Jan, this is such a brilliantly written and thought provoking piece! Silence for me as well has been an absolutely necessity, and I could resonate with what you have written.
Bhumika, thank you so much. I'm curious, did you grow up with silence or noise? Do you feel your relationship to sound is largely due to your socioeconomic status or something else? In the end, for me, I'll admit my status has definitely affected my relationship but I also think it's more than that.
I grew up in an environment that was neither too loud nor too dilent for the first 10-11 years of life, I did realize then that loud souns unregulate my nervous system. Since the past 10 years I have been living in an area that is surrounded by beautiful trees and is relatively silent. Most sounds that I hear today when I am at home are that of nature. I think for me, silence and living in nature are two absolute necessities to regulate my nervous system, which is probably because I am neurodivergent. For my socio-economic status, I don't think it necessarily affects my relationship with silence but it does make it possible for me to experience the silence I so very much crave.
Ah, Bhumika, thank you for this and please forgive my tardy reply!
You are indeed living in what sounds like the perfect environment for me as well. I had to read a bit about neurodivergence, since this has been suggested to me, and wonder if the science fully covers the emotional, psychic, and spiritual aspects of our response to noise and silence. Mostly I struggle with diagnoses as pathologies, rather than insights and guides to what we need. It sounds like you are clear on what you need to stay healthy and at peace, and that, my friend, is a beautiful thing.
Ah, please don't worry about late replies, it is absolutely fine!
"...wonder if the science fully covers the emotional, psychic, and spiritual aspects of our response to noise and silence."
Ah, I think about this so often. As a person living in the "Global South," I have always been wary of what is preached by the "science" because I often find that it is used to perpetuate neo-colonial and neo-imperial ideologies in implicit ways.
Jan, I see that you work/study in the field of Psychology, I do too. How do you feel about the discipline?
I personally feel that when Psychology aims to be a "scientific" and "objective" discipline it too perpetuates neo-colonial and neo-imperial ideologies. However, when it understands itself to be a part of social sciences and humanities, psychology allows itself to include multiple viewpoints and facets of human life, including the ones that exist at the periphery. And mainstream Psychology thus, too often disregards so many subjective human experiences, including the ones related to silence and noise. And that is why, I feel this deep need to understand the concepts through a indigenous and decolonial lens that takes into consideration the life before industrialisation and colonisation and the things that were understood as important by the indigenous groups (co-existence with nature, love, community care etc.).
Ah, I think I went on a totally different tangent. Anyway, coming back. Regarding, diagnosis and pathologies, I too struggle with assuming diagnosis to be a pathology. And I think that's the reason why I never went for an official diagnosis for my neurodivergence. Multiple conversations with my therapist made me realise that I might be neurodivergent, but then I realised that I don't want to go ahead for an official diagnosis (at least not yet). Moreover, it is highly likely that I would pass as a neurotypical person because of how Abnormal Psychology doesn't take into consideration the nuanced experiences. I, however, do borrow helpful strategies from other neurodivergent people online and make an honest attempt everyday to not let myself be defined by the condition. It includes a lot of unlearning and learning, but it does give me a sense of purpose.
Growing up in Manhattan, I was acculturated to a constant background noise. It didn't feature loud, abrupt bursts of sound. It was just there and very familiar...so that when I moved away I missed it and found the lack of it "disquieting."
ah yes, I completely understand! This is what happened to most folks who visited me in Picabo. It was too quiet. The quiet felt sinister or threatening somehow. It actually made it more difficult for them to sleep!
hahahahahhahaaaa!!!! come on, when there are only a few folks in the theatre, sometimes the sound is too high. I think w/ more folks, the sound gets absorbed. So yeah, it needs to be adjusted for less people. On top of which, don't you think movies have gotten louder? All the bombs and explosions and such - so many special effects. aw hell, am I just getting old?
You arent old, just unique. BTW, I loved the NW Chicago bungalow picture. That could have been my street, or that of any of my friends. Growing up about a mile east of Luther, all the streets looked like that. They werent loud streets, but lots of kids around, so they werent quiet either. We use to put horses up and play football and softball on the streets, so that was a bit noisy for the neighbors.
