
A New Yorker's Quest for the Perfect Amount of Noise - pmcpinto
http://nautil.us/issue/46/balance/noise-is-a-drug-and-new-york-is-full-of-addicts-rp
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white-flame
There's a nice Veritasium video of an anechoic chamber here, with different
people's reactions to it:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXVGIb3bzHI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXVGIb3bzHI)

I've been in sensory deprivation tanks, but never in an anechoic chamber
(yet). However, I'm sure I'd love it.

Many people live their life fleeing themselves, fleeing the thoughts in their
head, and fleeing the realities they don't want to face. However, if you're
emotionally healthy and are purposeful in establishing your identity and life
direction, silence is simply golden. Not just auditory, but visual, social,
and conceptual.

Because of this, I don't think that there can be any singular preferable
amount of noise for everybody. If there's some average, plenty of people will
still find it distracting and grating, while others would find it too quiet
and uncomfortable. Plus, I doubt it stays consistent even for a given
individual. When you're stressed, you might want more quiet... or more
distraction, depending on your preferences and reactions.

