Clouds, drizzle, and fog shrouded the afternoon sky and enhanced my drowsiness. I decided to settle into my favorite living room chair to chill out. I daydreamed of floating through clouds while stretching my arms to form childish wings. I was just about to perform loops, when a crashing roar disturbed my reverie. I glanced out the window and saw a Harley Davidson motorcycle slowly pass. The driver revved the engine a few times to create repeated, loud engine farts that rattled the window glass of the room.
I frowned, took a sip of coffee and tried to resume the cloudy daydream. Unfortunately the loud motorcycle engine had completely spoiled the mood. I stewed in frustration for awhile before getting out of the chair to complete some household cleaning chores.
Rhetorical questions: Why do some people feel compelled to purposely cause extremely loud noise? Do some people derive a sense of pleasure as they pass through quiet neighborhoods to deliberately disturb the peace?
Some loud noises cannot be muffled. Thunderclaps from lightning happen by nature. The airplane flying overhead creates noise only as a byproduct. This is just the way stuff works.
When we hear a sudden, loud noise, adrenalin pumps through us to trigger the fight or flight response. We feel a momentary threat to our safety. When we hear expected loud noises, such as explosions at a fireworks show, we feel thrilled. When an unexpected loud sound intrudes, such as the motorcycle engine noise, we feel annoyed. People who are especially sensitive to sound suffer extreme startling and panic. If you’ve ever observed pet cats and dogs when they hear firecrackers explode during Independence Day or other festive occasions, you understand that non-human animals suffer panic, too.
Repeated exposure to loud noises that trigger fight or flight response is harmful to health. Medical experts claim that over a lifetime, loud noise can cause physical damage to the cardiovascular system. This also causes hearing loss. So, the danger is not imaginary; it’s real.
“You cannot see the Milky Way in New York City any more…. We risk the loss of our sensual perception. And if you lose those, naturally, you try to compensate by other stimulations, by very loud noises, or by bright lights or drugs.”–Rene Dubos
There seems to be some truth to Dubos’ observation. When one chooses to commune with the natural world, she or he feels an inner, spiritual joy. Gazing at stars or listening to the breeze whispering through trees bring about a sublime thrill.
Perhaps, when one chooses to ignore the natural world or is somehow deprived of the opportunity, we seek out artificial thrills. Is that part of the reason the motorcyclist created engine farts as he drove through the neighborhood? Is this why I enjoy the crescendos within Camille Saint-Saëns “Organ” Symphony? It’s difficult to know for sure. Maybe Dubos’ explanation is only part of the reason why we enjoy certain loud noises.
One thing for sure is that categorizing noise is subjective and relative to the quietude preceding it. The more absolute the silence, the more shocking is the motorcycle roar. There is also the situation during which one is exposed to constant loud noise. When that noise comes to a sudden halt, the silence feels absolute. Such a sudden silence is thrilling in its own way.
CiaoThe Blue Jay of Happiness ponders a thought from Edward Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax of the 20th century. “True merit is like a river; the deeper it is, the less noise it makes.”
-
Recent Posts
Flying to past posts
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
Bird’s Eye Views
I think that motorcyclists get a sense of power from making loud noise. It’s a big ego boost for them.
Yes, an adolescent type of ego boost.
I very much relate to this when my daughter was very young for every such loud sound she would have panic and we had to help her feel calm ,it was really a tough time for us.
Indeed. Some people are more sensitive to stimuli than others.
I think he just wants attention, I assume he doesn’t care that it’s annoying, or maybe even likes it. Assume he has larger problems than you and ignore it 🙂
I mean larger problems than you have
Oh yes. It still disturbs nap time 🤔
Spring is finally coming the mountains where I live. At this time of year, I open windows for a while each day and I’m surprised by the bird song. I missed it!
Birds sing music for the soul.