To be honest, no one wants to listen to the person next to him chewing loudly or slurping. Yet, some people get extremely annoyed by it, and sometimes, you might even wonder why they make such a fuss about it.
Therefore, you should know that there is a condition called Misophonia, developed in 20% of people, which makes them highly sensitive to certain noises, such as people chewing, slurping, etc.
These people are irritated by certain sounds that the remaining 80% of the world apparently doesn’t even notice. However, if you belong to the first group, do not worry, as the good news is that misophonia has its own advantages.
Researchers from Northwestern University, Illinois, found that people who are hypersensitive to particular sounds tend to be more creative than those who are not.
Scientists tested 100 people on their ability to find original solutions to problems and found strong links between an inability to shut out irrelevant audio stimuli, dubbed ‘leaky’ sensory gating, and creativity.
Participants in the study were provided solutions to scenarios, with the challenge of coming up with as many original answers as possible, so that researchers could measure their level of ‘real-world creative achievement’.
The study showed that the more affected people were by sounds, the higher the likelihood they’d score well on tests gauging creativity.
The findings were published in the journal Neuropsychologia, and suggest those with the affliction might find it easier to think creatively as they can focus on a wide range of things simultaneously.
According to Darya Zabelina, a Ph.D. psychology student at Northwestern University in Illinois:
‘If funneled in the right direction, these sensitivities can make life more rich and meaningful, giving experiences more subtlety.’
So, next time you want to scream while listening to loud chompers, chewers, and slurpers, take a deep breath… Creative geniuses don’t have it easy.
