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Has anyone ever seriously suggested that it isn't OK to take a walk without headphones? I like walking. I walk a lot. I've never in my life worn headphones whi

by mrec 6y ago

Has anyone ever seriously suggested that it isn't OK to take a walk without headphones? I like walking. I walk a lot. I've never in my life worn headphones while doing so.

SilasX 6y ago
Was thinking the same thing. IMHO when you’re walking (as opposed to jogging) is when you’re most interested in natural/environmental sounds. There’s also the subreddit /r/imaginarygatekeeping for bizarre refutations of non-existent arguments like this one.
- mrec 6y ago
  I'm not even particularly interested in environmental sounds, just turning off the cognitive input for a bit to let the stuff that's already there shake down.
- Dirlewanger 6y ago
  It's not an argument, it's someone's thoughts on an observation he had. Why does HN always do this? They'll see that the article is an opinion piece and instantly go on the defensive. Inferiority complex maybe?
  - SilasX 6y ago
    It’s the framing of “it’s okay to ...” that bothers me. I mean, who says it isn’t? I wouldn’t have that issue if the title were “why you should ...” Edit: furthermore, there were times and places where “just taking a walk” was taboo. (See the Ray Bradbury short story [1] or the Mad Men episode where they freak out at the woman who says she does it.) So I chafe at the false implication that we’re in such an era, if the author isn’t going to back up such a claim. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pedestrian https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pedestrian
  - chrisseaton 6y ago
    'It's ok to' doesn't make any sense unless it's a response to someone saying 'it's not ok to'.
sp332 6y ago
It's a synecdoche - using one single thing to represent a larger group of things. The article is about not feeling like every moment has to be productive. Listening to podcasts is just the example.
dominotw 6y ago
> I like walking. I walk a lot. I've never in my life worn headphones while doing so. I think this has a prerequiste of being well adjusted mentally. I never walk without headphones, my mind wanders into a panic attack thinking about all sort of things. So much so that I fear walking.
CyberRabbi 6y ago
Since the dawn of the iPod and significantly more so since AirPods, many people walk nearly everywhere with headphones in their ears. Before covid this bothered me immensely at work, where it was that much more difficult to get someone’s attention in common spaces.
- InitialLastName 6y ago
  It isn't called the Sony Walkman for no reason, FWIW.
  - CyberRabbi 6y ago
    The prior existence of the Walkman on its own doesn’t automatically justify the headphone trends popularized by apples products.
- munk-a 6y ago
  > Before covid this bothered me immensely at work, where it was that much more difficult to get someone’s attention in common spaces. In my day job we use slack as the primary means of communication, sometimes the person at the desk next to you will set themselves as away/sleep notifications and pop on headphones - this is usually an attempt by them to focus on a problem. I think it's particularly common with more senior employees that tend to get lots of questions where, for me at least, I have no objection to questions but I want the freedom to handle them in my own time (usually within a half-hour or so, not days later) since that allows me to maximize my personal productivity. So I very much empathize with folks who occasionally pop on headphones at work - even if they aren't listening to music but just using it as either a visual signal or to leverage sound canceling. As a dev I'd often pop on headphone when working in the office even without music when I was working on a serious chunk of logic - I'm on the senior end of things and get lots of questions and sometimes you really get into a groove and want to focus.
  - CyberRabbi 6y ago
    I specifically said people who wear headphones in common spaces, not while they are at their desk. Common spaces are kitchens, bathrooms, lounges, etc. Places where in-person interaction will likely be necessary for physical coordination and sharing purposes.
rozab 6y ago
I think it's aimed at people who say this to themselves (there are plenty in the thread).
giardini 6y ago
Walking/running/driving with headphones is likely unwise: 1) you may not hear vehicles, people, animals that pose a risk. If you're in a bad part of town, some bystanders may take you as a target. 2) listening material is a distraction. Whether books-on-tape or music, what you're listening to can effectively distract you. Ergo the occasional earphone user who walks onto an open manhole. Best to stay in the here-and-now. Earphones are just like drinking or taking drugs as far as safety is concerned. text: It is unwise for at least two reasons: 1) you may not hear vehicles, people, animals that pose a risk. If you're in a bad part of town, some bystanders may take you as a target. 3) beyond that, the listening material is a distraction. Whether books-on-tape or music, what you're listening to can effectively distract you. Ergo the occasional earphone user who walks onto an open manhole. Best to stay in the here-and-now. IOW earphones are just like drinking or taking drugs as far as safety is concerned. help
- MaxBarraclough 6y ago
  > Walking/running/driving with headphones is likely unwise Driving while wearing headphones is outright illegal in France, [0] and some US states [1]. [0] (PDF) https://www.rospa.com/rospaweb/docs/advice-services/road-safety/drivers/headphones-as-a-driver-distraction.pdf https://www.rospa.com/rospaweb/docs/advice-services/road-saf... [1] https://drivinglaws.aaa.com/tag/headsets/ https://drivinglaws.aaa.com/tag/headsets/
- laurent92 6y ago
  You are underestimating people’s problems. If I don’t keep focusing on something else, my mind turns very dark, quickly. People who do that know it is extremely bad, but it’s “this or something worse”. At least in the immediate time. Of course I’d love if people actually had the solidarity they pretend to have, but they don’t. The world is not a kind place. And so, there are many people like me, who appear kind and peaceful and well-mannered, and who work constantly to calm their internal boiler. So no reason to try to make me remove my headphones (unless one addresses me on the street - there are politeness rules) Also, it is very frustrating when people “try to give you a lesson” by walking towards you as if you didn’t see them. It’s headphones, not a blindfold. People don’t do that when I have a book while walking. As a summary, my life is pretty much like the movie “Her”. I’ve tried not to be lonely and faced with people being insanely frustrating/angering. So I’ve embraced loneliness and mobile phones. It’s like drugs, slightly better because I still work efficiently.
drivingmenuts 6y ago
It’s a response to tho who seem to think our every waking moment must be sacrificed to the progress of ... not sure what, but they feel quite strongly about it. You can see that sort of mindset all over HN and anywhere else. Be 10X. Always Be Doing. Hustle. Have a Side-hustle. Be More than You Are Or You’re a Failure. How Not To Be An Introvert. Influencers. The Casey Neistats of the world who seemingly are productive and marketize in their sleep (example only, he might be an OK guy). So, no one seems to outright say “walking in silence is bad”. But they sure imply it.

