Redditor ConstantPlastic100 wanted all of the quiet people to give us all a shout out about how they respond to an oft asked question.
They asked:
"What are some best responses to 'Why are you so quiet?'"
I am a raucous human being.
But I also study human behavior as part of my job, and to do that, I must sit back and just watch.
That is also what my introvert friends tell me they do.
That is how they participate.
No Energy
"I say I'm tired. I'm never quiet when I'm actually tired but people seem to understand that excuse and leave me alone about it." ~ jus1tinsuggested this also!
"I don't think I've every had anyone question this one. You're just tired etc. But STILL made an effort to attend a social even is pretty nice I reckon most people would think." ~ ompster
"I have a friend who i often talk with on discord while we're playing video games, and every time any of us want to quit we use this excuse. and since we both use it, we both also know when the other person is using it. and we still keep using 'I'm tired, I should go to bed' every. single. time." ~ pineappletarzan
Coolidge the Comedian
"A woman once told President Calvin Coolidge, 'I bet you I can get you to say more than two words.' He responded: "You lose.'" ~ Hysterical_Realist
"This story is even cooler once you realize that Coolidge stayed completely silent for the entire evening after she said that, and then hit her with that line when everything was over. Man was a G." ~ NoLifeMax
Backfired!
"To quote an answer to a similar question, 'very rarely do you get in trouble for saying nothing.'" ~ Exactly_Sandwich
"I would actually say this is rarely true. It’s hard to make new friends/you lose friends, people think you are being rude, it negatively impacts your job performance, it’s hard to get second or third dates, etc. I dated a girl for like three years who would basically only give one or two word answers to any sort of question my family asked her."
"They all hated her because they thought she was just being insanely rude to them (and she actually was, she was an extremely narcissistic person who didn’t feel like she needed to answer people’s questions or engage in conversation because everyone was beneath her)." ~ Zabuzaxsta
Y'all are funny.
Maybe everybody should just be quiet to give them a break.
It's just me...
"'I just don't talk much' has always been my go-to. You don't really owe anyone conversation beyond a greeting if you're feeling polite, much less an explanation of your personality. 'Idon't know. I've always been this way'."
"Some people can't take the hints and won't accept any answer you give. It starts to feel like they're entertaining themselves by trying to see how long they can keep your mouth moving. It's usually those situations where I end up excusing myself." ~ nehswu
Good Question
“…you can see me?” ~ rrrrrrrrric
"The worst thing is that people who question your calmness won't understand that joke." ~ clint_elijahwood
"Anyone remember that WKUK sketch where you see Darren sprinting down a promenade for like 30 seconds to finally slap a guy, who rightfully freaks out, and Darren just goes 'wait… you can see me?' and sprints back the way he came? Because this reminded me of it." ~ chazfinster_
Gotcha
"Sorry, I didn’t know that was an issue and I will try to correct this. So I would first like to talk about your cars extended warranty…“ ~ KarloReddit
"Hi, it's Dave from Sweetwater. I see you bought a set of guitar strings 15 years ago. How are they working out? Is there any other gear you need?" ~ NDaveT
Sit back, relax, listen and enjoy.
Not everybody wants to use their vocal chords 24/7.
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Sounds convey messages. They are often an expression of emotion or instinct. The sound of a child's laughter is regarded as precious and the sound of an animal's growl is a warning. Sometimes though there are sounds that just resonate in the worst way with those hearing them.
One of the worst sounds I had ever heard was a small one. The sound of the ultrasound tech's breath catch as they couldn't get my daughter to move. The baby was ok, but for a few minutes it was sheer chaos as the techs were trying to find what could be wrong. That sharp intake of breath was so intense
As misery often loves company one Redditor wanted others to share in what the worst, never want to hear that again noises people ever heard were.
OrchidSuspicous8787 asked the form:
“What's the most God awful noise you've ever heard?"
These are some sounds we hope to not encounter any time soon…
Weirdly specific noises…
“It's a toss-up between a gas distribution facility exploding or hedgehogs having sex. Probably the latter, as it sounds like a baby being murdered. Egads, they're loud. Louder than foxes, and that's a high bar to cross...” sbisson
The anticipatory sound of silence…
“When my daughter was born there were some last minute complications and the minute and a half of silence from when they pulled her out until she cried, which confirmed that she was alive, was f**king horrifying.” morris1022
Heart wrenching sound…
“My 2-year-old daughter crying and saying "Ouchie, ouchie, ouchie" over and over while my wife and I had to pin her down to get an IV from a nurse who didn't know how to insert an IV. Actively participating in causing pain to a person that my entire existence is instinctively to protect was heartwrenching, particularly since she didn't understand why mommy and daddy were hurting her.”
“She is six, and still remembers it. Had to excuse myself to the urgent care hallway afterward to decompress and the nurse who effed up was in the hallway quietly crying. Probably the worst day of my life, and I've had some sh*tty ones.” textual_predditor
It's almost as bad as the feeling when the styrofoam drags on your fingernails.
