Routine
It is not a habit of many to dispense much concern with those they converse with and brush by in passing. People tend to walk with their head low and a passive disposition; taking the unconcerned appearance so as not to cause a disruption. The heart does lap its own pace when two strangers, each approaching from opposite directions, travel along the same path. Their proximity edges closer, they meet for one brief moment where perhaps, maybe, some automatic pleasantries instilled in childhood are exchanged, and then any nervous tension is broken as their concurrence dissipates. They drift further and further. The danger has gone, leaving one's mind to resume its procession.
This behavior can be seen in childhood and early adolescence in most. A child will desire independence and wish to roam about without parental accompaniment. This need for independence will often lead to them experiencing insecurity and a caution of strangers. Without an authority figure to defer to, to clutch for support in this new territory- les they commit some reprehensive social faux-pas or even worse, are committed violence upon- the child will put on a facade. An act.
Children often, for amusement, will take on the role of some imagined character, usually with blithe, benign naivety. Children are peculiar in their seemingly intrinsic imagination, as most can attest. They will invent tales and perform them as if in a theater production, even if no one is present to watch them. They try with such conviction that it's almost admirable, to convince you of a lie they thought of with a relatively paltry amount of effort. They will try with as much persuasion they can conjure, to show the validity of their emotions. What I mean by this is a child will often create a scenario, a fabrication of haphazard emotion, and try to convince themselves and others that the scenario is true. Though, the child will never outright explain their fiction and instead leave it to others to decipher; all the while hoping that the scenario they've concocted, including the emotions and actions of the other parties involved, play out as they've scripted in their minds.
This imagination is often used as a coping for many of the social experiences they face. Though, as adolescence approaches, the child becomes more aware of how to act in the company of others, provided they've had regular social interaction. The child will adopt the more non-confrontational stance when dealing with strangers, often due to fear of violence or social consequences. The threat of social consequences is considered a far greater hell than that of violence, to many in their developing years.
So, many social factors in this day and age cause to suppress imagination and leave that for more fanciful thought done when one's work is completed and all the tasks have been carried out and met with the satisfaction of one's authority. For humans must be groomed to align with a work ethic, thus the imagination is tamed.
Now they stare forward or distract themselves with their environment as they walk through the streets. All while painfully aware of the other people around them who're also trying to get from place A to location C. Some adults even adopt a persona when traveling alone. They will act scattered in thought, darting eyes across the ground, mouthing words and muttering incomprehensible gibberish to themselves to convince others to pay no attention to them, as this helps them cope with the stress of traveling from one place to another. When two or more persons are traveling, they will usually act as if they were so engrossed in each other's conversation that they are unaware of other people, all to protect the ego from unwanted anxiety. Now not all adults may do most of these things, I realize that. But I've found it evident that people tend to distract themselves by putting on some form of behavior and attitude when traveling outside their homes, which is, at my current perception, a truthful observation.
