Individual 1: When I was people watching from my front porch, the first person I spotted was a tall skinny guy wearing a Metallica shirt and listening to huge headphones on his ears. He looked to be about 20 years old and it seemed as if he did not want to talk or interact with anyone that passed him. I believe that based on his dress, he is very involved in the music scene. He was also holding a skateboard so I would guess that he has a love for extreme outdoor sports. I feel as if he does not seem very welcoming to any people that come into his presence since he was pretty much just staring at the ground when he walked. I believe that these assumptions say something about my own values and beliefs because I feel as if I’m the opposite because I’m very outgoing and love to talk to people that I come into contact with.
Individual 2: Another person I saw was a blonde girl with her hair curled wearing a sorority shirt, jean shorts and sandals. She has holding a designer purse and had designer sunglasses on. She looked about 18 years old. I believe that based on her dress, she is from an influential family and cares very much about her outward appearance and spends a great deal of money maintaining that appearance. She seemed very bouncy and happy and enthusiastically said hi to two people that she knew passing her. Since she seemed so truly happy, I believe that her emotional condition is positive and that she was genuinely having a good day as she was walking by. I believe that these assumptions say something about my own values and beliefs because I can relate to her being so excited and happy on a sunny day and going out of her way to say hello to people she knew.
Individual 3: Another person I saw was a girl on a run completely decked out in Nike apparel. She was wearing a Nike shirt, shorts, hat and shoes. She looked about 22 years old and she seemed as if she was having a great time running. I believe that she is someone who cares very much about her health because she looked very much in shape. Also, I feel as if she, like the previous girl, cares much about her outward appearance by only wearing a certain brand of exercise clothing. Since she was exercising, I think that her emotional condition is on a positive level because she looked genuinely happy to be out in the sun running. I believe that these assumptions say something about my own values and beliefs. I think that looking at her made me wish that I didn’t dislike running so much and that I could go running in the sun as well.
Rachel, I thought you were around a unique group of people with a wide range of personalities! With individual one, I completely agree with the fact that he didn’t seem very welcoming. With being on a college campus and walking to class you tend to see a lot of people and have the opportunity to interact with others. I feel that when you put headphones on you close yourself out. Also with individual three, I do agree that the girl running had a positive emotional state because often times people go for a run to be healthy and clear there head! I love going for a nice long run and not thinking about anything, it is very relaxing!
It is pretty amazing how we can make assumptions about somebody based on their appearance. In my opinion, the way someone dresses and interacts (or does not interact) with strangers tells a lot about their personality. Like you mentioned in your blog post, the boy wearing a Metallica shirt with big head phones probably did not want to be bothered by anyone as he was walking down the street. He is most likely someone who does not like to be bothered and enjoys being by himself. Unlike the second person you noticed who spent a lot of time, and money on her appearance. She is probably someone who really cares about how others look at her, and wants everyone to notice, and like her. This is by no means a negative trait. She is most likely very personable and enjoys the company of others. Lastly, the third person you noticed wearing all Nike is probably a very self-motivated person. From my experiences most runners are, and they always seem to be very hard workers.
I was intrigued by your analyses of the people you observed for this people-watching assignment. In particular, the main theme you seem to have come up with is the mood that each individual portrayed.
Clothing and demeanor seem to have a great effect on us! I would have to concur, people walking around with headphones in can be off-putting. However, I’m not sure I personally would immediately assume antisocial behavior. But it is an interesting phenomenon to be sure – so many people milling about, never speaking to one another.
Did the running girl have any headphones in? I wonder if the same things would be perceived about her as the first guy you saw, if she had been listening to music. Perhaps that would be something to consider.
I like your conclusion of the individual #2 and I think the same things as you did. However, whether she is truly happy is hard to prove. For me, if I feel unhappy or something bad happen on myself, I still want to dress up well because I want to make myself looks positive in the mirror. I would easy say my feeling to people and I only would tell my things to the best friends or family. Although I feel really really bad, I still make a fake smile to people. It is polite. In my culture, I can say that I grew up in a high-context communication culture. Direct speech is not normal in my culture….