There are no two human beings who are exactly alike. One of the funny quirks of evolution is that some of us can do things with our bodies we think are routine, but are impossible for others.Some people can wiggle their ears, others can't. Some can wiggle their nose like Samantha from "Bewitched" while others just look really silly when making an attempt.Not everyone can lick their elbow but most wouldn't attempt to do so in public.A Twitter user named Massimo dropped some knowledge about a skill that not everyone has and even fewer discuss: ear rumbling.Those of us who can do it know exactly what it is, while it's a mystery to those who cannot. A part of the human population can voluntarily control the tensor tympani, a muscle within the ear. Contracting this muscle produces vibration and sound. The sound is usually described as a rumbling sound https://bit.ly/2Clijef\u00a0pic.twitter.com/ianKb60EK8 — Massimo (@Massimo) 1581957023 People who can ear rumble have the ability to control the tensor tympani, a muscle within the ear. Contracting the muscle creates a rushing, rumbling sound that, if flexed enough, can drown out a significant amount of noise.This can be useful when someone is saying something that you don't want to hear but don't want to be rude and cover your ears. It can come in real handy if someone is about to spoil your favorite TV show or if you live with someone who can't stop nagging.Some people cannot voluntarily create the rumbling sound but hear it when they let out a large yawn.There's a Reddit sub-forum just for ear rumblers with over 60,000 people. Here's how some of them get rumblin'."I just squeeze the muscle in my ears I guess," — melvinthefish"When I flex and hold whatever I'm manipulating to do that, I get my rumble," — ttywzl"I get a mild rumble just doing the usual flex, but i can make it a bit louder by bringing my top lip up to my nose," — Willmono7"The best way I can describe it is I 'squint my ears,'" —SteeleITThe muscle exists to mask-low frequency sounds so we can focus on those at a higher frequency. It also works to mute sounds we create ourselves such as eating potato chips or coughing. It's a way that helps us from becoming annoyed with our own bodies.Unfortunately, the muscle has a rather slow reaction time so it cannot prevent us from hearing loud sudden noises like a gunshot or a book slamming on the ground.Massimo's tweet caused quite a stir on the platform.Been able to do that forever and wiggle my ears independently. Regrettably It doesn’t attract women and I can’t make money from it. Sad face.— Simon the Smith 3.5% (@Simstersnose) February 17, 2020 To me it sounds like when there’s a big thunderstorm and the thunder is just lowly rolling around in the sky forever with only tiny flashes of lightning that don’t leave the clouds— ?shmily??☻ (@turtlelaughing) February 18, 2020 Quick! We need a Venn Diagram to show people who can do this, people who have internal monologues, people who have synaesthesia, and people with any other weird "I thought everyone did this" stuff.— Marian Matta writes (among other things) (@MadWomansKnitti) February 18, 2020 Although scientists have known about ear rumbling since at least the 1800s, there doesn't appear to have been too much research on the topic. We know that some can rumble and others cannot, but it's unclear how it breaks down percentage-wise or if it's more prevalent in certain groups.The good news is that the word is starting to get out and people who've been rumbling all their lives suddenly don't feel so alone.This article originally appeared on 03.05.20

When we ask ourselves, “Who am I?” there are many different places to go for answers, whether it’s psychology, spirituality, or connecting with our inner barometer that tells us when we’re being authentic.There’s also the big question: Is life about finding oneself or creating oneself? Is there a true you lurking deep inside your heart and mind, or is life all about creating the person you always wanted to be through discipline and self-cultivation?One thing is for sure: our thoughts are a big part of who we are. As the Buddha once said: “We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we make the world.”However, in a world where so many people are constantly locked into their smartphones, consuming everyone else’s thoughts on TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, at what point do we lose our unique sense of self after being filled with others' ideas? A girl is losing herself to her smartphone. via Cottonbro studio/PexelsThis question was recently brought up on Reddit, where Accomplished-Bend898 made an interesting point about the self in the social media era.“Social media is killing you, but not in the way you think,” Accomplished-Bend898 wrote. “When you passively consume so much content, it fills your brain. To the brim. And at the same time, you aren’t spending any time alone with your own thoughts. You’ve become a consumer, not a contributor.”“So your own, true thoughts start to merge with the hivemind of the internet,” the Redditor continued. “And whatever information the algorithms think you want to hear becomes what you actually believe. And so you are becoming less and less you.”Accomplished-Bend898 simplified their theory into a math equation: “Passive content consumption - time alone with your own thoughts = the death of the real you.”The idea that social media is killing people’s individuality is a bold and scary claim in a world where nearly everyone is on one platform or another. But for many, it rings true. Have you known anyone who fell down a rabbit hole on Twitter or TikTok, and their worldview began to change slowly over time? The more they viewed videos or tweets on a topic, the more the algorithm fed them the same content, creating a feedback loop that forever altered their personality. If social media hasn’t wholly cut off people’s internal monologues and moments of thoughtful solitude, then they have definitely been curtailed. Studies show that the average person now spends 2 hours and 23 minutes a day looking at social media. Although it’s hard to determine whether social media crowds out our own thoughts, it does cause cognitive overload, which makes it difficult to focus and process information correctly. This, in turn, makes it harder to think deeply about the information presented to us, making it easier to fall for misinformation. Whether or not social media is killing “the real you” or “real us,” it has, undeniably, stunted our collective ability to hear our own thoughts. A man is losing herself to her smartphone.via Cottonbro studio/Pexels Social media allows people to express themselves in ways that were unimaginable 20 years ago. However, instead of breeding a culture of individualism, it has created one of collectivism, where people are eager to follow the latest trends or conform to groupthink.“Trends create a culture of conformity; if one doesn’t stay up to date with what’s ‘in,’ they are quickly categorized as ‘other.’ Extending beyond social media, people who wear certain clothing or listen to music that isn’t considered relevant to today’s trends are instantly judged,” Anahai Pellathy writes at The Standard. “Rather than choosing what to wear or how to act based on personal preference, people tend to rely upon trends and external perceptions.”In addition, people are less likely to flaunt their individuality when they believe their actions are being judged by those who view their posts. “Authenticity suffers under the constant gaze,” Hoan Westerberg, a writer focused on technology’s effect on people, writes on Medium. “Psychological studies show heavy social media users report lower self-esteem and life satisfaction than light users. When we constantly evaluate ourselves through the lens of others, we lose sight of our core identity.”Although much work remains to determine whether spending too much time on social media is really “killing the real you,” there are enough warning signs to be concerned that we are losing the best part of ourselves to technology. People are losing themselves to smartphone addiction.via Cottonbro studio/PexelsSo, if you’re looking to reconnect with your true self, Accomplished-Bend898 has some suggestions for reducing screen time or making it healthier.Don’t sleep next to your phoneYour brain will crave the first thing you feed it, so wait at least an hour after waking up to check it for anything.Get a good screen time appBuilt-in screen time settings are no match for your monkey brain. BePresent is my favorite because it uses actual psychology to combat phone addiction.Delete social media from your phoneForce yourself to use it only on your computer so it is more intentional. Turn your phone to greyscale Greyscale will make your screen time a lot more boring. On an iPhone, go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text > Color Filters > Grayscale.Replace scrolling with another activityWhen you reduce your screen time by several hours per day, you need to replace it with something meaningful in your life. Start small and find out what motivates you.