by mrec 6y ago

Has anyone ever seriously suggested that it isn't OK to take a walk without headphones? I like walking. I walk a lot. I've never in my life worn headphones while doing so.

SilasX 6y ago

Was thinking the same thing. IMHO when you’re walking (as opposed to jogging) is when you’re most interested in natural/environmental sounds. There’s also the subreddit /r/imaginarygatekeeping for bizarre refutations of non-existent arguments like this one.

mrec 6y ago
I'm not even particularly interested in environmental sounds, just turning off the cognitive input for a bit to let the stuff that's already there shake down.
Dirlewanger 6y ago
It's not an argument, it's someone's thoughts on an observation he had. Why does HN always do this? They'll see that the article is an opinion piece and instantly go on the defensive. Inferiority complex maybe?
- SilasX 6y ago
  It’s the framing of “it’s okay to ...” that bothers me. I mean, who says it isn’t? I wouldn’t have that issue if the title were “why you should ...” Edit: furthermore, there were times and places where “just taking a walk” was taboo. (See the Ray Bradbury short story [1] or the Mad Men episode where they freak out at the woman who says she does it.) So I chafe at the false implication that we’re in such an era, if the author isn’t going to back up such a claim. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pedestrian https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pedestrian
- chrisseaton 6y ago
  'It's ok to' doesn't make any sense unless it's a response to someone saying 'it's not ok to'.

sp332 6y ago

It's a synecdoche - using one single thing to represent a larger group of things. The article is about not feeling like every moment has to be productive. Listening to podcasts is just the example.

dominotw 6y ago

> I like walking. I walk a lot. I've never in my life worn headphones while doing so. I think this has a prerequiste of being well adjusted mentally. I never walk without headphones, my mind wanders into a panic attack thinking about all sort of things. So much so that I fear walking.

CyberRabbi 6y ago

Since the dawn of the iPod and significantly more so since AirPods, many people walk nearly everywhere with headphones in their ears. Before covid this bothered me immensely at work, where it was that much more difficult to get someone’s attention in common spaces.

