Why Do We Hate the Sound of Our Own Voice? Exploring the Psychology Behind Audio Self-Perception
Why do we hate the sound of our own recorded voice? It's like hearing a stranger talk in our head and we're like "Who is this impostor and why is it pretending to be me?"
Have you ever listened to a recording of your own voice and cringed? You're not by yourself. Many people dislike the sound of their recorded voice, even though it is the same voice they hear when they talk. But how come this is the case?
One of the main reasons people dislike their recorded voice is that they are accustomed to hearing it through the resonance of their skull. When we talk, the sound waves produced by our vocal chords are amplified as they travel through our skull, making our voice sound deeper and richer. When we hear a recording of our own voice, though, we don't have the same resonance, and our voice sounds higher and thinner.
Another reason people dislike their recorded voice is that hearing a version of themselves that they don't recognize might be unsettling. We are accustomed to hearing our voices in a specific manner, so hearing ourselves in a new manner might be startling and even unpleasant.
It is crucial to note, however, that how we perceive our own voice is not often how others perceive it. While we may be self-conscious about the sound of our recorded voice, others may not notice.
So what can we do about our aversion to our recorded voice? One strategy is to simply get used to it by listening to recordings of our voice more often. The more we hear our recorded voice, the more we become accustomed to it and the less jarring it will sound. Another strategy is to focus on the content of what we're saying rather than the sound of our voice. When we're delivering a message that we believe in, the sound of our voice becomes less important.
Finally, while it is natural to be uncomfortable with the sound of our recorded voice, it is critical to realize that it is only a sound and does not define who we are as individuals. We can overcome this unease and present ourselves confidently in any setting by focusing on the content of what we're saying and becoming more accustomed to the sound of our recorded voice.
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