How to be more observant towards others

When interacting with others, one quality that may be overlooked sometimes but is quite crucial is being observant. 

It is important to know when to speak and what to say to others. However, it is equally important to understand how to conduct yourself in conversations and interactions and treat others respectfully.

Being observant is a quality you can work on and get into the habit of doing. This article will provide you with a guideline on how you can become more observant and pay more attention to others.

Be an “active” listener

This may seem redundant initially, but what it actually implies is for you to truly consider what other people are saying to you.

By listening intently to other people, you demonstrate that you care about what they have to say and make them feel heard with their opinions.

Getting into the practice of “active” listening is a great step towards being more observant and will help you grow your relationships with others. Good active listening habits include maintaining eye contact when someone is speaking to you and being fully engaged in a conversation.

Little actions like these make people feel better about themselves and will also make them feel more connected to you. They will know that you are someone who will listen to what they have to say and value their thoughts.

Listening to others is also important because it can help you grow personally as well. Listening to what people say can help you learn and understand ideas better, grow more patient, and help you become more compassionate towards many different viewpoints and topics.

Notice the small details

A key part of being more observant involves paying attention to detail and the attributes that make someone unique. Small details may be overlooked, but they are essential for building strong relationships with others.

Noticing and remembering simple things such as a person’s birthday, how to pronounce their name correctly, or their hobbies can make people feel like you value them.

The smaller things are usually afterthoughts when it comes to building relations with others, but they are what makes a person special. It means a lot to people when you are able to remember specific details about them.

Be curious about others

Showing a genuine curiosity about others is another important quality that will help you become more observant.

By showing curiosity and empathy towards others, you will be able to see things from their perspective and begin to better understand their thinking and feelings. 

Being curious about other people shows them that you are invested in them, their interests, and want to know more about who they are. Displaying this quality will also strengthen your relationships and make your bonds with others much closer.

If you always want to learn more about others and are genuinely interested in them, it can help you connect better, become less aggressive, and enjoy socializing with people.

Practice your memory and observation skills

A good way to become more observant is to regularly put your skills to the test and practice your ability to remember things about others.

This may be difficult as not many of us can remember everything said to us, but always try your best to remember details others tell you. It will make them feel seen and help you grow your relationships with them.

The people you interact with will also pick up on your ability to remember things. This will make them feel better towards you as they know you are invested in them and will pay attention to what they have to say.

You can do some daily practices and activities that can help with your observation skills and memory. You can read a list of items and then try to recite that exact order to see how much you remember. You could also get a friend or peer to help you by showing you an image and then asking you questions about details in that image afterwards.

While these tasks do not deal with remembering things about other people, they are good to practice because they will help your memory. They will also train your brain into the routine of paying attention to details and remembering specific events.

By regularly practicing your memory and skills, you will be able to catch on to things that other people tell you. As you begin to pay closer attention to others and value everything about them, you will find your relationships stronger and more fulfilling.