Not sure you would have liked my high school and college choices, Black Sabbath, Led Zepplin, The Who, Cheap Trick, Boston, Kansas, Kiss (I took Beth, from HSchool), etc. Heck, you wouldnt like my choices now, Texas FB and BB. Those places are loud. That said, I love the buzz of a crowd, and I love the melody of the ocean, and sometimes I just love the sounds of silence.
I LOVE this post! I wish I could read that Atlantic article, but also don't have a subscription...some are free though, so I'll try.
I do prefer quiet, but also don't mind the sound of city noise. The place you lived in Idaho looks extraordinary! In my next (and final home), I hope to have some property with lots of trees and more sounds of nature than anything else.
thanks, Joan. I am extraordinarily fortunate to have had that home. And, even that was only less than 1/3 of an acre, closer to 1/4. So this idea of 1/2 acre lawns bewilders me. But - fortunately, the lots on both sides of me were open and that helped tremendously. So nice to not see into another person's home. I think a part of me is a hermit.
I can assure you that part of me is a hermit...I think a too-big part of me! It would be splendid not to look out onto other homes...unless they were pretty far away—that view of the mountains you had!
Hey did you attend the Black & Blue concert in 1980? Black Sabbath and Blue Öyster Cult. I was there. Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, REO Speedwagon, Rush, and my favorite, the scorpions. Those were my high school soundtracks. 😁
Never saw BOC, so I guess not. Like them though. Cant believe I left off Floyd on my list, though I will say, their Animals concert was awful. Zep and them are still my favorites. Saw Robert Plant at Dicks Sporting Goods in Austin a few years ago, wanted to kidnap him!!!!!! We saw REO at a bar called Haymakers, they just popped in and played, it was awesome.
Good to hear you had the typical high school nonsense with great bands.
I've always yearned towards silence. I grew up in a huge, loud family that I loved and still love but I learned early on to insulated myself in a crowd. It's hard to unlearn. I have to remind myself to play music which I love. My ears have grown more sensitive rather than less over time. I asked the doctor if this meant I was getting ready to go deaf and my ears were trying to pick up everything they could ahead of that. Turns out, no. Hyperacusis is a "psychological" diagnosis. So now I don't mention it much and just pack ear plugs.
I do think the ability to create a sound -buffer may be linked to income or, if you live in a rural area, maybe not as much.
Thank you for introducing me to the term Hyperacusis. According to Cleveland Clinic, it's more than psychological. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24320-hyperacusis I do have tinnitus, tho it varies. At the moment, I hear my ears ringing, but at other times I don't. And DST - decreased Sound Tolerance - yes, that's spot on.
And yes, I agree, the ability to create a sound-buffer has much to do with income. Interesting though that your social background is one of noise and this is not your preference. Interesting only in the idea of preference being possibly linked to this. Thank you for chiming in - much appreciated!
Thanks for the link. I've also developed tinnitis which has increased over the past year. My hearing remains at the top of the scale with only a very slight diminishment in one ear at the higher registers so at least there is that. I can learn to live and adapt with the rest of it.
I expect preference has a great deal to do with how people process or define "noise." As one of your other commenters wrote, even poor folks may prefer a quieter environment but are not as able to create it for themselves unless they develop, as I did, the ability to opt out right in the middle of a crowd.
I take the quiet any time. This morning here in Hailey, Idaho, it was snowing, again. I didn't think the snow was affecting the visibility, but it was. There were NO airplanes, ( which I don't mind, I wonder, why). It made me stop, think, listen = quiet. I enjoyed my coffee in silence. Thanks again Dr. Jan P for your insightful, entertaining posting. Keep them coming. Renae
The stillness and silence that accompanies a snowfall is so lovely. Not the shoveling or anything else but oh, when it is falling everything seems peaceful and calm. I’m glad you were able to stop and enjoy the moment.
Omg I read that Atlantic article earlier this morning. How weird. If you still need it, I have a sub but I don’t know how that works--can you still see it from a link? ANYWAY I’m obsessed with noise pollution right now. And no, I don’t agree with with that article.
Quiet is a luxury, for me. I don’t need or seek it out. But when I have it, I luxuriate in it. Thanks for a thoughtful piece.
thank you, Alice. I appreciate you reading!
Hi, Jan. Wanted to share a cool resource regarding accessing websites that have a pay wall. In more cases than not, 12ft.io can be used to remove it. Sharing the article hosted on The Atlantic that you are hoping to read: https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theatlantic.com%2Fmagazine%2Farchive%2F2022%2F09%2Flet-brooklyn-be-loud%2F670600%2F (pay wall removed via 12ft.io). Hope this helps!
