“But I Want It”: A Look at the Effects of Selfishness on Others
“Explore the profound impact of selfish behavior on mental well-being through a personal account of noise pollution in Nova Scotia. This article delves into the clash between peaceful desires and disruptive realities, highlighting how such intrusions can exacerbate conditions like PTSD.”
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When the morning sky is blue and the temperature is just where I like it, I hop on my mountain bike and go for a nice, long, peaceful bike ride. And one day last week, it just so happened to meet my preferred biking weather. So, I happily dug out my bike and got reacquainted with the freedom biking brings — nothing like that cool Nova Scotia breeze hitting you in the face to make you feel great!
It was all things I expected — well, almost everything. There were great temperatures and there was nothing but blue skies, but calm and peaceful? Not so much. In fact, the world I live in is so self-absorbed that they obliviously shatter the serenity and, in doing so, ruin the happiness and mental health of everyone around them. Such was the case for me on that beautiful day.
When I was out, pedaling myself to a happy place in my mind, a derelict truck slowly drove up beside me and floored it. I almost had a heart attack. This dump of a truck had a modified exhaust, loud as hell, and a popular thing among young men nowadays.
The purposeful act triggered my post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) so badly that my mind went to murder for a moment. But instead of beating the guy, I have spent way more time at home. As many people with PTSD can attest, removing oneself from the chaos of modern society is much more preferable. Not because we want to hurt people, which we really don’t, but because the asphalt kingdom we call society is hurting us — those with a very high startle response and an aversion to threats (real or perceived) are seriously causing us damage. Below are some of the common symptoms of PTSD:
This is an excellent example of how other people’s actions adversely affect others. While my case might be on the extreme end because of PTSD, it nevertheless highlights a problem of disrupting the personal peace of others. In fact, noise pollution is known to impact mental health(1). Moreover, there appears to be enough evidence on the subject of noise pollution to say with confidence that if we lower noise levels, people with and without mental illness will see an improvement in their mental well-being. However, the modified muffler trend continues because of what I call the “But I Want It” phenomenon. Basically, because one likes or even loves something, they believe it to be their right to do it.
In one study, “A desire for a loud car with a modified muffler is predicted by being a man and higher scores on psychopathy and sadism,” published in Current Issues in Personality Psychology, April 4, 2023, it is highlighted that people who partake in this fad score higher on darker personality traits like psychopathy and sadism(2). These findings highlight the need for law enforcement intervention, as it’s unlikely that those with these traits will be receptive to any other form of intervention.
Psychopathic behavior is marked by grandiose feelings of self-importance, lack of remorse or guilt, failure to accept responsibility for one’s own actions, need for stimulation, or proneness to boredom, and more. I chose these specific symptoms because they are relevant to this post and highlight why it appears to be a significant issue. As I have always said, behavior always happens for a reason, and this may point to the reason.
While this information shows us a potential link to the muffler fad with darker personality traits, it’s important to note that not everyone enjoying the senseless noise is higher on the psychopathy scale. Something you should keep in mind.
What it does indicate, however, is that people who enjoy the sound of a modified exhaust are less likely to care about the people around them. Additionally, if noise pollution exacerbates mental illness symptoms, then governments and law enforcement alike must take the issue of too much noise seriously.
While I believe that we should have freedom of choice, I also believe that we need to be both reasonable and respectful of others. We need to lower the national angst in this country — making it a quieter place seems like a great place to start — a small ask when it comes to the health of those around us.
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Further Reading
“Noise pollution: A hazard to physical and mental well-being” by Arline L. Bronzaft. This chapter discusses the extensive evidence indicating that noise pollution poses a significant hazard to both physical and mental health. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319329633_Noise_Pollution_Human_Health_A_Review
A multilevel analysis of perceived noise pollution, geographic contexts, and mental health in Beijing” by Jun Ma et al. This paper presents a detailed analysis of how different levels of noise pollution in urban environments like Beijing affect mental health. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/7/1479
“Noise pollution and health effects” by S Geravandi et al. This article explores the myriad of health effects related to noise pollution, including its impact on mental health, through a community-based study. https://brieflands.com/articles/jjhs-60312
References
1.Jariwala, Hiral, et al. “Noise Pollution & Human Health: A Review.” Noise and Air Pollution: Challenges and Opportunities, March 2017, University of Guelph. Conference.
2. Schermer, Julie. “A desire for a loud car with a modified muffler is predicted by being a man and higher scores on psychopathy and sadism.” Current Issues in Personality Psychology, vol. 11, no. 4, 2023, pp. 339–344. doi:10.5114/cipp/162006.
