No Stupid Questions

Do you ever spend even a second with your own thoughts?

I like music, love music, keep it on in the house and car but do not like headphones and wouldn't dare use them on a walk or run because I'd get run over by a car.

I like the sound of the city, the birds singing, the crows cawing, kids yelling, even the distant sirens and LOVE the distant music of parties, so much. Cars going by with music. Incidental sound is engaging IMO not boring.

Enjoy the world around me. Using the extra sensory input to avoid being run over by cars.

/boggle

I don’t require constant stimulation.

Did you write this post deliberately to trigger us? Some examples; The phone died when it should have 7% left, spilling soup at a store, smelly euro village and of course the main question.

It feels like satire to actually say you cannot imagine life without constantly listening to music. Is it satire?

Just birds chirping, wind blowing, leaves rustling

To me that just sounds kinda nice

not some smelly euro village either

??

I think the question is best answered by reversing it. Why do you choose to listen to music?

Now don't get me wrong I listen to a ton of stuff. I have an mp3 player for air travel and I listen to all kinds of things in my car and for my whole shift at a manufacturing job I used to have.

But out on the street, on a bike or on the trails I never have any music on. From a practical standpoint it's simply safer to be aware of what's going on, but that's not the point for me.

I use that time to just let my mind wander and internalize info I learned that day or to look back on things that happened recently. That boredom is soon replaced with thoughts and daydreams and feelings and memories. And it's nice to see my part of the world as it is, without any filter and seeing how places and people change day by day.

Are you trolling us?

If not, try getting into meditation, so you can learn to appreciate the moment for what it is, rather than seek constant stimulation.

Technology is ruining humanity, no wonder so many people are lonely and depressed.

Just birds chirping, wind blowing, leaves rustling, all as I walked the same path I walk all the time<

This would be one why I don't wear headphones outside. Hearing the natural ambience of a space is rewarding.

The other personal reason is that I'm in front of a screen about 12 hours a day and crave those few hours of respite from being hooked up to technology.

thinking about stuff (what to eat later, what to do later, etc), chatting with a friend/family member, looking around to see what's happening (construction, birds doing bird things, plants changing shape/size/color, etc), reading, or humming to a song you know (you don't need your phone to enjoy music!)

I actually pay attention to my environment? I don't walk onto a busy road without looking?

This reads like satire but I assume you're being serious.

I'm not really doing anything instead. I'm listening in both cases - only the what I'm listening to changes. Listening to music - or podcasts in my case - is a bit of an distraction. I don't want to be distracted all the time. I'm more present when I'm listening to the world instead, and it gives more space for my thoughts. I never even have the radio on in my car because to me, driving is almost a meditative experience and I like to just sit there in relative silence and focus on the driving itself. I'm stimulated one way or another for the vast majority of the day anyway. I think it's good to have these intentional moments built into your daily routine where you let yourself be bored. It's good for you.

I don't use earphones outside because it's unsafe: Awareness of surroundings is paramount. You say you rarely see a car but not everyone is so lucky. I'm guessing you're younger, too: When I was a youth, walking with headphones or earbuds meant you had a tapedeck or CD player (and later iPod or smartphone) that could be stolen, making you a more attractive target, as well as one that was easy to sneak up on.

What do I do instead? Listen to the birds sing. Listen to snow or leaves crunch underfoot. Sing! Read a book. Skip! Admire the sun through the trees. Look for cool bugs. Have a conversation with a friend. Rehearse a future conversation in my head. Solve math problems. Philosophize.

I play music in my mind.

Don’t tell this person about the times before the ubiquity of iPods (and later, phones).

OP, might I suggest a “music” detox? Spend a month without the need for headphone delivered dopamine.

If I'm walking around a park, I may wear earphones. If I'm walking on sidewalks around the city, I'm way too paranoid. I like to be able to hear my surroundings. Case in point, I was crossing a street at a crosswalk with the walk signal active when I was nearly hit by a car; the driver was clearly distracted and ran the red light. The only reason I wasn't hit was because I heard the car coming and I stopped in the middle of the crosswalk to avoid getting hit. If I had kept going at my pace, I for sure would have been hit.

It's good to enjoy quiet and not be constantly surrounding yourself with noise. It's an important skill to be able to sit in silence and not rely on external stimulation to feel okay.

Because I need to be aware of my surroundings. Street harassment, being followed, etc.