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by codazoda·9y ago·view on hn ↗
I... Uh... Doesn't everyone have this problem?

Maybe this is another reason people think I'm brooding. I can only hear the people directly next to me in a noisy environment; not the people on the other end of a table for example. I typically assumed they couldn't hear me either, but now I'm wondering.

2 comments
I work in a noisy (slot tech in a casino) and I was able to adapt to it to be able to hear people distinctly in a very noisy environment it's called the cocktail party effect.

Through a crowd of people and and multiple noisy machines I could hear someone ask me "Where is the bathroom" or "How do I..." I guess it's a learned skill.

Up to a limit I mean it's not a superhuman skill just existing in certain circumstances and in my regular environment. I'm sure I'd be terrible in a noisy environment I'm not used to.

Your description marks you as about average. What GP is describing is not being able to hear/understand people that are right next to them in a noisy environment, unless someone is literally talking directly into their ear.

That said, yes, it is entirely possible that someone at the other end of the table could hear and understand you.