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According to the Nineteenth-Century German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer:
- The amount of noise which anyone can bear undisturbed stands in inverse proportion to his mental capacity.
On the other hand, here's what the First-Century Latin Philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca had to say about it:
- But I assure you that this racket means no more to me than the sound of waves or falling water; although you will remind me that a certain tribe once moved their city merely because they could not endure the din of a Nile cataract. Words seem to distract me more than noises; for words demand attention, but noises merely fill the ears and beat upon them. Among the sounds that din round me without distracting, I include passing carriages, a machinist in the same block, a saw-sharpener near by, or some fellow who is demonstrating with little pipes and flutes at the Trickling Fountain, shouting rather than singing.
EDIT: I replied before reading the article you linked to. Glad to see the NY Times also mentions Schopenhauer.