6 ms·

I am the same way. I always find it perplexing how most people can't spend literally 10 minutes in complete silence with their own thoughts without getting anxi

I am the same way. I always find it perplexing how most people can't spend literally 10 minutes in complete silence with their own thoughts without getting anxious. I notice this mostly with the younger generation these days (young women especially). They literally feel the compulsion to always have some sort external stimuli coming in, usually in the form of a constant stream of music from their phones/MP3 players. I remember most of my ex girlfriends being like this, they could rarely be alone with their own thoughts for more than a few minutes. I genuinely think that a lot of people are afraid of introspection and quiet these days, in fear of what they might find if they look inside themselves or just absorb the world around them in an unprocessed and unaltered fashion. It is just easier to shut down any self reflection our minds might attempt with a constant stream of junk stimulation from the outside. ADD is becoming a huge problem these days and people's attention spans just keep getting shorter and shorter.

esharef 14y ago
"young women especially" really?
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
- tsotha 14y ago
  That's the pattern I've noticed as well.
- PKop 14y ago
  Should he disregard his observations because it offends your sensibilities?
  - bonaldi 14y ago
    No, he should disregard them because as written they're sexist, and don't even have good methodology to try and stand in their defense. His confirmation bias is one thing, the assertion that these women "literally feel a compulsion" that he hasn't justified is another thing entirely.
    - saraid216 14y ago
      It was more ageist than sexist. It was a pretty standard "get off my lawn and turn down that music" comment.
    - Muzza 14y ago
      > No, he should disregard them because as written they're sexist, and don't even have good methodology to try and stand in their defense. So... If he had a sufficiently good methodology which proved his assertions, they would cease to be sexist and you politically correct lot would approve of them? Somehow I doubt it.
      - bonaldi 14y ago
        Yes, if proven they would cease to be sexist, because they'd be discriminating based on facts, not based on his apparent prejudice. (However, since the conjecture does seem to come from a combination of sexism/ageism/confirmation bias, it would be surprising if they were proved.) BTW: Are you proud not to be in the politically correct "lot"? All it really amounts to is trying not to be unnecessarily hateful or demeaning to one another.
        Muzza 14y ago
        > Yes, if proven they would cease to be sexist, because they'd be discriminating based on facts, not based on his apparent prejudice. (However, since the conjecture does seem to come from a combination of sexism/ageism/confirmation bias, it would be surprising if they were proved.) I see. It's good to know that employers are now free to throw out all applications from Ethiopians, because of the fact that the average IQ in Ethiopia is 63. > BTW: Are you proud not to be in the politically correct "lot"? All it really amounts to is trying not to be unnecessarily hateful or demeaning to one another. Please. Political correctness amounts to much more than that.
        bonaldi 14y ago
        Logic fail. But there is a difference between your (uncited) claim and "all Ethiopians I've met are thick", no?
- ncarroll 14y ago
  Sure. Why not? Listening to music while in public sends the clear signal that she doesn't want to talk to you or anyone else. I think young people use earphones as a way of finding some privacy in an over socialized world. A pretty good adaptation, I would say.
  - tehayj 14y ago
    The first weeks when I was living in Bangkok the busy, nosiy, smelly environment really drained my energy. Using headphones and music to escape the noise pollution of downtown Bangkok really helped me. Later on I developed some sort of tolerance to the constant noise. Anyway I had the choice to move to a city or to the countryside last year when I decided to go back to Europe and the absolute silence at 3am out here, next to the mountains in southern Germany, is amazing.
  - vbo 14y ago
    I don't think it's for privacy, unless you're in a situation where social interaction is expected (you don't expect much of it on a daily commute, for example). Music adds comfort to an environment which is usually quite hostile: traffic noise, flashing adverts and constant movement, etc.
__david__ 14y ago
I can only speak for myself but I like to listen to music because when I don't my mind starts blaring its own music at me from within. On repeat. All day. It can actually get really distracting (I'll start singing instead of programming) and I have to start up some music to distract that part of my brain and let the rest of it work on whatever I'm supposed to be doing. I find that certain music (psytrance and goa, the louder the better) distract just the smallest part of the brain, maximizing the part that that can work on whatever problem I need it to. Similarly, I watch TV at night to dull the inner monologue in my head so I can fall asleep. If I don't my stupid mind fixates on the most negative aspects of my life (even when things are going well) and I stay awake for hours feeling horrible. TV, music, and reading can distract me and let me fall asleep peacefully.
- dsirijus 14y ago
  I can quite relate to you, music is around me whole day, otherwise I fidget, hum, whistle, tap, sing... What I prefer over TV for killing the brain noise before sleep is, again, music. Music is the best.
- gizzlon 14y ago
  My theory is that this would die down after a while if you don't "feed" it.. at least for most people. What is your experience? Have you ever tried to force silence upon yourself?
  - __david__ 14y ago
    What do you mean force silence upon myself? Are we talking meditation or just working/reading in quiet places? For minutes or hours (or days)? I first noticed the music thing when I was on the high school swim team and would swim for multiple hours every day. Under water it's not quiet, but there are no discernible sounds beyond the water itself--all I would hear was the music in my head. I don't mean to sound like I'm complaining. I love music and it's been a huge part of my life since I can remember (and I'm old). But from my experience, I don't buy your theory. I think I'm just wired different than people that seek out quiet places.
com2kid 14y ago
You do realize that there is always external stimulus around right? Be it the noise of the ventilation system, or car horns outside, true silence rarely exists. That said, when I am at home there is little else except for the sound of my computer fans as I read a book. But when I am at work, I most certainly choose to control what background noises I listen to. Music is most certainly a part of that. As for stimulus shutting down self reflection, I find that quite the opposite is true. Different forms of stimulus encourage different forms of self reflection.
- koide 14y ago
  In fact, true silence is so rare, it is perceived as noise.
  - Cthulhu_ 14y ago
    In fact, true silence will make you insane. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_deprivation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_deprivation Can't find the article right now, but they once put people in a completely soundproof room; their minds started to make up sounds and increased their hearing sensitivity to the point where they could hear their own muscles move. I believe the longest one lasted 45 minutes.
    - koide 14y ago
      True silence for long periods of time makes you insane. For a minute or two it's awesome how you start hearing "the sound of silence".
    - alextrob 14y ago
      This may be the article you were looking for: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2124581/The-worlds-quietest-place-chamber-Orfield-Laboratories.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2124581/The-w...

