We often visit the same places and stick to the same routine, interacting with the same people. Have you climbed the stairs in your building, home, office, or elsewhere in the last 3 days? Do you know how many steps there are? Or how many steps you need to take to reach your kitchen from your bedroom?
In A Scandal in Bohemia, Sherlock Holmes teaches Watson the difference between seeing and observing:
“When I hear you give your reasons,” I remarked, “the thing always appears to me to be so ridiculously simple that I could easily do it myself, though at each successive instance of your reasoning, I am baffled until you explain your process. And yet I believe that my eyes are as good as yours.”
“Quite so,” he answered, lighting a cigarette, and throwing himself down into an armchair. “You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear. For example, you have frequently seen the steps which lead up from the hall to this room.”
“Frequently.”
“How often?”
“Well, some hundreds of times.”
“Then how many are there?”
“How many? I don’t know.”
“Quite so! You have not observed. And yet you have seen. That is just my point. Now, I know that there are seventeen steps, because I have both seen and observed.”
Although the books are fiction, Conan Doyle based his Sherlock Holmes character on a real person. The inspiration for Sherlock was a surgeon with an incredible method of observation. By simply looking at a person, he could discover their darkest secrets. This legendary ability, the power of observation, is one that we can all learn.
Like a scientist delving into nature’s most hidden secrets, Sherlock Holmes first gathers all the evidence. He surveys the sum of the evidence in light of his vast knowledge of crime and science to arrive at the most probable hypothesis1.
Observation as the Process
It is important to realize that observation is much more than merely seeing something; it also involves a mental process. In all observations there are two elements: (a) the sense-perceptual element (usually visual) and (b) the mental, which, as we have seen, may be partly conscious and partly unconscious. Where the sense-perceptual element is relatively unimportant, it is often difficult to distinguish between an observation and an ordinary intuition. For example, this sort of thing is usually referred to as an observation: “I have noticed that I get hay fever whenever I go near horses.” The hay fever and the horses are perfectly obvious, it is the connection between the two that may require astuteness to notice at first, and this is a mental process not distinguishable from an intuition. Sometimes it is possible to draw a line between the noticing and the intuition, e.g. Aristotle commented that on observing that the bright side of the moon is always toward the sun, it may suddenly occur to the observer that the explanation is that the moon shines by the light of the sun2.
Observation as The Skill
Observation skills are ways of looking at things, phenomena, and events in detail with analysis to serve a specific purpose. Observational skills require you to purposefully observe, memorize, and link relevant things for optimal problem-solving.
Fields of research, medicine, science, technology, and service require you to have observational skills. These skills help you to recognize the nature of the problem and give the most appropriate method and idea. Observation is not only dependent on sight but it is also practiced to develop better. The training of soft skills, including observation skills, will be helpful for the improvement of yourself and your career path.
And Observation has the following features
Listening in Communication
With listening skills, you can focus on the other person, observe how they speak, understand the message being conveyed, and respond appropriately and thoughtfully. When listening in communication, you should pay attention to the other’s non-verbal communication such as facial expressions, voice, and gestures. When observing well, you will communicate effectively.
Critical Thinking
Only with good observation can you handily gather detailed and accurate information, analyze all aspects of the problem, and draw well-founded conclusions. If you master critical thinking, you can evaluate, analyze, and draw accurate conclusions from that information effectively.
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive, adjust emotions, and understand others’ ones. This ability will help you make good connections and is also a tool for efficient observation. By identifying the emotional state of others, you will learn how to react and behave accordingly.
Attention to Small details
Attention to small details is also crucial in communication. This helps to reach and complete the task thoroughly and accurately. By paying attention to the small details, you will uncover the underlying problem or the message behind it3.
Seeing the Unseen: The Art of Observation
In How to Use Your Eyes, Author James Elkins said, “So I am left with this strange thought: even though we overlook so many things and see so little of what passes in front of us, our eyes will not stop seeing, even when they have to invent the world from nothing. Perhaps the only moments when we truly see nothing are the blank, mindless stretches of time that pass unnoticed between our dreams. But maybe death is the only name for real blindness. At every other moment our eyes are taking in light or inventing lights of their own: it is only a matter of learning how to see what our eyes are bringing us.”
The skill of observation enables you to consciously and actively perceive things. Through observation, we not only perceive but also process thoughts and assign meaning to gain knowledge. The art of observation leads to mindfulness, awareness, and a spirit of inquiry that fosters non-judgmental and unbiased understanding. However, the observer must have the ability to discern between relevant and irrelevant based on their experiences and learning. Seeing captures the sight of something or someone, while observation involves mental processes such as visual perception and thoughts. It leads to inference based on your experiences and knowledge, helping you develop wisdom. For example, when you see wet grass, your observation may lead you to infer that it rained.
While working with communities and observing individuals, groups, events, and actions, observation is akin to data collection. For example, in the 1800s, one of the precursors to this method, Joseph Marie, Baron de Gérando, stated, “The first way to get to know the Indians is to become like one of them; and it is by learning their language that we will become their fellow citizens.”4 This illustrates how observation serves as a valuable tool for understanding and learning about culture, language, traditions, beliefs, daily routines, attitudes, and behaviors. Ultimately, an observer should immerse themselves in the community to gain insight into the lives of those being studied. Some individuals in the group are silent, while others occasionally share their views. My observations help me identify those individuals and understand the factors affecting them as part of group dynamics.
Along with listening, the skill of observation is one of the most effective tools when working with individuals or communities. It allows you to develop appropriate responses to various situations. When I started working with tribal communities at Jawhar, keen observation helped me interpret their actions and uncover unexpected angles on how to build or manage the community and to pick ideas as activities. For example, when we planned the Kitchen Garden Program with 100 women farmers, I noticed that they were growing only a few types of vegetables and fruits in their backyards. During discussions with them, I learned that they were interested in cultivating their kitchen gardens to help save money. Based on this keen observation of the women farmers’ available space and their interest in developing their gardening skills, I designed a capacity-building program around it and provided support with seeds. After a few months, the women now have their kitchen gardens. This combination of observation and understanding of their needs allowed me to work effectively with them.
“Effective observation is essential for engaging with the community or individuals, as well as managing situations or events. It’s crucial to understand that we learn from our observations, whether we are actively seeing or unseen them.“
References:
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