at the same time though that “tuning out” is like getting used to a chafing shoe. Sure you stop thinking about it, but it’s still hurting you…

Every now and then the traffic volume in my town goes down so much that all that background noise is completely gone, and it literally changes how the world feels. Suddenly you viscerally feel like you’re out on the countryside and everything just feels calm and peaceful.
The constant road noise literally observably makes people stressed, it lowers your lifespan!