No Stupid Questions

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.

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!)

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.

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

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.

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 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.

Sorry OP, you got downvoted in so many comments, some of which I thought was undeserved, but some of it is deserved. You asked a question, but came off as wanting to prove everyone else who doesn't listen to music is crazy. Everyone is different, you do you. I think it's very important to train brain to be content without any stimulation and therefore, I think, I play music in my brain, I plan rest of my day or next day, and most of all I introspect when I'm walking around.

And my life isn't even complicated and I find tons of things to Introspect, so hard for me to imagine people get bored with introspection, but you do you. If boredom is such a massive problem for you because of ADHD, perhaps carry a power bank.

My ability to zone out and get lost in my head is legendary.

Although, I have used headphones for grocery shopping during busy times because music helps keep me from becoming enraged at stupid people.

I've yet to find a device that can survive going 30 meters plus under water. So I'm forced to listen to the world around me.

But seriously there are a lot of times where you need to hear the world around you. Sometimes I go for a walk around town with my earbuds and sometimes I don't. Sometimes I work on a project with music playing and other times it's not feasible.

I basically just jack it constantly. Whenever, wherever.

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

Outside with other people is a dangerous place. Environmental awareness is needed. You'll need your eyes and ears to sense danger.

Listen to the voices in my head

There's a passage in the book Fahrenheit 451 where the author talks about people keeping themselves distracted with music 24/7. Instead of listening respectfully to great music with great attention, they listen to silly songs.

Also, I remember all the stories I've read about people who were mugged because they weren't paying attention.

I let my thoughts wander, and pay attention to the world around me. I've been forced to do this since I can't wear earbuds while my ear piercings heal.

I'll get back to this, but I first need to complete my post called "Have you ever spoken to someone in person?"

I usually commute in in-ears. Sometimes I just want to listen to the world. Its noise, sounds, people talking in train/tram/bus.

I have also noticed that listening to something leaves me out of my own mind. When I used to walk from school to home alone without music, I would think about things in my life much more. So, sometimes I leave my phones in a pocket to focus on my mental.

I like the sound of what's going on around me. I enjoy catching little snippets of random conversations, the birds singing, the exhaust notes of passing vehicles. I prefer to be aware of my surroundings instead of insulting myself from them. At home, I'm very literally in the woods, and occasionally feral hogs may cross my path, but they make a lot of noise. When I'm in town the variety of sounds is novel and entertaining to me.

I wear earbuds at work, or if I'm running my tractor or lawnmower. I do drive, but I don't always have the radio playing in my car. Sometimes quiet is just nice.

I look at and listen to what's going on around me, and think about what I see and hear.