Being Deaf is Better than Being Hearing

Being+Deaf+is+Better+than+Being+Hearing

Olivia Taufu'i, Featured Writer

I was born deaf. Hearing people pity me, but I don’t care because being deaf is not bad. Growing up deaf is sometimes difficult and challenging but most of the time life is just normal like other people. Being deaf is better than being hearing because deaf individuals can focus without distractions, sign language is a beautiful language, and we can do what hearing people think are “impossible” things, we just can’t hear. 

Deaf people can focus without distractions, according to an article by Very Well Health, it says, “You also don’t have to listen to all the noises of a busy city or that thunderstorm that wakes people up at night” (“8 Reasons You Might Be Glad to Be Deaf”). This shows that deaf people can sleep without distractions.  We don’t hear weird noises or weather that happens during the night. Deaf people typically ignore things that we don’t need to hear or things we don’t need to know that might be going on outside or inside the building. We just use our eyes and our other senses.  

Another reason we can focus without distraction is, “Some people have no desire to talk about gossip and other drama that creeps into everyday conversation, yet these can happen at any time or any place. Many deaf people are often grateful that they cannot hear these things” (“8 Reasons You Might Be Glad to Be Deaf”). Deaf people are glad that we don’t have to hear drama or gossip because we can do other things that don’t involve those problems and we can focus on other things. We can also focus on what we need to do, like doing homework or playing sports.  It’s kind of like we are escaping from the hearing world and we don’t have to focus on the problems. This feels normal and hearing people don’t need to feel sorry for us or treat us like we are different. 

American Sign Language is also a beautiful language. According to the website Hand Speak, “Hearing newcomers to signing immediately find it a “fascinating”, “beautiful”, “unique”, “graceful” and/or “expressive” language. The deeper signers they delve into, say, ASL, the more complex and challenging it becomes. But, as with anything worthwhile, it remains a fulfilling pursuit and experience over the long run” (“Top benefits or reasons for learning sign language”). Sign Language is another way that you can express your feelings or emotions.  You can creatively sign songs, poems, or stories for example. We use our facial expressions and our body language when using sign language. Here are some visual examples,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KlUwpjVXcU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KpXZcaKTlM&t=8s

Another example why sign language is beautiful is that, “There is no negative aspect to knowing sign language. It’s beautiful, elegant and expressive. The benefits are countless and just as easy to learn as any other language! – Whether you may Deaf/Hard of Hearing or hearing, it elevates your life and makes you a better communicator in all possible aspects” (Sabbar). This is talking about how sign language makes it easier to communicate with other people and it is more beautiful than just speaking English. 

Furthermore, deaf people can do what hearing people consider to be “impossible” things.  Sometimes hearing people think deaf people are limited.  We use our eyes to hear, we don’t need our ears. The first deaf president of Gallaudet University was I. King Jordan.  He once said, “Deaf people can do anything hearing people can do except hear (“Gallaudet University”). We can do anything just using our eyes and other senses.  Sometimes it can be challenging, but we can face our challenges. We use your eyes to see what happens around us, we don’t need our ears to know what is going on. We can also have interpreters who can interpret what other people say.

The other example of how deaf people can do “impossible” things is, “When you are Deaf, you see the world in a different way. You communicate differently. You seek out others who are Deaf because they understand you. You don’t believe you have a disability—and you don’t want to be fixed” (Clason). Most deaf people don’t want to be fixed and we want to prove that we are not broken. We can do anything no matter what others might say. We can just ignore the negativity and keep achieving our goals and dreams. 

Being deaf is better than being hearing because we can focus without distractions, sign language is beautiful, and we can do anything hearing people think is “impossible”. We can do those things because we can face our challenges and keep working hard no matter what. We don’t need our ears to prove anything or wish for a miracle to make us hear. We are fine with being deaf.  We don’t need to be fixed. Our eyes and senses are like our ears.

To read more about Olivia’s Story SBLive has written a story on her as well. Click HERE to read all about it!