Would you rather....?

Question

have to lose your sight or hearing?
And why?

I am always amazed at those people who are blind getting on with life. I wonder how they do it!
Similarly with deaf people. To never be able to use a phone or hear music. Its just incredible.
I bow down to them!

Answer 1

There is this myth that deaf people cannot hear. Those that are 100% deaf are but a small percentage. The rest that have whatever little hearing left can be enhanced with the aid of digital hearing aids. I am profoundly deaf with about 85% hearing loss, and hearing aids have greatly improved the quality of my life. I actually become hard of hearing with them on.

I can enjoy music though I cannot make out the lyrics unless it is sung in a very clear voice with not too much background noise. There is very little I cannot do. I cannot carry a conversation on the phone, but though I can call someone like my mother and tell her I'm on my way over or leave a voice message on the machine as I can hear the beep at the end of the welcome message.

There are so many sounds I can enjoy such as my cats meowing, the delightful voice of a child, and the sound of the ocean. I count my blessings.

Answer 2

My sister-in-law is profoundly deaf and has recently had cochlear implants inserted - with quite interesting consequences:

She got a fright the first time she used a chip pan - never occurred to her that the oil makes a "deafening" roar as it bubbles.

First ever exposure to music - they let her hear some classical music in the hospital and it really freaked her out, although for some bizarre reason she likes Guns 'n' Roses!

Still cannot use a telephone - because although she can now hear, she still needs to see peoples mouths to understand what they're saying - on the telephone she just hears speech as noise.

I overheard a conversation between two blind college students, one of whom was born blind, the other lost his sight in infancy, about whether or not they "see" in their dreams - the student who was born blind inhabits his own world in his dreams, where "sight"/colour etc. have no meaning to him; the student who became blind in infancy sees in his dreams, but sadly wakes up EVERY morning with the thought "Sh!t - I'm blind!"

So although if you were born either deaf or blind you would not have experience of not being deaf or blind, the thought of having to rediscover your blindness every morning would make me prefer to go deaf rather than to go blind.

I would love to hear the thoughts of any deaf or blind people on this subject.

Answer 3

Well as a person that lost her voice 4 yrs ago I can say it is very frustrating not being able to speak with people on the phone and not being able to make some people understand what i want unless i write it down. But as for the other eye,s or hearing it would have to be hearing.
Because you may not speak or you may not hear but you will always see the beautiful things that surround you.

Answer 4

If life was kind enough to give me a choice, I would go blind. Mainly because I have a very visual memory and everything I've already seen in my life, I could re-play in my head. I'm a musician so loosing my hearing would be a massive loss and not one I'd cope well with. Music is a language to me and conveys more than I could possibly say, so to be deaf would cut me off from that in a huge way.

Answer 5

I prefer to lose my hearing. To lose sight means not to see people you love for ever and not see the movies you fancy, so, I think life is pretty more difficult for blinds than deafs.

Answer 6

I would rather be deaf because at least i could lip read or watch subtitles and also i could still play on the internet! I guess people get on with it because they have no choice i especially take my hat off to people who become deaf or blind but weren't born with it i think that would be harder as you know what you are missing.

Answer 7

Losing any would be really hard but I'd rather lose my hearing than my sight, you can read words if you can't hear, it would be really difficult not being able to see the world changing and your family grow.

Answer 8

If I had to choose, I'd lose my hearing, without a doubt. Cause even though I couldn't hear my daughter's laughter, I'd still be able to see her smiling face. And I think doing normal things and communicating with others would be easier than if you were blind.

Answer 9

If I had to chose.. I would lose my sight. To never be able to hear music.. my son's laugh, their voice when they call for Mommy.. the birds.. the rain.. I would not be able to live without my hearing.. but my sight? Well, beautiful things change.

Answer 10

NEITHER!!!
Gosh!! I ahve the highest eye number I know in anyone -- legally blind -- and its difficult enough coping!
I know how irritated I get if I cant see something, or if I mis-hear what someone says, or if I cant hear the tv coz the volume is too low... too often we take our senses for granted... not realizing how people who dont have them would treasure just a moment, to glimpse the sunset, or to hear a bird sing... Thank God for your senses......