Don't Correct, Sympathize

(Clipart image)

There's a word for that condition:

Misophonia, a disorder which means sufferers have a hatred of sounds such as eating, chewing, loud breathing or even repeated pen-clicking, was first named as a condition in 2001.

So, people who tell others to stop slurping their soup aren't necessarily etiquette-obsessed, they may have a brain abnormality:

scientists said scans of misophobia [sic: misophobia is the fear of germs] sufferers found changes in brain activity when a 'trigger' sound was heard. Brain imaging revealed that people with the condition have an abnormality in their emotional control mechanism which causes their brains to go into overdrive on hearing trigger sounds. The researchers also found that trigger sounds could evoke a heightened physiological response, with increased heart rate and sweating.

In recent years anti-social, unusual, and even criminal behaviors have been found to have a physiological basis. Institutions are already having a tough time adjusting to the notion that the environment determines life's outcomes. If one's genes determine the rest, what role is there for free will, motivation, and character? (Those questions are way above your humble blogger's pay grade.)

Meanwhile, when your kid covers his ears because certain sounds bother him, don't correct, sympathize.