According to the Nineteenth-Century German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer: On the other hand, here's what the First-Century Latin Philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca had to say about it: EDIT: I replied before reading the article you linked to. Glad to see the NY Times also mentions Schopenhauer.The amount of noise which anyone can bear undisturbed stands in inverse proportion to his mental capacity.
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.