Just read the article—thanks! It is excellent.
Thank you so much! This is fantastic! I've bookmarked that for future use.
Jan, this is such a brilliantly written and thought provoking piece! Silence for me as well has been an absolutely necessity, and I could resonate with what you have written.
Bhumika, thank you so much. I'm curious, did you grow up with silence or noise? Do you feel your relationship to sound is largely due to your socioeconomic status or something else? In the end, for me, I'll admit my status has definitely affected my relationship but I also think it's more than that.
I grew up in an environment that was neither too loud nor too dilent for the first 10-11 years of life, I did realize then that loud souns unregulate my nervous system. Since the past 10 years I have been living in an area that is surrounded by beautiful trees and is relatively silent. Most sounds that I hear today when I am at home are that of nature. I think for me, silence and living in nature are two absolute necessities to regulate my nervous system, which is probably because I am neurodivergent. For my socio-economic status, I don't think it necessarily affects my relationship with silence but it does make it possible for me to experience the silence I so very much crave.
Ah, Bhumika, thank you for this and please forgive my tardy reply!
You are indeed living in what sounds like the perfect environment for me as well. I had to read a bit about neurodivergence, since this has been suggested to me, and wonder if the science fully covers the emotional, psychic, and spiritual aspects of our response to noise and silence. Mostly I struggle with diagnoses as pathologies, rather than insights and guides to what we need. It sounds like you are clear on what you need to stay healthy and at peace, and that, my friend, is a beautiful thing.
Ah, please don't worry about late replies, it is absolutely fine!
"...wonder if the science fully covers the emotional, psychic, and spiritual aspects of our response to noise and silence."
Ah, I think about this so often. As a person living in the "Global South," I have always been wary of what is preached by the "science" because I often find that it is used to perpetuate neo-colonial and neo-imperial ideologies in implicit ways.
Jan, I see that you work/study in the field of Psychology, I do too. How do you feel about the discipline?
I personally feel that when Psychology aims to be a "scientific" and "objective" discipline it too perpetuates neo-colonial and neo-imperial ideologies. However, when it understands itself to be a part of social sciences and humanities, psychology allows itself to include multiple viewpoints and facets of human life, including the ones that exist at the periphery. And mainstream Psychology thus, too often disregards so many subjective human experiences, including the ones related to silence and noise. And that is why, I feel this deep need to understand the concepts through a indigenous and decolonial lens that takes into consideration the life before industrialisation and colonisation and the things that were understood as important by the indigenous groups (co-existence with nature, love, community care etc.).
Ah, I think I went on a totally different tangent. Anyway, coming back. Regarding, diagnosis and pathologies, I too struggle with assuming diagnosis to be a pathology. And I think that's the reason why I never went for an official diagnosis for my neurodivergence. Multiple conversations with my therapist made me realise that I might be neurodivergent, but then I realised that I don't want to go ahead for an official diagnosis (at least not yet). Moreover, it is highly likely that I would pass as a neurotypical person because of how Abnormal Psychology doesn't take into consideration the nuanced experiences. I, however, do borrow helpful strategies from other neurodivergent people online and make an honest attempt everyday to not let myself be defined by the condition. It includes a lot of unlearning and learning, but it does give me a sense of purpose.
Growing up in Manhattan, I was acculturated to a constant background noise. It didn't feature loud, abrupt bursts of sound. It was just there and very familiar...so that when I moved away I missed it and found the lack of it "disquieting."
ah yes, I completely understand! This is what happened to most folks who visited me in Picabo. It was too quiet. The quiet felt sinister or threatening somehow. It actually made it more difficult for them to sleep!
Wait, you told the movie theater to turn the sound down? We can no longer be friends. ;)
hahahahahhahaaaa!!!! come on, when there are only a few folks in the theatre, sometimes the sound is too high. I think w/ more folks, the sound gets absorbed. So yeah, it needs to be adjusted for less people. On top of which, don't you think movies have gotten louder? All the bombs and explosions and such - so many special effects. aw hell, am I just getting old?
You arent old, just unique. BTW, I loved the NW Chicago bungalow picture. That could have been my street, or that of any of my friends. Growing up about a mile east of Luther, all the streets looked like that. They werent loud streets, but lots of kids around, so they werent quiet either. We use to put horses up and play football and softball on the streets, so that was a bit noisy for the neighbors.
