# In what ways are you nosy? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 20, 2016, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-ways-are-you-nosy/752745 "2016-04-20T18:27:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-ways-are-you-nosy/752745/1 "2016-04-20T18:27:36Z")
I’ve recently come to realize that I am particularly nosy when it comes to books that other people are reading, but _especially_ in situations where somebody who is serving me from the other side of a counter has a book in front of them. The other day, a server at a bar had a textbook in front of her and I actually lost my train of thought because I was spending too much brain power reading her book upside-down so that I could figure out what it was (it was a history of beer, appropriately enough). I don’t know why this “gets” me, but there ya go. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-ways-are-you-nosy/752745/2 "2016-04-20T18:29:57Z")
[None of your fucking business!](http://weknowmemes.com/2013/10/nosey-little-fucker-arent-you/) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-ways-are-you-nosy/752745/3 "2016-04-20T18:38:34Z")
Just about everything. I have no idea why people care if others are interested in what they are doing. If I want to do something I don’t want anyone to ask about then I don’t do it when anyone is around to see it. ---
**Author:** ![Lowdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Lowdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lowdown)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-ways-are-you-nosy/752745/4 "2016-04-20T18:43:41Z")
Zero ways. I don’t care what you’re doing. I’m far too busy judging your appearance. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-ways-are-you-nosy/752745/5 "2016-04-20T18:47:21Z")
Oh my gosh, I have _got_ to know what strangers are reading. I’m even tempted to ask them outright, but restrain myself. I get a lot of requests at work to notarize things. Most of these people I know so well that I don’t need to see their identification, but I ask for it anyway. I really just want to get a gander at their drivers license picture! ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-ways-are-you-nosy/752745/6 "2016-04-20T19:09:43Z")
I’m nosy in that I have a nose, but that’s about it. In fact, if I bumped into someone I knew and they were wearing nothing but a top hat and monocle, I probably wouldn’t even mention it. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-ways-are-you-nosy/752745/7 "2016-04-20T19:39:26Z")
I get the addresses of my co-workers from our employee directory, and then I go look at their houses on Google street view. I like to see other people’s homes. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-ways-are-you-nosy/752745/8 "2016-04-20T21:35:37Z")
If I’m at your house, I’m definitely covertly checking out your bookshelf. (And maybe I’m judging you just a titch too, on the selection!) ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-ways-are-you-nosy/752745/9 "2016-04-20T22:24:26Z")
When I am sitting next to someone on my train home, I always try to figure out what their reading. Although the main thing that interests me is whether it is in French or English. But nowadays my seatmates are likelier to be playing a game on their phone. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-ways-are-you-nosy/752745/10 "2016-04-20T22:28:36Z")
I work in cubicleland and cannot help hearing what everyone is talking about. Some people seem to be able to tune out people speaking even without earphones, but I can’t help but hear. Which is good, since I like knowing what’s going on! ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-ways-are-you-nosy/752745/11 "2016-04-20T23:31:16Z")
When walking through neighborhoods at night, I will look into any windows visible from the sidewalk. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-ways-are-you-nosy/752745/12 "2016-04-21T00:01:31Z")
I listen in on other people’s conversations. But it’s not because I’m nosy, it’s because I’m paranoid. I’m convinced that they’re always saying awful things about me. They usually aren’t. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-ways-are-you-nosy/752745/13 "2016-04-21T00:02:11Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > When walking through neighborhoods at night, I will look into any windows visible from the sidewalk. Me, too. I don’t stare at people that’s around me, I deliberately stare straight ahead when I walk past patient’s rooms in the hospital, and I try not to overhear private conversations. But I love looking in other houses when I walk by. But not in a creepy way. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-ways-are-you-nosy/752745/14 "2016-04-21T00:56:11Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > I listen in on other people’s conversations. But it’s not because I’m nosy, it’s because I’m paranoid. I’m convinced that they’re always saying awful things about me. > > They usually aren’t. Oh yes we are! All coded, of course, so you won’t be able to tell. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-ways-are-you-nosy/752745/15 "2016-04-21T01:10:26Z")
I really need to know what you do for a living, what drew you to it, how long you’ve done it, what your educational background is, etc. etc. I’m in HR - occupational hazard. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-ways-are-you-nosy/752745/16 "2016-04-21T02:19:41Z")
Last month on a flight to Darwin, I noticed the girl two seats away from me had a book on her lap, face down. I recognized the picture of Orwell on the back dust jacket, so I said “You’re reading Orwell”. We had a nice discussion then about Australian authors. Readers like to talk to each other about what they read, and a comment is always welcome… ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-ways-are-you-nosy/752745/17 "2016-04-21T03:38:32Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > I’ve recently come to realize that I am particularly nosy when it comes to books that other people are reading, but _especially_ in situations where somebody who is serving me from the other side of a counter has a book in front of them. The other day, a server at a bar had a textbook in front of her and I actually lost my train of thought because I was spending too much brain power reading her book upside-down so that I could figure out what it was (it was a history of beer, appropriately enough). > > I don’t know why this “gets” me, but there ya go. I do the same. And when I’m a guest at someone’s home, I look through all their bookshelves and CD towers to see what they read and listen to. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-ways-are-you-nosy/752745/18 "2016-04-21T04:09:24Z")
I honestly can’t think of anything. Others’ business is their own and I expect other people to respect my privacy. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-ways-are-you-nosy/752745/19 "2016-04-21T04:15:15Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > Me, too. I don’t stare at people that’s around me, I deliberately stare straight ahead when I walk past patient’s rooms in the hospital, and I try not to overhear private conversations. But I love looking in other houses when I walk by. But not in a creepy way. Me three. I don’t care about any people that might be in there, I just seem to be fascinated with the insides of other peoples’ houses. I would also be considered nosy about other peoples’ personal lives if I ever had the nerve to ask anyone. This is one reason I long ago gave up the idea of being a psychotherapist - I was too interested on a personal level. (Also because I couldn’t stand the idea of sitting around and listening to other peoples’ problems without being able to talk about mine in return.) ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-ways-are-you-nosy/752745/20 "2016-04-21T05:04:55Z")
I’m nosy about people’s ethnic backgrounds. I don’t know why. I just find it interesting. Fun fact I learned yesterday: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s father was a “Black Nova Scotian.” > **[Black Nova Scotians](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Nova_Scotians)** > > Black Nova Scotians (also known as African Nova Scotians and Afro-Nova Scotians) are Black Canadians whose ancestors primarily date back to the Colonial United States as slaves or freemen, later arriving in Nova Scotia, Canada, during the 18th and early 19th centuries. As of the 2021 Census of Canada, 28,220 Black people live in Nova Scotia, most in Halifax. Since the 1950s, numerous Black Nova Scotians have migrated to Toronto for its larger range of opportunities. Before the immi The first Blac... I didn’t even know they existed! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-ways-are-you-nosy/752745.md?page=2)