On the dot, Yogi Berra, on the dot.
There’s a difference between simply watching people and studying them, I’d argue. It’s a slight difference, noticeable only to some — perhaps only those who actually observe the people around them instead of simply notice them. Wow, look at my words getting all mixed up.
So let’s say you’re at an airport. Let’s use Chicago Midway, for example, because I hate that airport with a burning passion unlike any other. So you’re at Midway and you’re waiting to board your flight to somewhere-or-another, and you’re surrounded by people. Hundreds of people surround you, pass you, brush up against you when they’re trying to fit through a crowd. The odds are high that you’ll notice things about these people; that guy’s wearing a red tie, that kid has on fake Nikes, or maybe that woman over there is carrying an alligator skin purse. You notice these things, but they pass you by. You shrug them off, as you should, because what do they mean to you? What should they mean to you?
And then you have people that really observe these examples. He’s wearing a red tie, but his socks mismatch his shoes and his shirt is maybe just a size too large. He’s sweating profusely, so maybe he’s afraid of flying or — maybe — his necktie is just a tad bit too tight. His phone goes off but he can’t hear it because too many people around him, kids perhaps, are being too loud.
The kid with the fake Nikes has a bandage on his knee but you can still see some of his scrape, which he may have gotten on the playground running around with his friends who for all we know wear fake Nikes too. He’s wearing blue basketball shorts and a Batman t-shirt, so we decide he likes superheroes.
The woman with the alligator skin purse is wearing velvet high heels and a brooch that doesn’t match the rest of her outfit. Her hair looks nice in the front but the backside is either too flat or too poofy, and one of her nails is broken as well. The stench of her perfume — strong enough to knock out a grizzly bear — wafts through the gate and you fear that once on the plane everyone will suffocate from the smell.
You observe. Instead of just watching people and letting the details pass you by, you take advantage of them. Sure your mind my get carried away and build imaginary backgrounds for these people, but that’s part of the fun of people watching — that’s part of the fun of character studies. Details, people, details are important! It’s a beautiful part of living!
The People Watcher 