[sadf]

Either complete silence or music/tv in the background. Can't stand people talking and moving around by me while i'm trying to focus.

[Ghostwheel]

	Originally Posted by MechanicalSun To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Ability to focus deeply and filter stimuli (i.e meditation).

I have over twenty years experience with meditation. It's led to me liking noise less, not more.

My development: as more inner silence opens opens up, outer noise becomes less appealing.

[Kisai]

I study in noisy coffeeshops. I find that tuning out distractions helps me focus better. Silence is just a void where my consciousness wanders into.

[Reizu]

Most of the time I prefer silence, but sometimes music or background noise is more helpful, though I have yet to find a pattern as to when music is better.

[dvdhrns]

I prefer silence.

I've recently become very intolerant of loud music, talking, and even motion/movement around me while I work. I don't know exactly what's going on there. My guess is that my brain is trying to process and make sense of all of the noises or other stimuli at the same time that I'm asking it to focus on what I care about.

[themuzicman]

Originally Posted by LindaM17 To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Most of the time I need total silence to focus on my writing, but other times a little background noise seems better. It's different if I'm just brainstorming. I actually come up with some of my best ideas while working out and listening to music. Another writer I know can't work unless the TV's on in the background. I once read that Stephen King listens to blaring heavy metal music when he writes. How do you focus best? Music? Background conversation? White noise? Nature sounds? Thoughts?

Honestly, I block it all out. Unless the noise is sufficient enough to intrude on my thought process, I don't really know what's going on around me.

[zibber]

Absolute silence is best.

---------- Post added 05-18-2012 at 09:25 PM ----------

	Originally Posted by dvdhrns To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I prefer silence. I've recently become very intolerant of loud music, talking, and even motion/movement around me while I work. I don't know exactly what's going on there. My guess is that my brain is trying to process and make sense of all of the noises or other stimuli at the same time that I'm asking it to focus on what I care about.

Yup - that includes visual.

I remember taking a test (tests? distant past, thank goodness
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
), and noticing after about a minute that the person sitting one to my left in the row in front of me was doing that bouncy foot thing that busybodies do. I had to shield my damned eyes from that shit.

[Innovate]

	Originally Posted by LindaM17 To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I once read that Stephen King listens to blaring heavy metal music when he writes.

I never knew that! I have a love/passion for music, and usually think/focus better with music, however, at times listening to nature gets me relaxed enough so I can perform better.

[omega2]

I guess this is like what most people are saying, but classical music or silence. I might lean on classical being better than silence for me, but that's not to say that silence is a detriment. I can sometimes focus in a loud environment, but it's very situational.

On a side note, I'd like to know how many INTJs listen to metal? It seems like a minority, but I do. I don't really like the death growls or anything, but traditional metal and thrash are very good. My favorite metal bands are Exodus, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Overkill, and Black Sabbath. I'd also note that Metallica's instrumentals (The Call of Ktulu, Orion, To Live is to Die) work very well like classical music for focusing.

[Othesemo]

I prefer some some ambient music, but I can't stand vocals while I'm working. I'll usually put on something like Bach or Miles Davis.

[Alu]

If not silence, then it needs to be a consistent noise which I can easily tune out. As far as music and the tv go, I can't write/read while somebody is singing/talking but classical music is fine. If I'm doing something which doesn't require words, then I can blast that metal up all the way and get really into it.

Omega2, I (obviously now lol) listen metal too! I don't like the growls and constant anger screams either though, it needs to have actual singing for me. I'm really drawn to symphonic metal.

[INTJane]

I focus best with silence.

[DesertKnight]

Like many it depends on the situation. In general I can tune out pretty much any ambient noise; but if someone is trying to literally talk to me personally while I am focused on doing something else that becomes very aggravating.

Silence also doesn't work very well for me, I think my brain needs something for me to tune out in order to focus, if there isn't any sound at all I can't keep my mind from wandering off on it's own tangents.

Chalk another one up for metal music, and I also do not like the constant screaming or growling, there definitely has to be some singing in there (I wonder if that will be common among those of us who do listen to metal?).

[hmyt]

I find that if I am writing an essay then I use music to block out the outside world and create my own little bubble to work in with no distractions, but if it is working on mathematical problems then I need absolute silence to concentrate and the smallest disturbance can throw me off.

[Paul Siraisi]

SILENCE!!

[LindaM17]

Interesting! I'm surprised so many of you need total silence as I do. I read somewhere that some writers do their best work in noisy coffee shops because the effort of tuning out the noise helps their focus. Sometimes I can do that but it's exhausting.

[Aklis]

Owing to tinnitus in my right ear, total silence can at times drive me crazy. It's not too severe, and it only takes faint noises to drown it out. Luckily the fan of my computer is insanely loud, and while it bothered me at first, now it's just comforting. Except in the summer, when it starts whining.

On the matter of sleeping, I prefer moderate silence, again owing to my tinnitus. Neighbours talking on their balconies is too much, though. The best is to just listen to someone's breathing - not snoring, mind you, but slow, steady breathing.

[TheStranger]

Any atmosphere that most closely resembles silence is preferred.

[WeAreAllKosh]

Classical music has always seemed to improve my focus. I first started listening to the local classical radio station during my high school years when I needed to study at home. Now I listen to my cable TV provider's classical station when I work from home.

[Sniped Soul]

If it's a difficult task I need complete silence. If it's not difficult then music helps a lot with staying focused. When something is easy my mind tends to wander and I get distracted. Music quiets down my mind so it can't wander. I usually need my mind to wander a bit to solve difficult problems.

[Coralaisly]

Can't stand silence. I even have my iPod on when I go to sleep. If it's quiet, I'm tuned in to the pops & cracks of the house and the inconsistent little noises drive me insane.

[dontmesswithme]

Total silence, unless I'm really focused.

[extollere]

Usually music without vocals, preferably something with piano (mmm Yann Tiersen), or ambient/classical.

[hamlet9]

I prefer to write and read with music playing. I also sometimes listen to NPR while writing or while studying Latin--but not while reading.

[Mohammad]

Total silence.