11 Everyday Sounds That Make Highly Intelligent People Irrationally Angry
Even the smartest people can't help but get annoyed by these unnecessary sounds.
Nicoleta Ionescu / Shutterstock Struggling with misophonia — an experience of extremely strong anxiety, disgust, and irritation in response to certain sounds — can make everyday activities unbearable. Research has found that this condition could go hand-in-hand with intelligence, which means there are several everyday sounds that make highly intelligent people irrationally angry.
The way these sounds are processed by the brain actively works at odds with their emotional intelligence, expectations of manners, or personal wishes. The good news is that if you’re easily triggered or extremely annoyed by these sounds, at least you can tell people that it could be a sign of your superior intelligence.
Here are the 11 everyday sounds that make highly intelligent people irrationally angry
1. Leaving the blinker on
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Even though it’s usually completely unintentional, the sound of someone leaving their turn signal blinker on can be incredibly annoying to highly intelligent people when they're riding along as passengers.
It may not only trigger certain inescapable emotions associated with misophonia, like panic or irritability, but also cause people to lose focus on conversations and interactions, two experiences highly intelligent people prioritize and appreciate.
2. Someone talking on speaker phone in public
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While some people who talk on speaker in public don’t have another choice, limited by hearing problems or physical ailments, the people who don’t, possibly fueled by a blissful ignorance of social norms and sometimes entitlement, tend to annoy highly intelligent people.
They’re not only overstepping the social norms that the average person respects for the sake of the strangers around them, they’re annoying other people and taking away from the potential for creativity, focus, and concentration.
3. Typing loudly on a keyboard
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Typing loudly on a keyboard, especially in a shared public space, is one of the everyday sounds that make highly intelligent people irrationally angry. Even when it seems innocent, annoying sounds, especially in spaces like a workplace that are already stressful, can actually impede a person’s health and well-being longer.
For the same reason that quiet and peaceful environments spark positivity and stability, annoying sounds like loud typing can do the opposite, as found by a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
4. Revving car engines
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The revving of a car engine is one of the everyday sounds that make highly intelligent people annoyed. Not only is it unnecessary, but it's also often distracting to everyone around.
Part of the reason why restaurants and retail stores play music is to soothe and calm customers. Other noises, especially obnoxious ones that aren’t necessary, can make people unrealistically irritable and irrationally angry. They distract people from their inner thoughts, and for highly intelligent people who are often in their heads and thinking deeply about things, it can be annoying.
5. Ringing the doorbell multiple times
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Similar to other everyday noises like a microwave beeping or a smoke alarm, many highly intelligent people are easily annoyed by things like a doorbell being rung multiple times when that could easily be stopped with some self-discipline in most scenarios.
They don’t mind putting in effort for the sake of being more comfortable or completing a daily task, rather than staying in their comfort zone and avoiding tasks.
6. Loud chewing
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A study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology found that nearly one in five people are affected by seemingly innocent everyday sounds like loud chewing, often as a symptom of misophonia. However, it’s not just the frequency and sound itself that genuinely annoys highly intelligent people, but it’s also the action.
While they may be relatively cognizant of the traditional manners that are outdated and rigid, they do have some kind of moral compass when it comes to basic respect. For example, chewing with your mouth closed or letting people have space in conversation are traditionally good manners, but now they’re also signals of respect that intelligent people rarely overlook.
7. Animals cleaning themselves
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For some people, overstimulation is the reason they’re annoyed by everyday sounds like their dog cleaning itself, especially intelligent people who tend to be more sensitive. When they’re already dealing with a lot, navigating stress at home and constantly being too busy, hearing their pet cleaning itself can feel more overwhelming than it seems like it should be.
They’re overstimulated, so it’s not surprising that this is one of the everyday sounds that make highly intelligent people irrationally angry.
8. Smoke detectors beeping
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Like many of the other everyday sounds that make highly intelligent people irrationally angry, a beeping smoke alarm can quickly derail someone’s focus or even keep them awake at night.
Of course, if you weren’t entirely aware, a beeping sound from a smoke detector is a sign it needs attention, and no, that doesn’t mean take it off the wall and forget about it. Replace the batteries and change the monitor if you have the resources and money to do so, because it’s not only distracting to people visiting, but sometimes unproductive for those who live there.
9. Kids crying in public
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While it’s true that highly intelligent people often have a higher capacity for empathy and emotional intelligence as a result of their prosocial behaviors, as research suggests, they’re also occasionally irritated by sounds like a baby crying in public, which they know is harmless.
Even though they can empathize with the parents and understand the unexpected nature of being in a public space from a big perspective, it’s also common for aversions to specific everyday sounds to be a sign of their creativity and intelligence, at least according to psychiatrist Neel Burton.
10. Clicking pens
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Sometimes, repetitive and unnecessary sounds can distract people from truly focusing or concentrating on what they’re doing, even if they’re highly intelligent or generally productive. Research has shown that the average student in a classroom is quickly derailed by small and seemingly subtle movements and sounds like a clicking pen, so it’s not an unrealistic annoyance.
Especially for intelligent people who tend to have a higher capacity for creativity and innovation, it’s not surprising that sounds that keep them from truly focusing are more of an annoyance than others.
11. Microwaves beeping multiple times
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Considering highly intelligent people also tend to be more self-disciplined than the average person, it’s not surprising that they’re often more successful and productive in the workplace than the average person, but they’re also surprisingly more disciplined at home. When it comes to chores and random daily tasks, they make a plan, schedule things out, and work with the free time they have to get everything done.
Even for seemingly subtle things like getting up from the couch when the microwave goes off for the first time, intelligent people are on it, which is why the annoyance of multiple beeps is one of the everyday sounds that make highly intelligent people irrationally angry.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