“Styrofoam f*ck whoever invented it.” PeanutRecord698
“When you open a box that has that tight styrofoam packing insert inside, and you have to slide it out of the box and it makes that awful dry scraping sound on the way out... That's worse than nails on a chalkboard.” cdsbigsby
We can’t imagine the *crunch*!
“The sound of a hand going through a metal roller between the roller and a rope. I was a naval medic and was stood beside the guy as the fingers and hand went through and then had to assist as we pulled it back out again, so I got to hear the bones crunching twice.” simev
Apparently rabbits can scream…
“I was homeless, camping in a field. At night I'd see snowy white Owls gliding silently overhead hunting rabbits. One night I heard the most awful screaming from a young rabbit that got picked up and carried off, screaming and screaming and fading off into the distance.”
“The most awful terrible dying agony I ever heard from an animal. If I hadn't seen the owls while lying on my back looking up at the stars I never would have figured out what that was.” trackedonwire
Waking to a thud and child’s wailing is never good…
“When my son was 2, he took a really bad fall that basically resulted in a hole in his face (he hit his face on the edge of a chair). I was just waking up, it was 7am on a Saturday morning. My husband was up with the kids and they were playing.”
“All of sudden I hear a loud THUD and then silence - if you are a parent, you know that is NEVER good. Then a scream the likes of which I never heard and then just continued screaming. It was awful. Several hours in the emergency room and 18 stitches later, he was put back together again. By some miracle he did no damage to his teeth (yes, gums absolutely do bruise) and has only the slightest scar (mad props to the PA at the hospital who stitched him up).” SuchLovelyLilacs
“I dont think I'll ever forget those sounds."
“Earlier this year my family recieved word that my brother stopped coming into work and we hadnt heard from him in a few days. He wasnt picking up the phone and we feared the worst. My parents drove out to his place and we had to wait for the police and the apartment complex to open up the apartment and do a check. I was waiting at home and every second was an eternity waiting to hear on the results.”
“I ended up calling about 3 seconds after my parents recieved word that he was dead. I heard the wails of my parents, his girlfriend, and anyone else on scene, which included a number of his classmates and professors. I took it on myself to call family and friends so my parents didn't have to, and i heard each and every one of their wails too. I dont think I'll ever forget those sounds.” Daedalus308
Wasn’t there a whole scary movie based on an Oklahoma tornado?
North America Weather GIF by BBC AmericaGiphy“Tornado. May 3, 1999 Oklahoma City. We were in the center of the house in the bathroom. When a tornado hit our house (there were many smaller tornados that spawned off the main storm that day), it sounded like a bomb going off. The entire house shuddered." BillEvansTrioFan
The sound of true heartache…
“Sound of a wife finding out her husband had passed on her way to the ER. When the doc told her she collapsed to her knees and wailed a sound of loss so profound while weeping at the foot of the doctor. The doctor was affected but as the head of the ER he kept on going. It really was a superhero moment in my eyes, even though there was tragic loss.” dangersdad08
These sounds are something we hope to never encounter. Let's hope these folks don't again.
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I'm used to being disappointed about a lot in life. I've given up on looking forward to much. This way anticipation doesn't trip me up. But I've never been let down by sound. Music can be underwhelming sure, but that's usually due to the lack of creativity. So this should be fascinating.
Too Loud!
All That Nicksplat GIF by NickRewindGiphy"I was home alone after having my cochlear implant turned on for the first time and I nearly peed my pants when the refrigerator started making ice. Also discovered that my cat purrs very loudly."
The Collision
"Some dude in an old thread surprised clouds colliding didn't make noise."
"DUDE THAT WOULD BE SO DOPE just like HUUUUGE distant, near peaceful thuds of clouds hitting each other, like a low rumbling in the ground you can feel with the same bassy noise of a far off explosion. God, I've been hearing everything all my life and now I'm sad clouds don't make noise. It would help people realize how large and heavy clouds are, too."
Sounds along the way...
"I've worn HA all my life though until around 2010 they had always been analog so not very good at picking up little sounds. I was being fitted for my first pair of digital HA and kept hearing this odd noise even asking my audiologist what's that noise? Turned out it was me moving my feet on the carpet. I'd never heard that shifting around sound before."
"Got newer and even better ones a couple of weeks ago and holy cow I now hear all sorts of noises I've never heard. Technology can be a wonderful thing."
"Also, remembered another sound - the bubbles popping in a soda/coke. Never had heard those little fizz/pops before."
The Ugly
"When my uncle got cochlear implants, he spent the whole next day wondering what this constant, obnoxious, 'ugly' noise was. After hours of searching, found out it was the clock ticking. He questioned why the hell it needs to make noise. I suppose without having it tuned out, it would be pretty annoying."
"On a happier note, when he first got them in, he cried with happiness when he realized his brother sounded different than the nurse."
Several Items
Listen GIF by The Maury ShowGiphy"My friend was deaf and he said the most underwhelming things were opening something carbonated, and a dog bark and the most surprising things was lights not making noise and for some reason trees not making noise?"
