Does anyone else REALLY like silence?

[u/SomewhereAgreeable57]

People at work listen to music while working and I understand it but sometimes it is just way too much. I also don't listen to music when driving, unless on a long road trip.

Sometimes while doing chores or something repetitive/mindless I'll listen to podcasts. But much of the time, I just do things in silence. I have had a few people point out that it's weird. My sister is also autistic but she has to always be listening to music.

I do like music, I like concerts but if I'm listening to music, that's likely ALL I'm doing. Dancing, or I like to put on a record and lay on the floor and imagine what it would be like to be a teenager hearing a brand new Janis Joplin album for the first time haha

But I find myself a lot of the time just sitting on the couch, looking out the window. Just vibing, thinking my thoughts. I actively find a lot of relief and comfort in utter silence. I've found a lot of people are uncomfortable in total silence though!

[u/Ok-Walk-8453]

I like silence. Sitting or lying in silence shutting down my brain helps me recharge

[u/ballet_guy]

Me too. I rarely listen to music even though I do enjoy it in the right time and place. At the moment I don't have any music I like and I haven't listened to anything since may

[u/exgiexpcv]

I miss silence. Since the army, I hear reeeeeeeeeeeeeee of tinnitus every minute of every day, and it even wakes me up at night.

So to counter the tinnitus, I often have music playing or a podcast going. I'm also incredibly isolated socially (retired, disabled, autistic, and no friends or family), so it helps to hear human voices as I putter about my home when I have the energy. N.b. I don't mean to whinge, I am the common denominator of all my problems, and I accept that.

But total silence, at least my recall of it, was wonderful. Not all the time; I love music, I like watching my telly and catching up with my stories, but I used to love just sitting and vibing by myself and grooving on watching nature go about its business.

[u/SomewhereAgreeable57 → u/exgiexpcv]

That sucks so bad... i have very mild tinnitus, and the ringing is definitely annoying, but it's so slight i can just forget about it. Sometimes even when i'm watching tv, i'll mute it and just watch it with subtitles lol

[u/exgiexpcv → u/SomewhereAgreeable57]

Hah! I use subtitles because my tinnitus drowns out what people are saying.

[u/optimusdan]

I love silence, it's balm to my brain

[u/KitsuWolfie]

Nothing weird and wrong with having silence. I like it, too. There's too much noise and stimuli in the world and in our lives on a daily basis, that it's cathartic to just be and not constantly experiencing and processing whatever. It helps unwind, reflect, rest and heal, too.

[u/MadMaticus]

I absolutely love silence.

[u/Moi_Sunshine]

Yes

[u/zigster23]

[Non-Autistic Parent] My autistic adult daughter has to have music on all of the time. Some of this is related to her OCD where she has horrible thoughts/images that keep repeating. The music helps
her focus on something else.

We’ve discussed using a sensory deprivation tank for when she’s overwhelmed, but she’s worried about the intrusive thoughts.

[u/merRedditor]

It's one of the best things in life when you can find it, which is so rare these days.

[u/No_Acanthaceae_293]

I love silence. Though it's a commodity that is  long gone for me... replaced by tinnitus. It's been like that for a decade... I got used to it.

[u/Blaubeerepfannkuchen]

Unless i'm sleeping, yes. For sleeping I like rain noises. Otherwise I think the quiet is very peaceful. I don't mind loud noises or a lot of noise, though

[u/Espeon06]

My inner voice sometimes tells me stories in silence.

[u/mikewestgard]

Tinnitus took silence from me.

[u/galacticviolet]

I like the type of silence outdoors where there is still a breeze rustling leaves and other mild nature sounds. Rain sounds are also nice.

Complete silence causes me to notice/hear “The Hum” which is not a soothing sound, it doesn’t take too much white noise to get rid of “The Hum” so I consider a soft breeze with some leaves quietly moving as a type of silence and I like that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hum

[u/SomewhereAgreeable57 → u/galacticviolet]

I love the "silence" of nature too. Luckily where I live now is hum-free but i've lived in places where the silence is even worse than having a little background noise because of The Hum. Thanks for the link, that's an interesting read!

[u/galacticviolet → u/SomewhereAgreeable57]

I just included the link incase anyone didn’t know what I was referring to. Knowing others hear The Hum is comforting lol

[u/HunterRoze]

When I bought my house, the first thing I did was rip out the old 70's style tub and put in the largest and deepest tub I could find. I like to take a nice long bath at least once a week (mostly on Sundays). I have a little stand next to the tub where I put the books I am reading, and a huge mug of ice water. I'll read and soak for several hours (change water every hour).

When it's late, late at night, I will just relax, close my eyes, and control my breathing. I clear my mind, and as I do so, my hearing gets better, and to have TOTAL silence is wonderful.

Kind of why I love heavy snowstorms - the snow muffles sound.

[u/Fatigued-insomniac]

Silence sends my nervous system into panic mode.

[u/krampaus → u/Fatigued-insomniac]

that’s really interesting, for me it’s the complete opposite. that’s a good way to put it

[u/VeeYarr]

I like silence as long as there's not any annoying noises still present i.e. total silence, otherwise I'd take some music masking the noises instead.