esharef 14y ago

"young women especially" really?

deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
tsotha 14y ago
That's the pattern I've noticed as well.
PKop 14y ago
Should he disregard his observations because it offends your sensibilities?
- bonaldi 14y ago
  No, he should disregard them because as written they're sexist, and don't even have good methodology to try and stand in their defense. His confirmation bias is one thing, the assertion that these women "literally feel a compulsion" that he hasn't justified is another thing entirely.
  - saraid216 14y ago
    It was more ageist than sexist. It was a pretty standard "get off my lawn and turn down that music" comment.
  - Muzza 14y ago
    > No, he should disregard them because as written they're sexist, and don't even have good methodology to try and stand in their defense. So... If he had a sufficiently good methodology which proved his assertions, they would cease to be sexist and you politically correct lot would approve of them? Somehow I doubt it.
    - bonaldi 14y ago
      Yes, if proven they would cease to be sexist, because they'd be discriminating based on facts, not based on his apparent prejudice. (However, since the conjecture does seem to come from a combination of sexism/ageism/confirmation bias, it would be surprising if they were proved.) BTW: Are you proud not to be in the politically correct "lot"? All it really amounts to is trying not to be unnecessarily hateful or demeaning to one another.
      - Muzza 14y ago
        > Yes, if proven they would cease to be sexist, because they'd be discriminating based on facts, not based on his apparent prejudice. (However, since the conjecture does seem to come from a combination of sexism/ageism/confirmation bias, it would be surprising if they were proved.) I see. It's good to know that employers are now free to throw out all applications from Ethiopians, because of the fact that the average IQ in Ethiopia is 63. > BTW: Are you proud not to be in the politically correct "lot"? All it really amounts to is trying not to be unnecessarily hateful or demeaning to one another. Please. Political correctness amounts to much more than that.
        bonaldi 14y ago
        Logic fail. But there is a difference between your (uncited) claim and "all Ethiopians I've met are thick", no?
ncarroll 14y ago
Sure. Why not? Listening to music while in public sends the clear signal that she doesn't want to talk to you or anyone else. I think young people use earphones as a way of finding some privacy in an over socialized world. A pretty good adaptation, I would say.
- tehayj 14y ago
  The first weeks when I was living in Bangkok the busy, nosiy, smelly environment really drained my energy. Using headphones and music to escape the noise pollution of downtown Bangkok really helped me. Later on I developed some sort of tolerance to the constant noise. Anyway I had the choice to move to a city or to the countryside last year when I decided to go back to Europe and the absolute silence at 3am out here, next to the mountains in southern Germany, is amazing.
- vbo 14y ago
  I don't think it's for privacy, unless you're in a situation where social interaction is expected (you don't expect much of it on a daily commute, for example). Music adds comfort to an environment which is usually quite hostile: traffic noise, flashing adverts and constant movement, etc.

