Simple Living

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This is a place to discuss simple living in all it's forms. Some may live a different life to you & that's okay, everyone is welcome here. Please keep it civil, we're all here for a good time.

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Enjoy the Silence: Your life is not a movie, so stop soundtracking it 24/7 (www.zensounds.de)

submitted 9 hours ago by Yingwu@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/simpleliving@lemm.ee

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Cross-posted from "Enjoy the Silence: Your life is not a movie, so stop soundtracking it 24/7" by @alyaza@beehaw.org in !humanities@beehaw.org

The composer John Cage told us to “not discriminate against sounds.”

He challenged us to become interested in what we usually perceive as noise and incorporated it into his compositions. Actually he said that the main difference between experimental and non-experimental music is the inclusion of noise.

Cage didn’t own a smartphone. He didn’t constantly stream music.

In the age of WiFi and Bluetooth speakers, we seem to believe that every activity in life needs an idealized, artificial soundtrack, whether it’s working or unwinding, running or relaxing.

Tech corporations have instilled and nurtured that belief in us. Their aim is to “maximize engagement”. The longer we listen, the more indispensable they become – and the more profit they make.

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[–] KittenBiscuits@lemm.ee 2 points 4 hours ago

About the only time I can enjoy quiet is outside with birds & wind to mask my tinnitus. Inside, it's just E^eeeeeeeeeeeeeee^. So I keep background instrumental music playing most of the time.