Sirens can try anybody's last nerve. I know they are necessary but Lord can they be brutal. I think I would be more surprised if sounds didn't match. I'm genuinely surprised when people's voices are higher or lower than what I thought they'd be. Let's hear some more.
The Sizzle
shaking still life GIF by jjjjjohnGiphy"My sister refused to get hearing aids for the longest time. She finally got some and she said the first thing she noticed was like a weird popping sizzling sound. It was the carbonation in her soda."
Sounds Dry
"When I got my hearing aids, I remember sitting in my room and think it was pouring down outside. Went to have a look, dry af. Turns out it was the sound of my clothes moving against each other. So overwhelming. Now, the silence is more anxiety inducing, because I know that there's so many things around me that are happening and I don't know about them."
'oh, I wanted you to sound better'
"I have a friend who was born deaf and had cochlear implants put in when he was a baby. I don't fully understand it all, but I do know he couldn't hear pitch, even with the implants. To him girl and boy voices all sounded roughly the same and he couldn't listen to music because it all sounded the same."
"A few years back he got his implants upgraded or replaced, like I said I don't really understand it. Anyway, he was suddenly able to hear pitch. He said the single scariest thing was emergency vehicle sirens."
"He'd never heard the proper noise before, so assumed it was just a kind of monotonous whine they made. He was absolutely terrified when an ambulance turned on its siren next to us. Suddenly he could hear the wailing all these emergency vehicles made. He said he found the wails to be very eerie at night."
"Also, when he first heard my proper voice he said 'oh, I wanted you to sound better'. Ouch."
Where to Begin?
"I got a BAHA (bone adhered hearing aid) implant this February. I'm 29F, moderately hearing-impaired for the past 15 years."
"I'm still surprised by:
- clothing rustling
- my own footsteps
- my stomach making quiet gurgling sounds
- the sound when I scratch an itch
- squirrels running across the roof 😊
- rain
- picking out individual instruments in a song"
"I hate that I now hear:
- chewing and eating sounds
- farts (I used to only hear the loud ones!)
- peeing is SO LOUD
- background TV noises in businesses — used to just be white noise for me, now that I can parse speech it's super distracting
- random neighborhood sounds, e.g. children yelling, dogs barking, weed whackers, etc.
...and the sound quality of music is kinda meh via my implant. Still 50000x worth it."
At 31...
halloween monster GIFGiphy"I got hearing aids at 31. The sound of the refrigerator surprised me. I'm an engineer by trade and was trying to figure out why it made such a terrible noise thinking it must be broken."
In the end, it's a great thing that everyone on this list can finally hear. Not that there is anything wrong with people who can't. I'm going to try and be more cognizant and grateful.
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More 411....
I call, if I need an information right now. If it can wait, I'll text. Prizrenaliii
Exactly what I do and what I tell people who are my contacts. Don't text me if you need an answer instantly. If you call and I don't pick up, try the home phone or a work phone. I choose not to and but often don't get to keep my phone with me in all my workplaces. konibear890
The Voice.
The only person I instinctively call rather than text is my wife and it's usually just because I want to hear her voice. the_mayonnaise_spoon
Sounds like my fiancé. I've seen him literally ignore calls and texts but anytime I text him, he will text me back asking if I can call. When i call him he sounds so happy to hear me and I love him so much. Ima go give him a hug. BedtimeStalker
Humanity.
One of the hardest phone calls I had to take when I worked for AT&T was this gentleman who kept paying his late wife's phone bill so his kids could call her voicemail and hear her. He'd lost his job and couldn't pay, so he called in to see what could be done to keep the phone on.
Luckily I had like a $250 override limit and the cel plan was hella cheap so I wiped out the debt and covered him for a few months.
God, that was ten years ago, those kids are probably grown and have their own kids now. ryukohime
Resolve.
Less likely to be misunderstood. BetterToad
And misunderstandings are quicker to resolve than through a long clarifying text chain. adfriedman
"what?"
GiphyMy phone usually has crap service and I have crap hearing. You text and I get it. You call and I'm gonna say "what?" a million times until you get pissed and hang up. FPSXpert
The Easy Way.
It's easier and faster to have a conversation in 2 minutes than to text back and forth for 15. pacmanrockshok
Exactly. Phone for quick synchronous communication, texting for slower asynchronous communication.
Both have their advantages but calls are just easier if you want to convey a large amount of information quickly and both of you are free at the same time. athars1s
Torture.
To torture introverts. deathforallweebs
I have a philosophy in life with anything. Emails, letters, phone calls, etc.
If it's important it'll happen twice. LovableKyle24
All Damn Day.
GiphyBecause conversations over text take all damn day. Texting memes and general updates to people is fine. But if I actually need to arrange something or needs some information I'll always call. OneCatch
The Void.
Texting can turn a 5 minute convo into an hour long session when people are doing other things. Texting someone who is busy sucks. Texts are good for some interactions, but phone calls fill a totally different void. ShameNap
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