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Chewing With Mouth Open

metron

metron

Sep 12, 2003
7,759
12,690
#1
The guy in the cube next to me eats all day and chews with his mouth open in a way such that it is slowly driving me to over-the-top insanity similar to what water torture must be like but using the sense of hearing instead of touch. I mean it sounds like spit and food are flying out of there and the adjacent cube wall means that I hear it as loud as it is actually happening. He is a nice guy so I don't want to be rude but it appears as though this has been a lifelong habit. Should I approach the situation and if so how? I really really don't want to wear earplugs or headphones while I work. :help:
 
#7
chewing with one's mouth closed is cultural. to do so in most Western cultures is more proper than not ... but to do so in many Asian and Middle Eastern cultures is considered rude and an insult to the chef. in these cultures the louder you smack your lips while eating, the higher compliment you pay to those who worked to prepare the meal

it might just be worth the effort to learn his cultural vantage point on this topic before barging over there in your own rudeness and insult him with your intolerance

all the best,

R
 
#8
Rodent said:
chewing with one's mouth closed is cultural. to do so in most Western cultures is more proper than not ... but to do so in many Asian and Middle Eastern cultures is considered rude and an insult to the chef. in these cultures the louder you smack your lips while eating, the higher compliment you pay to those who worked to prepare the meal

it might just be worth the effort to learn his cultural vantage point on this topic before barging over there in your own rudeness and insult him with your intolerance

all the best,

R
Click to expand...

While I know this is the case, chew with you freaking mouth closed. There was this one asian girl that used to sit next to me in one of my classes in university that would eat all class with her mouth open. I was just about at the point where I was going to freak out at her when the prof did. It might not be rude in your culture, but you are in my culture where it is rude and very distracting, close your mouth.

lowsound
 
#9
iamlowsound said:
While I know this is the case, chew with you freaking mouth closed. There was this one asian girl that used to sit next to me in one of my classes in university that would eat all class with her mouth open. I was just about at the point where I was going to freak out at her when the prof did. It might not be rude in your culture, but you are in my culture where it is rude and very distracting, close your mouth.

lowsound
Click to expand...

I would forgive the asian girl. Poor thing. Put something in her mouth for her. She might appreciate it. ;)
 
#12
most of the time i chew with my mouth open because my sinuses are swollen almost shut. If I close my mouth, it gets louder when I have to open it back up again, plus i dont want whats in my mouth to go shooting down my lungs when i'm sucking in a big breathe.... although, i do try to not sound like a cow...
 
#13
Rodent said:
chewing with one's mouth closed is cultural. to do so in most Western cultures is more proper than not ... but to do so in many Asian and Middle Eastern cultures is considered rude and an insult to the chef. in these cultures the louder you smack your lips while eating, the higher compliment you pay to those who worked to prepare the meal

it might just be worth the effort to learn his cultural vantage point on this topic before barging over there in your own rudeness and insult him with your intolerance

all the best,

R
Click to expand...

Well as I mentioned I am trying to avoid being rude and have been nothing but tolerant. Based on the other things you said it all makes sense now. It is cultural. What I dont get if if the chef isn't around, why do they need to be complimented... :confused:

I was really looking for genuine suggestions but I decided I am not going to say anything at all. :hmm:
 
#15
Either seeing or hearing people masticate is very unpleasant.

In the absence of music to drown it out (I like to have a string quartet playing when dining), a quiet word should do the trick.

How to pitch it - well there's the rub :atoz: but do have a chat before you get to point where you start listening out for it.
 
#16
Rodent said:
chewing with one's mouth closed is cultural. to do so in most Western cultures is more proper than not ... but to do so in many Asian and Middle Eastern cultures is considered rude and an insult to the chef. in these cultures the louder you smack your lips while eating, the higher compliment you pay to those who worked to prepare the meal

it might just be worth the effort to learn his cultural vantage point on this topic before barging over there in your own rudeness and insult him with your intolerance

all the best,

R
Click to expand...
This may be. In that case, I usually try my best not to do things that are offensive to other cultures when I visit them. I'm certain that they aren't out to openly offend everyone, so they might not think they are doing anything wrong. It may be as simple as a "Hey, just thought I'd let you know that our culture is a bit different." and they will want to change in order not to offend others. Or they could just be obnoxious. Either way, run it through management first. Maybe they'll take care of it for you or maybe just advise you on how to approach the situation.
 

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