Is it possible to think well with noise?
Harkins: I find it's only possible when I really like what I'm working on. If I do, the rest of the world ceases to exist. I could probably work in the middle of a construction or demolition site for all it would matter.If I don't like my coworkers, or the project is a stupid time-waster, or my boss is a jerk, or I otherwise don't care, I hear every interruption and they usually make me angry. I'll never stop being distracted, maybe because I want something to distract me to get away from it.I know it sounds trite, but I ranted endlessly about the half-height cubicles at a previous job, how I could hear folks from far away, had no privacy, couldn't get into the zone. Now I'm doing work I like a lot and I can't say I even care about the half-height cubicles, though I guess I'd say I want more privacy if you asked.