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Observation isn’t a talent — it’s a skill. And like any skill, it can and should be developed. In a world where everyone rushes around with a phone in hand, the ability to notice details is practically a superpower.

So how can you gain this superpower? Here are a few tips to follow:

Play “Detective”

Choose a familiar place — a bus stop, café, or park — and try to notice something new: a poster, the colors of people’s clothes, or small changes in the environment. Write down your observations.

Develop Sensory Awareness

Pay attention to the sounds you usually ignore: the hum of an air conditioner, the rustle of leaves, footsteps. This trains your focus and sharpens your attention to the world around you.

Keep an “Observation Journal”

Every day, write down at least three things that surprised or intrigued you: an unusual facial expression on public transport, an architectural detail, or an emotion you noticed in someone you know.

Play “What Changed?”

This can be a game with a friend: one of you changes a detail in your appearance, and the other has to guess what it is. Or try it alone: before leaving a room, take a good look around, then later imagine where everything was.

These exercises helped me, too. Once, while riding a trolleybus, I sat by the window, as usual, listening to music. Suddenly, I noticed a man near the doors acting suspiciously. He kept “accidentally” bumping into other passengers and held his jacket in a way that looked like he was hiding something.

I turned off my music and started watching more closely. Then I saw it: he was trying to pickpocket a girl’s wallet! I spoke up loudly:

— Is everything alright?

The girl turned around in surprise, and the “gentleman” quickly jumped off at the next stop. If not for attentiveness and observation — the situation could have ended very differently.

So observation is like a muscle: the more you train it, the better you see. It helps not only to stay safe but also to be more attentive in creativity, relationships, studying, and work. Train it every day — and one day, it will definitely come in handy.