Loud Reminder to Protect Own Ears

Dec 24 , 2022
By Kidist Yidnekachew

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I cannot be the only one bothered and sidetracked by individuals who talk loudly. Not only do they disrupt my thought process, but they also make me think about the things they are saying even when I have no interest in doing so.

I am sure everybody has encountered such people, primarily on public transport. They are too loud not to be remembered even after leaving the premises. I would know more about them than their distant relatives.

It is understandable when people are forced to talk loudly to communicate due to countering noises and a lousy network. People may also fail to listen to the other person behind the phone due to hearing impairment. But it becomes annoying when there is no justification.

Some people could be loud without annoying others. The firm and authoritative sound in their voice could be heard.

I once encountered a foreign national who told me about kids she met in the school compound she teaches. Kids constantly called her with a deafening sound from a close distance. I found that interesting. I believe the issue begins at a young age. I know kids in my area who are so loud they could be heard from afar. To my surprise, neither of their parents is loud enough to be imitated by the children.

I began doing some research, hoping to understand the psychology of loud people.

They are not always as confident as they appear to be, with some references disclosing reasons behind their loudness. Shy people tend to be loud to compensate for their shyness. Their loudness is a veil to appear confident before others who would not be able to figure out their true nature. Those who talk too much also try to appear knowledgeable when they know little. In my experience, that is not always the case, as I have engaged with people who talk too much but seem to know the depth of what they are talking about.

Some people talk louder to feel important and get the attention of others. Perhaps for this kind of people, being loud puts them on the pedestal of getting noticed as they are attention seekers. They tend to talk over others, desiring to see others value what they say during the conversation. Little did they know that talking over others can be rude and infuriating.

I find it discouraging to converse with such people as they keep cutting others off in the middle of a normal conversation. They dare to get mad when others do the same towards them. Such behaviour is highly contagious. The more time we spend with someone like that, we start to adopt their behaviour.

People also tend to be loud when trying to prove a point to others and mostly missed the chance to express themselves growing up. Suppose they were ignored and never got attention from their parents or caregivers as a child. They feel neglected; raising their voice becomes one of their ways to be heard and gain recognition. When they become adults, they try to use their voices to overcompensate for their repressed upbringing.

I found this to be true in people with high materialistic tendencies. People who grow up poor acquire materials to overcompensate for what they used to lack when they get the chance.

The most apparent reasons come down to childhood and nature. Some are born with the formation to speak louder due to strong muscles in their throat areas. Others are the product of childhood upbringing. Perhaps these people had loud parents, and everyone in the household was loud enough to be emulated. It is hard to blame these individuals because their background says it all.

But for others with hearing problems getting the necessary treatment is required.

Modern life can be noisy. Yet even though many people know that they should use earplugs when taking public transport or maybe attending a ceremony, they do not seem to care.

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PUBLISHED ON Dec 24,2022 [ VOL 23 , NO 1182]

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