You know, I love my family very much, but one of the reasons I’ve become an early riser over the years is that I now have at least an hour or two when I can quietly drink a cup of coffee, read a book, or just sit and think. And then it’s time for breakfast with the whole family, and my Apple Watch sometimes warns me about the dangers of being in an overly noisy place…
So I completely understand our narrator today, a guy who desperately tried to defend his minimal right to silence, and who is denied that right by literally everyone in his household. Okay, let’s just cut to the chase and go on reading the story.
More info: Reddit
Silence sometimes seems to be the most precious thing on Earth, especially if you have a large, noisy family
Image credits: starush / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The author of the post and his wife have several kids, so the man sometimes feels uncomfortable with them making lots of noise at home
Image credits: ungvar / Freepik (not the actual photo)
When they did repairs in the kitchen, the man suggested buying cabinets with slow-closing doors, but his wife saved on the hinges
Image credits: cookie_studio / Freepik (not the actual photo)
So, after another case of someone slamming the cabinet door, the man resorted to action, with super glue and rubber bumpers
Image credits: Minute_Top_4323
The wife, however, called him out, claiming that these bumpers allegedly ruined her kitchen
The Original poster (OP) admits to hating noise, especially at his job. However, he loves money more, so he has to make do with earplugs and noise-canceling headphones at work. But at home, things are more complicated, especially since our hero has a large family: a wife and kids.
The author recently invested in upgrading his kitchen cabinets, and his main requirement was soft-closing cabinets, as the slamming sound of a door is perhaps his biggest irritant. But his wife, trying to stay within budget, decided to skimp on closers and ordered cabinets with regular door hinges.
As a result, whenever the man tried to enjoy the quiet of the kitchen (his work hours don’t align with his family’s, so he usually eats breakfast and lunch alone), someone would constantly come in and slam the cabinet door loudly, throwing him off balance. The man’s patience snapped one day, and he resorted to drastic measures.
Superglue for wood and vulcanized rubber bumpers is, in the author’s opinion, an excellent alternative to soft-closing doors. His wife didn’t appreciate the beauty of this solution, tried unsuccessfully to cut off the bumpers, and when that failed, accused the OP of ruining her kitchen. He, however, rightly pointed out that the alternative would’ve been to simply remove the doors, and decided to take this online, seeking support.
Image credits: photoroyalty / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Could it be that the original poster simply succumbed to his whim? Probably not. The fact is, the experts have long noted that at least minimal periods of complete silence are critical for the full restoration of our nervous system and attention resources. And for this, as the authors of this article at Health Line write, simply the absence of sound stimuli, at least for a certain period, is necessary.
Silence can truly work wonders. For example, the authors of the article cite research showing that even 2 minutes of complete silence after listening to music has a greater restorative effect on our nervous system than even the most “relaxing” kinds of music.
But that’s not all. For example, this article, published on the Lone Star Neurology Clinic website, claims that silence promotes the development of new cells in the part of our brain responsible for memory and learning. For the brain to be better capable of self-reflection and creativity, it needs to periodically switch to the “Default Mode.” And what promotes this? That’s right, silence!
Well, people in the comments also generally sided with the author, arguing that, first, this is not just his wife’s kitchen but the family's kitchen. Secondly, according to some responders, it looks like a battle for control on his wife’s part. However, someone simply suggested buying some soft-closing hinges online and installing them. So what do you, our dear readers, think here?
Most commenters supported the man, saying that silence actually matters, and that his wife was being unreasonable here
