1. You hear the world from the perspective of other people under the impression that your ears are preoccupied with other noises.

This means that people on phone calls, or having private talks with their significant other, or the clique of snarky girls dishing the latest gossip don't think that you are paying attention to their conversation. There is so much information that you can glean from people-hearing, not just people-watching.

2. You begin to have an appreciation for the sounds you would've missed if you were listening to music.

There are so many sounds that happen every second that are so carelessly and aimlessly missed. The other day I was waiting at North Station for my 3:30 to Wachusett, and instead of listening to music I had my headphones placed in my ears, without any music playing. I heard a tape noise and figured out that construction workers were re-branding the station with a new coat of paint, and a new purple T logo that was freshly printed. I wouldn't have heard these quiet sounds of the pigeons playing catch with abandoned puzzle pieces of pepperoni pizza crusts stuffed with cheese.

3. You start hearing the music that headphones can't provide.

The sounds of the world cannot be played from Spotify, streamed from YouTube, or bought from Apple Music and Google Play. These sounds are disposable cameras for the ears, that are only valid for one use and one use only. If you miss your shot, the sound has dissipated, never to be heard in the same context again.

4. You hear what you're not necessarily supposed to hear.

You hear the snake voices speaking in parseltongue about you in the halls. You hear the garbage waste that spews from morning breath mouths, and programmed to poke and prod at your flaws. I think that's a pretty cool perk problem, an oxymoron that ultimately just benefits those that listen with an open ear.

All in all, maybe take some time to yourself, and unplug yourself from your phone, and take in your surroundings.