I weigh in around 220 lb. My wife weighs about 120 lbs. She makes more noise crossing a room then I do. It's not a matter of shoes, I make less noise shod then she does barefoot most the time. She (until fairly recently at least) is just totally unaware of how loud she is as she goes about her daily routine. It's unfathomable to me how anyone can be unaware of how loudly they walk. I don't know if it's growing up in apartments, being sneaky, or just paranoia that makes me aware of how much noise I make. Most people seem generally unaware of some aspect of their sound profile. At it's most garish this unawareness is nothing but astounding and profane. This unawareness is a quality I loath in people. I feel something like relief to reading "The Quiet Ones" I am not alone in my preoccupation. I think there are many other things that I find offensive which go unmentioned in our society, things like TV's in public social spaces. I like that someone has named one of the accepted evils of our time.
Great read. and I appreciate your comment my coworker is a loud breather.
a guy I go to church with smells so bad it triggers my gag reflex.
my daughter walks louder than any human I've met - and she's 5. I'd like to think it's just me being overly critical, but I'm pretty sure these are all bonafide. It makes me wonder what things I'm unaware of. Am I loud breather or have I gotten so used to my own stench that others secretly want to be as far away from me as possible?Most people seem generally unaware of some aspect of their sound profile.
I'm typically aware of my sound profile. My father used to take me hunting when I was very young, and he was very quick to praise me if I could tramp through the forest quietly. Sometimes I still find myself rolling from the outside of my foot just for the heck of it. I think this has extended into other things that I do. Sometimes I am just conscious of moving through my environment without much disturbance. That said, I like a bit of activity around me when I work, especially the mix of music and conversation in a coffee shop. I don't think I'd enjoy the quiet car. It would just amplify any noise that did occur.
Ha! My god, I thought I was the only one. I also make ridiculous attempts to lower my sound profile for no reason at all, although I suspect it comes from an as yet unextinguished childish desire to one day become a ninja.
I'm right there with you guys. I walk a little quicker and a heck of a lot quieter than most of the people around my town, and I find that I tend to sneak up on people a whole lot. It can be weird but I try to just ignore it and keep walking. And when it comes to climbing stairs, I try to be as nimble and soft as possible. Total ninja. Speaking of a bit of activity during work, mk, I love working in coffee shops myself.