I'll never forget this moment in my life. It stuck to me because I learned something from it.

As I was removing the shitty radio in my 20 year old Defender, one of my mechanics asked, "Alex, what do you listen to when you drive?"

When I told him I don't listen to anything, he was a bit shocked to hear this. "How can you stand listening to your own thoughts?" I shrugged it off and didn't think much about it.

I realised later on that some people who constantly listen to music isn't always only because they love music but it is to drown out their thoughts. I do believe music has healing powers but muffling thoughts isn't healing.

I learned that my thoughts, they work for me and not against me.

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Well done. A truly needed skill and discipline for our time. 🫡

Same. I haven’t turned on the radio in years. I’m either learning something (via podcast/audiobook) or enjoying the silence. 🤌

Likewise! I like my audiobooks when I'm housekeeping or doing shop work.

TIL AK's first name is Alex... Maybe Alexandra?

😄 Definitely not Alexa.

I used to listen to music for the noise. Now I listen to it to really enjoy it. Silence is golden.

Champ 🏆

It’s the was the gaining of silence when I finally understood.

Calm is the default. ♥️

This made me think, do I do this? I've come to the conclusion that I find myself thinking about things while I listen to music. Maybe the things I listen to trigger the thoughts 🤔. I do know that I like to drown out the outside world on occasion.

If you can sit alone in silence for a period of time and remain calm, I think you'll find out what you're default is. 🙂

Oh my default is definitely music 😂🤷‍♀️. But I am able to sit in silence with my thoughts and I think that sometimes it is definitely needed for processing things...usually while I'm working on yarn things I'll let my mind wander in the quiet.

♥️ Love it. So you just love music then.

I really need to take on some yarn stuffs. I hope you don't mind if I reach out to you for some beginner tips.

Absolutely on all of these! 💜🧶

I do long distance running and most times don’t listen to anything. I’ve run for 4+ hours with nothing. And people can’t understand how I can be in quiet that long. I tell them it’s a form of meditation for me.

Champ 🏆

I will often listen to something to get to sleep otherwise my brain goes off on all the work I didn’t get done today and all the things I have to do tomorrow which I find very stressful.

Oofff I can't do the noise when I sleep. I prefer quiet, cold, and dark. I live in the mountains so there's all sorts of nature sounds depending on the season, which I think is actually relaxing.

I have a variation on this, but instead of thoughts I mask questionable sounds coming from the car (unhealthy engine noises, suspension cracking etc). Just max out the stereo -> problem solved!

Hahaha

Solved until it stalls?

Sort of, yeah. Fortunately Toyotas are quite reliable, so my technique mostly works out just fine...

Still the king of reliability. I think I might switch to a LC soon.

Oof, one of my dream cars! But not anything new, one of the old 90s models for sure. Gotta stack some sats first haha

Music has healing properties indeed. It is rare though nowdays to find such music.

It was quite common in very ancient, almost prehistoric societies they say

Wonderful perspective: how can i be my thoughts if i am able to observe them? Its impossible to be both at the same time (observer and observed).

Ah the paradoxical nature of consciousness. Always boggles the mind.

To boggle the mind… that’s the way 😄

Good advice.

I didn't figure this out until my mid 20's.

I rarely listen to the radio while driving as well. It's actually quite peaceful. Sometimes I'll listen to podcasts, audiobooks, or pray.