Question

To simulate deafness, put ear plugs or cotton balls into your ears and put your hands over your ears to block out all sound. Describe this experience in terms of how it changed your perceptions of your environment and how it made you feel. What are some things you would miss if you couldn't hear? How would it change the way you live your life?

Answer 1

Just so you know, total deafness is quite different than partial deafness.

Partial deafness can be any number of things. It can be an inability to make out the contents of high notes (notes with high frequencies and few harmonics).

Partial deafness can be the inability to hear low notes. I only know one person who suffers from that.

Your response to speech is quite different. Usually you have to have people look right at you. Lip reading is an art. Most deaf people between what they partially hear and lip reading can make out about 1/2 of what is said. Guessing usually takes care of the rest. Course you can get everything all muddled by guessing.

It does change your way of life. The TV is often turned up high enough that people living 4 houses down can list to the 6 o'clock news when you do.

Music is hard to make out. The overtones are lost.

Earphones have very tinny sound.

People are not as enjoyable as they once were.