__david__ 14y ago

I can only speak for myself but I like to listen to music because when I don't my mind starts blaring its own music at me from within. On repeat. All day. It can actually get really distracting (I'll start singing instead of programming) and I have to start up some music to distract that part of my brain and let the rest of it work on whatever I'm supposed to be doing. I find that certain music (psytrance and goa, the louder the better) distract just the smallest part of the brain, maximizing the part that that can work on whatever problem I need it to. Similarly, I watch TV at night to dull the inner monologue in my head so I can fall asleep. If I don't my stupid mind fixates on the most negative aspects of my life (even when things are going well) and I stay awake for hours feeling horrible. TV, music, and reading can distract me and let me fall asleep peacefully.

dsirijus 14y ago
I can quite relate to you, music is around me whole day, otherwise I fidget, hum, whistle, tap, sing... What I prefer over TV for killing the brain noise before sleep is, again, music. Music is the best.
gizzlon 14y ago
My theory is that this would die down after a while if you don't "feed" it.. at least for most people. What is your experience? Have you ever tried to force silence upon yourself?
- __david__ 14y ago
  What do you mean force silence upon myself? Are we talking meditation or just working/reading in quiet places? For minutes or hours (or days)? I first noticed the music thing when I was on the high school swim team and would swim for multiple hours every day. Under water it's not quiet, but there are no discernible sounds beyond the water itself--all I would hear was the music in my head. I don't mean to sound like I'm complaining. I love music and it's been a huge part of my life since I can remember (and I'm old). But from my experience, I don't buy your theory. I think I'm just wired different than people that seek out quiet places.

com2kid 14y ago

You do realize that there is always external stimulus around right? Be it the noise of the ventilation system, or car horns outside, true silence rarely exists. That said, when I am at home there is little else except for the sound of my computer fans as I read a book. But when I am at work, I most certainly choose to control what background noises I listen to. Music is most certainly a part of that. As for stimulus shutting down self reflection, I find that quite the opposite is true. Different forms of stimulus encourage different forms of self reflection.

koide 14y ago
In fact, true silence is so rare, it is perceived as noise.
- Cthulhu_ 14y ago
  In fact, true silence will make you insane. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_deprivation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_deprivation Can't find the article right now, but they once put people in a completely soundproof room; their minds started to make up sounds and increased their hearing sensitivity to the point where they could hear their own muscles move. I believe the longest one lasted 45 minutes.
  - koide 14y ago
    True silence for long periods of time makes you insane. For a minute or two it's awesome how you start hearing "the sound of silence".
  - alextrob 14y ago
    This may be the article you were looking for: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2124581/The-worlds-quietest-place-chamber-Orfield-Laboratories.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2124581/The-w...