Not Quite Quiet Time

Maybe we FMU folk just don't want to be alone in our own heads. We constantly placate ourselves with sounds.  Soothing and dreamy, digitally produced hums and blips, orchestrated and melodic, indigenous chanting, or as is often in my case mostly cacophonous, repetitive and sense-crippling . Whichever our pleasure, constant sound appeases us like a back rub after a breast feeding (including the regurge on the shoulder part).

So it came as a bit of a shock to discover via a couple of hours of slack research that there are those who might enjoy a some quiet time. Like the freaks at Noise Pollution Clearinghouse, or their weirdo crunchy S.F. brethren Sound Pollution dot org who would accuse members of our little community of being "Sound Abusers" with the following modus operandi:

The Psychological profile of a sound abuser:
From our studies, people that use noise in situations that are not qualified as an emergency, expose these forms of behavior:

1. Lack of awareness
2. Lack of responsibility
3. Intentionality
4.Selfishness
5. Lack of respect for others
6. Lack of respect for one self
7. Defiance, abusive behavior

Hey, what about number 8: Animal Masturbator? I can't understand people who feel the compulsion to make lists anyhow. Speaking of which, schizophrenics manufacture their own internal racket, as dramatized in this compelling audio slide show provided by your mental health care pals at National Public Radio. Sounds pretty hellish, huh? Almost like drilling a hole nine miles down into the Earth's crust to hear the Cries of The Damned.

Comments

[WmMBerger]

I relish the rare opportunities to be alone in my own head. I see the placating of oneself with sounds of one's own choosing, and the state of being a "Sound Abuser" as two very different things. I like my internalized racket just fine, but have oodles of contempt for everyone else's racket (when imposed upon me in my private space.) Viz my post (and the related comments) from a few weeks back. Guess I'm one of those "freaks" in search of a little quiet time.

[Didi Hylobates]

I hate being accused of Intentionality. If they got to know me they'd see I'm totally adrift and pointless.