Pages

Monday, May 18, 2009

Random Question

Although we live in DC, I have found over the last year that our neighborhood is pretty small. Well, not small in terms of size, but small in that I see a lot of the same people frequently.

So my question is....

Am I hyper vigilant? Do I only notice people because I am a psychologist and I am trained to be observant? Okay, I guess that is two questions. But you get the idea, right?

Sometimes I wonder if people notice me too and if I should say hi. Do you notice things like this? What are your thoughts?

9 comments:

  1. I am defintely a people observer. In my neighborhood I do always wave, while I do not always stop and talk (I live in a community that is mostly older..I'm probably the youngest wife @ 27).
    Even at Church I find myself observing people and their behavior and their behavior w/ their children.
    I do sometimes wonder what they think of me or how I conduct things w/ my son...who knows?

    Hope you're having a good week! Weather around here is nice but a bit chilly!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think that depends where you live in DC. There are a few people I see repeatedly, but in my area of DC, for the most part, I don't repeatedly see the same people over and over. I don't think it is because I'm not observant, it's because it's a busy area and there are a lot of people coming and going for work so there is a constant change.

    You can always just smile and see if they return the smile back.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am totally the same way. I am hyper observant, and I rarely forget a name/face. When I lived in DC, I would ride the bus with the same people every morning, and then ride the metro with the same people...and then again on the way home. I would see them everywhere! And elsewhere all over the city, too.

    I have this weird thing though...while I feel like I remember everyone, I'm always convinced that they don't remember me!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm the same way as Shaina. I think that I see the same people on the metro every morning and I'm convinced they don't remember me. But yes, our training teaches us to be observant and take notice of what and who is around us. Dimples and I always watch people and sometimes diagnose them from metro rides. Yesterday, a man driving a lexus in a suit got out of his car with serious weakness on his left side. I thought he had a stroke, Dimples discussed what parts of the brain were impacted to cause his body to move in such a manner. Seriously, I think our training makes us do this. Because back in the day, I would never think about who was around me and I'd be more self-conscious about myself as opposed to being hypervigalent!

    ReplyDelete
  5. i'm totally a voyeur(sp?) so i definitely see people in our neighborhood all the time. i notice when i see them doing the same things, i notice when i always drive by the same couple walking their dog and happen to pass them at the same corner every time. i notice just about everything. i'm not a psychologist but i'm definitely one of those people who notices details. i always know when things are out of place or have recently been changed. i recently noticed that someone on my block cut back their iris(es?) by the mailbox... i think it's just that some people notice things and others don't... i'm sure your profession makes you more likely the type that notices

    ReplyDelete
  6. I know I'm more observant than most people, but I also think a large part of it is how open someone is to approaching a stranger. Sometimes, I'm afraid someone will think I'm a freak for saying hi, so I don't. On the other hand, I have a friend who is comfortable striking up a conversation with anyone. In fact, that's how we became friends - she stopped me on the metro and told me she'd seen me on her route almost every day for two weeks! I never would have had the courage to talk to someone that freely without a blatant introduction.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I observe people too, any big cities can be such a small place because people who happen to like the same thing go to same places all the time :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. i am very observant as well. i see the same people all the time and sometimes say hello, and then realize that the other person is not hyper-vigilant like i am...oh well!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I notice these things, as well. I always feel weird about it, as I do not know if I should do anything. I see a lot of the same people on the way to work, as we all seem to keep the same schedules. Sometimes a slight nod and smile here and there, but it can be odd not knowing what to do.

    Daily compatriots, yet completely removed, heh.

    ReplyDelete