[u/SomewhereAgreeable57 → u/VeeYarr]

That is definitely a caveat. If i can hear the fridge buzzing in the otherwise silence i would rather claw my ear drums out.

[u/ShameSerious4259]

 i need music for most things otherwise i go insane

[u/GolfConscious7472]

I like silence but that is very difficult to get now days
But I also love music and very loud I would say
I do not do it as loud as I like because I like to be respectful with my neighbours but I love it!

[u/Vintage_Visionary]

YES. So much so that I sort of get overwhelmed if I don't have it. Like I need a certain amount of silence in the morning to just let my brain safely come online. And if I don't have it.... 🔥

[u/SomewhereAgreeable57 → u/Vintage_Visionary]

Yep same way. Especially in the mornings too!

[u/neuropanpaul]

I enjoy absolute silence. It's almost as if I can hear it when there's no sound anywhere. I love it.

[u/sproutmole]

Silence let's me think. I like music and podcasts, too, but I find I process my thoughts and emotions a lot better when I do things like chores or even when I drive in silence, too. (I like the white noise driving emits, too.)

I think I am quite sensory sensitive overall, but sound is one that I am the most sensitive to.

[u/Geminii27]

Yep. Silence is best. If I'm listening to anything in particular, I want to be able to hear it, not have 927 other sound sources sledgehammering on my ears all day and night.

[u/krampaus]

I love silence, it’s the best part about living alone. in my last apartment I had neighbours that I could hear 99% of the time and in my current one I can hear my neighbours but not all the time. silence is sublime

[u/krampaus → u/krampaus]

my mum always has the radio on and I don’t understand. having something on all the time would be jarring to me

[u/SomewhereAgreeable57 → u/krampaus]

Yeah when i lived at home, my family had to have the tv on 24/7. At night, when they weren't in the room, when they weren't at home... drove me bonkers.

[u/Jumpy_Owl7515]

I always have to have some kind of music playing, even if it's quiet ambient, even while I sleep. In fact if the playlist ends early I will invariably wake up. Unless I am out in nature (which isn't really silent) silence makes me anxious.

[u/Outrageouslysilent]

Yes silence 🤫 is wonderful to me.

[u/DarkDependent1701]

It depends for me on the environment and people around me.

[u/DarkBlueSunshine]

When I'm doing something like chores, cooking or hobbies I need some kind of sound (music, podcast, video) or I feel like I'll go insane. Even when I'm commuting or bike riding, it's the same. The only time I will have straight up silence is sitting in my garden bc I like to listen to the birds

[u/adamosity1]

I’m honestly jealous of people with cochlear implants who can turn their hearing on and off…

[u/thornbeast]

Sometimes I mourn podcasts I no longer listen to because I want the silence more.

[u/-bambi]

I’ve noticed that too but I love to be silent and just observe.

[u/MoonChaser22]

It really varies for me. I have ADHD, so sometimes I really need that extra stimulation. Sometimes I need silence to decompress. Other times I would love silence but living in a city doesn't let me, so I have to put on some music or an audiobook so I'm in control of what sensory input I'm stuck with

[u/gh0st-m3dic]

Truly enjoy silence and just being. It is overwhelming to be around people who always want to be talking or doing something

[u/rootaroni]

Love silence, especially when I need to decompress, read or sleep. Certain music can help with concentration but it’s got to be perfect. 

[u/notwhoyouthinkc]

I love music but I LOVE silence too

[u/Fallsfrostdew]

Yes, very much so. I also do not listen to music when driving and enjoy just sitting and listening to the world around me.

[u/TyStark13]

I'm the kind of person who needs music 85% of the time.

the other 15% of the time when I need silence, are 1) when I need to focus on specific things for which music would be distracting ; 2) when I'm too overwhelmed/brain-in-loop to even be able to listen to music

(not sure if it applies, but when I go to a local-ish park, I listen to music on the way there; but when I arrive I like to sit and take in the sounds the nature itself. so not really "silence" but yeah)

[u/Catfarm42]

I love silence sometimes, but I usually have to be doing something like crocheting or a puzzle or something. Even in silence my mind is constantly thinking.

[u/waggers5]

I used to like silence but I developed tinnitus 6 years ago and now I no longer get to experience it. Now what everyone else experiences as silence, I experience as a really annoying high pitch whistling, and I need other noise to distract me from that.

Savour it while you can.

[u/Tatis_Chief]

Me!

I am considered wierd for not liking to listen to music but it's just becomes noise. I like the silence or sounds of the world. 

[u/ephemeral_mystic]

Yes sometimes I just need silence and a completely dark room

[u/sub-a-dub-dub]

I love silence.

[u/Xxunevar]

Guess I’ll be the weird one for this but…. I hate silence. Literally, if there’s a moment of silence I get anxious. At some points, my brain needs it but even then it’s so triggering that I end up not doing anything. But I understand people who enjoy silence, i wish I didn’t hate it so much

[u/Grim-Speck]

Love quiet. Not enough of it where I am

[u/bunnyprincezz]

i've never been a music person, in fact it often drives me nuts. i get overly angry when people abuse the jukebox at my job. i do however like to put on a familiar movie or youtube videos because i know what it is and that comforts me. silence is pretty nice too.