Have you ever wondered how other people see the world? I do. Fortunately, I recently realized how easily one can get an insight into another person’s viewpoint.

People interact with the world around them based on how they see it. So by watching someone go about their day, we can learn something about how the world looks to them.

• A few days ago I was able to watch two skateboarders filming a video of some tricks. Skater A held the camera and moved along following the action as Skater B performed the same sequence of tricks over and over. From my vantage point (both physically and knowledge-wise) I could not tell any difference in most of the takes (the ones where the board was left behind during a jump were pretty obvious) but it was fun to watch them do the same moves for a number of minutes. Those 20 feet of sidewalk were far more interesting to them than I would have ever thought possible.
• I complain about school. Quite often. Sitting in one of the campus coffee shops frequently helps me gain perspective. Fellow students come in and discuss their projects and I realize how much more time consuming my courses could be. Listening also provides the opportunity to vicariously experience the trials that other students seem to be putting themselves through; I am much more appreciative of my wife as I listen to the tangled relationships that I sometimes hear about.

Now, I don’t recommend spying on anyone. However, it’s almost hard not to notice the people around you once you have begun to think about it. Don’t force it; bask in the worlds that float around you as they pass by.

This is something that I’ve added to my weekly to-do list. Take a few minutes just to listen to the conversations around me or to take note of how people interact with the world as they see it. After all, learning from someone else’s point of view can’t be a bad thing.

What is something that you have noticed or learned from viewing someone else’s world?