Awareness

Is it just me or are most people just not aware of their surroundings? I have had so many “really?” moments recently. I have seen people bump into one another (with plenty of space around them and nobody else around) and not even acknowledge it. I have also seen numerous people take up the entire sidewalk not noticing someone else trying to walk there as well. Do not even get me started on grocery shopping (getting hit by shopping carts) and distracted drivers (green means go) …

Maybe I am just more perceptive to it now but I can honestly say I cannot believe the state we are in. Our instinct as human beings are to constantly be aware of your surroundings and to be on alert. Are we really that removed from this concept?

I could be looking at this all wrong of course. Maybe people are aware of their surroundings but just do not care. I have observed that politeness and being cordial are a lost art in society so that would support the “I just do not care” theory.

Another theory I have is that we are not as aware and in tune with ourselves as we used to be. This is probably the result of the go-go-go mentality of our society. We simply do not have the time for observation.

Either way, being aware of your surroundings could serve you well in the future. You can easily avoid silly accidents and major ones just by looking around and actually observing the current situation. Look up from your phone once in a while. Look at the people you are interacting with. Just because others are simply moving through life on autopilot does not mean you have to.