further understand; it’s worth it.

word count: 629