http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a395/NewClassic/Forum%20Stuff/SoundOff.png
The old adage "There's a time and place for everything" has been frequenting my mind as of late. Perhaps because I've been observing so many things that have been frustrating me, but one thing that has been an incessant presence is noise. Not just trivial, background static, the white wash of too many people talking at once at various distances, but loudness at an absurd level. From having someone's phone go off from they pocket that was level and nearby my ear, to having a loud individual shouting at his compatriot across the quad through my ear, I've been assaulted by noise as of late.
http://www.advertisingthefuture.com/images/loud-boy.png
Perhaps my preferences were spawned from a series of unusual genetic choices, but I'm naturally more disinclined toward loud noises that most of my peers, especially where my age group is concerned. Loud noises irritate me, excessive yelling is a guaranteed way to make me very upset very quickly, and I often grow irritated with anything that provides a source of loud audios of any shape or size.
But the name of the game, and most frequent acceptable medium in this generation, seems to be louder is better. Or, barring that, the preference tends to be loud if the options are "very loud" or "very quiet." Which perhaps wouldn't bother me so much if I didn't have to deal with it for several hours at a time.
Then, it occurred to me that it may not just be this generation. Concerts have been loud for perhaps their entire existence, loud music often goes hand-in-hand with cars, and speaking up has always been preferred to speaking quietly.
The elderly prefer it loud, the adults prefer it loud, teens want it loud, kids want it loud, and babies are loud as a default setting. So is it really part of the human condition to produce extensive amounts of noise? I had to wonder, considering how often the volume is set higher rather than lower. Could I be alone in my thoughts for noise suppression?
Which strikes me as very odd, considering I too was a fan of volume at some point in my life. To this day, the one time I can still enjoy noise in all of it's extensive glory is when I am jogging, or when I am driving. Otherwise, noise just sounds grating, loud, and generally unpleasant. Sometimes, I could enjoy it, but most times, it just hurts. Barring that, at least headache-inducing. It seemed an odd thing to me, that my preferences could change.
There are times when I feel like I'm once again beginning to embrace my louder side, and someone in the hallway directly outside of my door lets out a basso roar, and my eyes narrow in questioning as to why they must be so very loud.
Perhaps I'm an auditory enigma, though, because I also tend to avoid low, buzzing noises out of irritation. Even if they aren't loud, something about them just irritates my ears. From the whine that seemingly all television screens emit, to the low-powered thrum of mouse-deterrents plugged into walls (which are annoying as hell), I can perceive these sounds. It perplexes me greatly...
http://orbitingfrog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/soundwave.jpg
Regardless, I seem to have digressed. What does The Escapist think about noise, sound, loud music, yelling, and other such auditory cues. Am I joined in my aural displeasure of extensive volume, or am I perhaps an enigma whose ears are too finely-tuned to enjoy anything but soft, soothing, and docile tones?
So, your preference on sound? Soft or loud? Gentle or harsh? Commanding or background?
The old adage "There's a time and place for everything" has been frequenting my mind as of late. Perhaps because I've been observing so many things that have been frustrating me, but one thing that has been an incessant presence is noise. Not just trivial, background static, the white wash of too many people talking at once at various distances, but loudness at an absurd level. From having someone's phone go off from they pocket that was level and nearby my ear, to having a loud individual shouting at his compatriot across the quad through my ear, I've been assaulted by noise as of late.
http://www.advertisingthefuture.com/images/loud-boy.png
Perhaps my preferences were spawned from a series of unusual genetic choices, but I'm naturally more disinclined toward loud noises that most of my peers, especially where my age group is concerned. Loud noises irritate me, excessive yelling is a guaranteed way to make me very upset very quickly, and I often grow irritated with anything that provides a source of loud audios of any shape or size.
But the name of the game, and most frequent acceptable medium in this generation, seems to be louder is better. Or, barring that, the preference tends to be loud if the options are "very loud" or "very quiet." Which perhaps wouldn't bother me so much if I didn't have to deal with it for several hours at a time.
Then, it occurred to me that it may not just be this generation. Concerts have been loud for perhaps their entire existence, loud music often goes hand-in-hand with cars, and speaking up has always been preferred to speaking quietly.
The elderly prefer it loud, the adults prefer it loud, teens want it loud, kids want it loud, and babies are loud as a default setting. So is it really part of the human condition to produce extensive amounts of noise? I had to wonder, considering how often the volume is set higher rather than lower. Could I be alone in my thoughts for noise suppression?
Which strikes me as very odd, considering I too was a fan of volume at some point in my life. To this day, the one time I can still enjoy noise in all of it's extensive glory is when I am jogging, or when I am driving. Otherwise, noise just sounds grating, loud, and generally unpleasant. Sometimes, I could enjoy it, but most times, it just hurts. Barring that, at least headache-inducing. It seemed an odd thing to me, that my preferences could change.
There are times when I feel like I'm once again beginning to embrace my louder side, and someone in the hallway directly outside of my door lets out a basso roar, and my eyes narrow in questioning as to why they must be so very loud.
Perhaps I'm an auditory enigma, though, because I also tend to avoid low, buzzing noises out of irritation. Even if they aren't loud, something about them just irritates my ears. From the whine that seemingly all television screens emit, to the low-powered thrum of mouse-deterrents plugged into walls (which are annoying as hell), I can perceive these sounds. It perplexes me greatly...
http://orbitingfrog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/soundwave.jpg
Regardless, I seem to have digressed. What does The Escapist think about noise, sound, loud music, yelling, and other such auditory cues. Am I joined in my aural displeasure of extensive volume, or am I perhaps an enigma whose ears are too finely-tuned to enjoy anything but soft, soothing, and docile tones?
So, your preference on sound? Soft or loud? Gentle or harsh? Commanding or background?
