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If you’ve ever had to listen to yourself in a narrative PowerPoint presentation or radio air check, you’ve probably cringed at the sound of your own voice. No matter how much people communicate on a daily basis, it still begs the question: why do people hate hearing the sound of their own voice?
Upon research, a 2016 LiveScience article from Kate Goldbaum touched heavily on the scientific reasons behind this phenomenon. To put it short, three bones in the ear called “ossicles” vibrate while processing sound, and they tend to vibrate more while you talk because of how close the mouth is to the ear. As such, the sound of your voice ends up becoming muddled, which gives you the false perception that your voice is deeper than it actually is (pp. 6). That way, the pitch of your voice sounds higher when you listen to a recording of yourself, since your ears can’t control your voice through a recording.
This high pitch from your voice tends to make you wince, as it’s unusual to be exposed to your voice from a different lens. No matter how much people try to reshape the way they sound, the high pitch from a recording will always stay the same.
Such a discovery makes people wonder how they can stop the cringeworthy feeling of hearing themselves talk through a recording. According to a 2020 Loom article from Karina Parikh, there are a list of ways to help you get used to hearing the way you speak. One of the methods that were mentioned was exposure therapy: recording a few videos of yourself and listening to them. By doing this, you’ll slowly get more comfortable with the way you sound from a voice, which will boost your overall confidence (pp. 16).
Another method from the same article that sticks out to me is learning to appreciate how you sound. This comes with boosting confidence, but embracing the quirks of your voice will help you appreciate yourself and lower your anxiety (Parikh, par. 25-26). I used to have this issue myself, but being true to myself and embracing my uniqueness helped me become a stronger person.
If there’s anything that can be taken out of this, it’s to make sure that you love yourself, whether it’s how you act or sound. Each one of you brings a unique charm to the way you communicate, and that shouldn’t be something you’re ashamed of. Best of luck on your readjustment journey, and I hope you get to appreciate what makes you special.