[PuppyTailWags]

I'm always curious: what is the effect of noise on the noise producers? As much as I have a disdain for leafblowers, and as much as I absolutely despise people who play bass-heavy music at night, why don't they suffer the same ill effects and heart issues as the people they subject noise to?

[monktastic1]

I'm not sure of the answer, but it's generally the case that things affect us much more negatively when we have no control over them and feel at their mercy. I haven't read TFA to see if they controlled for this, but it wouldn't surprise me if that was actually the majority of the problem.

Edit:

> Researchers have found that the more people are bothered by noise, the greater the health risks they face from it.

It would be great to do a study where people learn a technique like meditation to be less "bothered" by noise and see how that affects their biomarkers.

[emerongi]

I used to live in an apartment where the upstairs neighbour would just randomly start trampling super hard. If it had been a constant noise - like the cars driving outside - my brain would probably have gotten accustomed to it. It seemed to me like it was agitating because it was at random times, when I wasn't expecting it.

When I turn on the bass, I am in control. I can turn it on when I don't have anything important going on and I can always turn it off. That makes the bass enjoyable. If it's somebody else's bass, then I don't know when it starts, when it ends and whether it will interrupt me. That's the source of frustration for me.

I'm generally fine with monotonous background noise, as long as it's not too loud. There's probably still some subtle passive effect on my health, but I can live with that.

[coldtea]

Who said they don't?

That said, one difference is also that they do use their leaf blowers after they wake up first or are in the mood to do it, so they're not disturbing their own sleep or quiet time.

[cesnja]

They wear earmuffs and aren't trying to sleep, respectively.

[1970-01-01]

They do?

[Anechoic]

I don't know why you're being downvoted, but you're correct - they do.

[monktastic1]

It's not as simple as "they do" or "they don't." They seem to suffer less, and there are interesting reasons for that. GP is being downvoted because "they do?" is not a particularly helpful response.