InitialLastName 6y ago
It isn't called the Sony Walkman for no reason, FWIW.
- CyberRabbi 6y ago
  The prior existence of the Walkman on its own doesn’t automatically justify the headphone trends popularized by apples products.
munk-a 6y ago
> Before covid this bothered me immensely at work, where it was that much more difficult to get someone’s attention in common spaces. In my day job we use slack as the primary means of communication, sometimes the person at the desk next to you will set themselves as away/sleep notifications and pop on headphones - this is usually an attempt by them to focus on a problem. I think it's particularly common with more senior employees that tend to get lots of questions where, for me at least, I have no objection to questions but I want the freedom to handle them in my own time (usually within a half-hour or so, not days later) since that allows me to maximize my personal productivity. So I very much empathize with folks who occasionally pop on headphones at work - even if they aren't listening to music but just using it as either a visual signal or to leverage sound canceling. As a dev I'd often pop on headphone when working in the office even without music when I was working on a serious chunk of logic - I'm on the senior end of things and get lots of questions and sometimes you really get into a groove and want to focus.
- CyberRabbi 6y ago
  I specifically said people who wear headphones in common spaces, not while they are at their desk. Common spaces are kitchens, bathrooms, lounges, etc. Places where in-person interaction will likely be necessary for physical coordination and sharing purposes.

rozab 6y ago

I think it's aimed at people who say this to themselves (there are plenty in the thread).

giardini 6y ago

Walking/running/driving with headphones is likely unwise: 1) you may not hear vehicles, people, animals that pose a risk. If you're in a bad part of town, some bystanders may take you as a target. 2) listening material is a distraction. Whether books-on-tape or music, what you're listening to can effectively distract you. Ergo the occasional earphone user who walks onto an open manhole. Best to stay in the here-and-now. Earphones are just like drinking or taking drugs as far as safety is concerned. text: It is unwise for at least two reasons: 1) you may not hear vehicles, people, animals that pose a risk. If you're in a bad part of town, some bystanders may take you as a target. 3) beyond that, the listening material is a distraction. Whether books-on-tape or music, what you're listening to can effectively distract you. Ergo the occasional earphone user who walks onto an open manhole. Best to stay in the here-and-now. IOW earphones are just like drinking or taking drugs as far as safety is concerned. help

MaxBarraclough 6y ago
> Walking/running/driving with headphones is likely unwise Driving while wearing headphones is outright illegal in France, [0] and some US states [1]. [0] (PDF) https://www.rospa.com/rospaweb/docs/advice-services/road-safety/drivers/headphones-as-a-driver-distraction.pdf https://www.rospa.com/rospaweb/docs/advice-services/road-saf... [1] https://drivinglaws.aaa.com/tag/headsets/ https://drivinglaws.aaa.com/tag/headsets/
laurent92 6y ago
You are underestimating people’s problems. If I don’t keep focusing on something else, my mind turns very dark, quickly. People who do that know it is extremely bad, but it’s “this or something worse”. At least in the immediate time. Of course I’d love if people actually had the solidarity they pretend to have, but they don’t. The world is not a kind place. And so, there are many people like me, who appear kind and peaceful and well-mannered, and who work constantly to calm their internal boiler. So no reason to try to make me remove my headphones (unless one addresses me on the street - there are politeness rules) Also, it is very frustrating when people “try to give you a lesson” by walking towards you as if you didn’t see them. It’s headphones, not a blindfold. People don’t do that when I have a book while walking. As a summary, my life is pretty much like the movie “Her”. I’ve tried not to be lonely and faced with people being insanely frustrating/angering. So I’ve embraced loneliness and mobile phones. It’s like drugs, slightly better because I still work efficiently.

drivingmenuts 6y ago

It’s a response to tho who seem to think our every waking moment must be sacrificed to the progress of ... not sure what, but they feel quite strongly about it. You can see that sort of mindset all over HN and anywhere else. Be 10X. Always Be Doing. Hustle. Have a Side-hustle. Be More than You Are Or You’re a Failure. How Not To Be An Introvert. Influencers. The Casey Neistats of the world who seemingly are productive and marketize in their sleep (example only, he might be an OK guy). So, no one seems to outright say “walking in silence is bad”. But they sure imply it.