People sit on a lawn in early March in San Francisco. People-watching is a common way to connect with those you may never meet. Photos by Melissa Houston
It is easy to people-watch in Los Angeles — an urban center of life that is home to almost 4 million people. In such a populated city, millions of stories are waiting to be told by each person just trying to live their life.
Some of these stories aren’t told through verbal conversations, yet a lot can be learned about someone’s life through daily observations.
“I’m always people-watching,” junior Sofia Preston said. “I find it really calming to see how people interact in day-to-day life. Instead of focusing just on myself, I realize that there’s an entire world of people interacting, and it just allows me to ground myself.”
Gaining Appreciation
Preston said immersing herself in the people around her and their ways of living — how they talk, eat, dress, act — allows the Pepperdine student to reflect on her own life.
“It reminds me of the beauty of life,” Preston said. “There is so much beauty that we tend to miss by focusing on ourselves and what’s going on in our life. If we take a step back and look at the bigger picture, we open up our eyes and perceptions to different people, which allows us to gain that empathy without actually speaking to somebody.”
A surfer in Venice Beach, Calif., comes in from the waves on a sunny day. Simple moments like these allow people-watchers to gain a deeper sense of appreciation for life.
The grounding Preston experiences from people-watching is one senior Ashley Eagan said she also feels through her daily observations. Eagan’s sense of grounding comes from the reminder that we only have what is right in front of us.
“Presence is everything — we only have the present,” Eagan said. “I’ve brought a lot more gratitude and presence into my life recently, or at least this year, based on what I’ve observed.”
Not only did Eagan say she appreciates the individuality of everyone’s life, but she said she starts to value the natural environment around her, as well. Being in Malibu, it is easy to take advantage of our surroundings, but people-watching reminds Eagan to take it all in while she can.
“It’s not just observing the people, it’s also observing the setting,” Eagan said. “I get to witness other people around me in such a beautiful spot. I really have a high appreciation for just natural beauty, which I think as humans, we all do.”
People-watching allows Preston to truly appreciate all she has around her. By seeing an interaction such as two friends laughing, Preston said she is able to remember all her own small moments of joy.
“Honestly, I try to find meaning in everything I look at,” Preston said. “Those little moments I see give me that nostalgic feeling that reminds me there’s more than just what I’m seeing.”
Junior Monica Rosso also said people-watching gives her a deeper sense of appreciation for all the world has to offer. As she tries to view life in a positive light, she loves seeing others experience their pockets of happiness.
“It’s just good to see people connecting,” Rosso said. “I love watching warm and friendly and just loving interactions, especially getting to see people interact with the people they love.”
Through these positive interactions, Rosso said she is able to see a piece of herself in every person she watches. Not only is Rosso able to enjoy what is happening in front of her, but she is also able to look forward to what she has in the future.
“Everyone is living their own day, and it always makes me realize, ‘Oh, that girl is sitting with her best friend, and they’re laughing and having so much fun,’ and that’s me and my best friend later in the day. It makes my heart warm,” Rosso said.
A Deeper Understanding
While people-watching allows Eagan to appreciate the life around her, she said it mainly gives her a reality check. By observing those that come from a variety of backgrounds and places, she is able to recount her own blessings.
“I think I appreciate life more than most people,” Eagan said. “I reflect on and think about how much I love being alive more than most people do. I’m constantly people-watching, and I’m constantly reflecting on that.”
An artist adds to a painted wall in Venice Beach, Calif. Observing the natural beauty paired with society interacting within the world can lead to meaningful moments of reflection.
Preston and Eagan’s shared interest in people-watching comes from their educational goals. With Preston being a Psychology major and Eagan a Sociology major, both said they enjoy observing how different individuals interact with the world around them.
“I’m really interested in learning about the different types of individuals and the different brain types,” Preston said. “How a person presents themselves helps you see a little more into who they are as a person.”
For Eagan, people-watching is a form of entertainment. She said she hates when people are on their phones, as looking up and observing can provide the same sense of satisfaction.
“To me, it’s like when you have a Tiktok video and there’s Subway Surfers playing next to it,” Eagan said. “It’s like dinner and a show. You get to watch what’s happening, and it’s real life.”
Eagan likes to observe those around her using all her senses. Specifically, Eagan said she pairs sight with her sense of hearing in an attempt to fully understand those around her.
“I’m also always listening to what’s around me,” Eagan said. “With that, you can observe how people live their lives differently than you. So, I kind of ‘people-listen’ more so than just people-watching.”
A Tool of Self-Reflection
In Los Angeles, and Malibu more specifically, it is very common to see a celebrity out and about going through their daily lives. Observing these high-profile individuals gives a unique perspective on what they do behind the cameras.
“I really try to see everybody for who they are, regardless of where they come from or who follows them,” Preston said. “A lot of times, celebrities can be very performative, but if you watch them long enough, you can see their real mechanisms and you can see that they do really struggle, and that everybody struggles, just nobody wants to admit it.”
Preston said in this regard, people-watching brings her a sense of comfort. By observing those around her and noting their experiences, she is able to accept that everyone is much more similar than they may realize.
“I can see I’m not alone,” Preston said. “I experienced the same emotions as this kid playing with their dog and laughing or this girl crying on the phone — I am the same person.”
A skater catches air in Venice Beach, Calif. Observing others through their everyday actions can reveal who they are beyond the surface.
For Eagan, this feeling of empathy evokes a deeper state of reflection. Not only can Eagan observe the softer side of individuals, but she’s able to realize that there is always beauty hidden in her surroundings.
“All of it can make you grateful for your own life,” Eagan said. “When you think about other people’s problems, it makes your problem seem so much more insignificant. You can see so much wherever you go if you just look at everything as something to reflect on.”
People-watching, especially on Pepperdine’s campus, can allow you to observe the highs and lows students go through daily, Rosso said. By seeing the different emotions in the people around her, Rosso is able to find some familiarity through observation.
“It makes you build characters almost, and a community where you may not even know anyone around you, but you’re familiar with them,” Rosso said. “It humanizes the community here, and I think that’s really beautiful.”
The empathy Preston feels from people-watching always invokes a deeper train of thought. Through this perspective, Preston said she is able to realize how simple life truly can be.
“Observing somebody naturally gives you that sense of deeper understanding and insight into who they really are as a person,” Preston said. “Then that way, you know they’re not perfect, and neither are you. They’re flawed as well, and that’s OK. We’re all human, and we all operate under the same wants and desires anyways.”
There is a sense of beauty in watching someone’s vulnerable side come out, Preston said. This is especially vital when daily life is controlled by what appears on social media.
“If you watch somebody long enough, you can see their mask slowly start to fade,” Preston said. “Instagram doesn’t show you what life really is, it shows what you want your life to look like. But watching humans be humans reminds you that you are a human. You are not AI, you are not your perfectly curated post — you are a human being, and you have intrinsic worth just living your life.”
In a world controlled by technology that is constantly evolving, Preston said people-watching reminds her to look up from her devices and take in the beauty around her. Whether she’s observing a chaotic family of five or a high-profile celebrity trying to blend in, there is always something to be grateful for.
“There’s so much diversity in this world that we don’t even recognize unless we actually get off our phone to look up and look around,” Preston said. “People are very different, but we’re all human, even though we present ourselves differently. I think that that is something that you can only find if you really pay attention to life.”
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