Background noise

In many conference calls, I’ve heard a speaker stop to apologize, “Sorry for the background noise.” They usually mention something like children playing, dogs barking, or nearby construction.

In nearly every case, the speaker is the only one aware of the sound; none of it transmits over the call.

Two points here.

One, unless someone says, “We can’t hear you over the racket,” apologizing for noise isn’t necessary. Most of the time, background commotion is out of our control once the call begins.

Two, what we hear in our own environment is often louder than what others hear. Said another way — and more broadly — the noise that fills your head might be loud, but it’s not the same for others. Others have their own ears, their own heads, and their own noise.