An Invisible Wall Between You and the World
When you want to protect yourself from all the noise in the world, music becomes the most elegant form of resistance. Beyond simple auditory pleasure, the act of consciously blocking out noise to listen to music is the most proactive start to self-care—gathering your scattered self and restoring inner order.
We live in an age of noise. The constant notifications from our smartphones, the hum of the city, the background chatter in a café—our consciousness is perpetually fragmented by unwanted stimuli. In neuroscience, this is called ‘Cognitive Overload.’ When the amount of information exceeds the brain’s processing capacity, we lose focus, become anxious, and our ability for deep thought diminishes. Like a computer with too many tabs open, our mind slows down and eventually freezes.
In this environment, moments of ‘doing nothing’—of looking inward without a specific goal—vanish. We lose the opportunity to activate the brain’s ‘Default Mode Network’ (DMN). The DMN is a brain network that is active when we are not focused on the outside world, such as when we are daydreaming, recalling memories, or imagining the future. Creativity, self-reflection, and insight are deeply connected to the activity of this network. Constant external stimulation disrupts this precious mental activity, turning us into thoughtless beings.
This is where the act of listening to music takes on a new meaning. Specifically, noise-canceling technology, which blocks out external sound almost completely, is not just a feature but a tool for creating an essential ‘mental space’ for the modern individual. It’s like building a transparent wall between the world and yourself. Within that wall, we finally feel safe and can listen not to the demands of the outside world, but to the voice within.
This is why I call the Apple AirPods Pro 2 not just earphones, but a ‘portable sanctuary for thought.’ On a roaring subway commute or in a bustling open-plan office, the moment I put in my AirPods and turn on Noise Cancellation, the world is muted. Into that silence, the music I’ve chosen flows gently. This music isn’t just background noise (BGM). It becomes the very texture of my thoughts, the color of my emotions, and the paint for my inner landscape.
In psychology, there’s a concept called ‘The Sadness Paradox of Music.’ It theorizes that listening to sad music when you’re sad doesn’t make you feel worse, but actually helps you process the emotion and find comfort. Music acts as a medium that allows us to safely confront and release our feelings, rather than suppressing them. In the immersive space created by the AirPods Pro 2, I often listen to music that mirrors a vague anxiety or sadness. In doing so, those feelings are given a name and a shape, and soon, they quietly depart.
The philosopher Heidegger described modern individuals as ‘das Man’—beings who live according to the average views and judgments of ‘the they.’ It’s easy to lose ourselves in the noise of others. The act of intentionally blocking out that noise to listen to music might be a philosophical practice—a way to break free from ‘das Man’ and meet our authentic selves.
Today, if the world feels unusually loud, stop for a moment and listen to your own music. It doesn’t have to be anything grand. An instrumental piece will do, as will the sounds of nature like rain or waves. What’s important is the act of choosing for yourself what you will listen to.
The most important conversation is not with others, but with yourself. And for that conversation to happen, you first need the quiet to hear your own inner voice. Perhaps the greatest luxury in this era is the brief moment of silence we create for ourselves.