Not sure you would have liked my high school and college choices, Black Sabbath, Led Zepplin, The Who, Cheap Trick, Boston, Kansas, Kiss (I took Beth, from HSchool), etc. Heck, you wouldnt like my choices now, Texas FB and BB. Those places are loud. That said, I love the buzz of a crowd, and I love the melody of the ocean, and sometimes I just love the sounds of silence.
Whoops, replying from my phone, and I didn’t reply in the right place. See my comment in the comment section.
I LOVE this post! I wish I could read that Atlantic article, but also don't have a subscription...some are free though, so I'll try.
I do prefer quiet, but also don't mind the sound of city noise. The place you lived in Idaho looks extraordinary! In my next (and final home), I hope to have some property with lots of trees and more sounds of nature than anything else.
thanks, Joan. I am extraordinarily fortunate to have had that home. And, even that was only less than 1/3 of an acre, closer to 1/4. So this idea of 1/2 acre lawns bewilders me. But - fortunately, the lots on both sides of me were open and that helped tremendously. So nice to not see into another person's home. I think a part of me is a hermit.
I can assure you that part of me is a hermit...I think a too-big part of me! It would be splendid not to look out onto other homes...unless they were pretty far away—that view of the mountains you had!
Unique. I’ll take it!
Hey did you attend the Black & Blue concert in 1980? Black Sabbath and Blue Öyster Cult. I was there. Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, REO Speedwagon, Rush, and my favorite, the scorpions. Those were my high school soundtracks. 😁
Never saw BOC, so I guess not. Like them though. Cant believe I left off Floyd on my list, though I will say, their Animals concert was awful. Zep and them are still my favorites. Saw Robert Plant at Dicks Sporting Goods in Austin a few years ago, wanted to kidnap him!!!!!! We saw REO at a bar called Haymakers, they just popped in and played, it was awesome.
Good to hear you had the typical high school nonsense with great bands.
I've always yearned towards silence. I grew up in a huge, loud family that I loved and still love but I learned early on to insulated myself in a crowd. It's hard to unlearn. I have to remind myself to play music which I love. My ears have grown more sensitive rather than less over time. I asked the doctor if this meant I was getting ready to go deaf and my ears were trying to pick up everything they could ahead of that. Turns out, no. Hyperacusis is a "psychological" diagnosis. So now I don't mention it much and just pack ear plugs.
I do think the ability to create a sound -buffer may be linked to income or, if you live in a rural area, maybe not as much.
Thank you for introducing me to the term Hyperacusis. According to Cleveland Clinic, it's more than psychological. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24320-hyperacusis I do have tinnitus, tho it varies. At the moment, I hear my ears ringing, but at other times I don't. And DST - decreased Sound Tolerance - yes, that's spot on.
And yes, I agree, the ability to create a sound-buffer has much to do with income. Interesting though that your social background is one of noise and this is not your preference. Interesting only in the idea of preference being possibly linked to this. Thank you for chiming in - much appreciated!
Thanks for the link. I've also developed tinnitis which has increased over the past year. My hearing remains at the top of the scale with only a very slight diminishment in one ear at the higher registers so at least there is that. I can learn to live and adapt with the rest of it.
I expect preference has a great deal to do with how people process or define "noise." As one of your other commenters wrote, even poor folks may prefer a quieter environment but are not as able to create it for themselves unless they develop, as I did, the ability to opt out right in the middle of a crowd.
I take the quiet any time. This morning here in Hailey, Idaho, it was snowing, again. I didn't think the snow was affecting the visibility, but it was. There were NO airplanes, ( which I don't mind, I wonder, why). It made me stop, think, listen = quiet. I enjoyed my coffee in silence. Thanks again Dr. Jan P for your insightful, entertaining posting. Keep them coming. Renae
Thank you, Renae.
The stillness and silence that accompanies a snowfall is so lovely. Not the shoveling or anything else but oh, when it is falling everything seems peaceful and calm. I’m glad you were able to stop and enjoy the moment.
Omg I read that Atlantic article earlier this morning. How weird. If you still need it, I have a sub but I don’t know how that works--can you still see it from a link? ANYWAY I’m obsessed with noise pollution right now. And no, I don’t agree with with that article.