I definitely suffer from this - no other semi-regular occurrence in my life makes me as stressed/irritated.
However, I'm not sure I agree that the taboo you describe is a kind of unreasonable cultural quirk. It is a pretty uncomfortable imposition to be asked to eat more quietly. It's more confrontational by nature than e.g. asking somebody if they wouldn't mind being a little quieter in the theater. And yes, some people surely become too provoked by the request, but also the person making the request could often do a better job with the tone. Either way though, finding a truly non-provocative angle for this request is basically intractable.
> And yes, some people surely become too provoked by the request, but also the person making the request could often do a better job with the tone.
I agree. At a minimum, it needs to clearly come off as a "it's not you or personal, it's this weird condition I have, it's difficult for me to control at this time, and it causes me distress" - which is 100% true.
> Either way though, finding a truly non-provocative angle for this request is basically intractable.
You definitely never know what you're going to get from people! But, I suppose it's good to know if others have room to make space for you.
However, I'm not sure I agree that the taboo you describe is a kind of unreasonable cultural quirk. It is a pretty uncomfortable imposition to be asked to eat more quietly. It's more confrontational by nature than e.g. asking somebody if they wouldn't mind being a little quieter in the theater. And yes, some people surely become too provoked by the request, but also the person making the request could often do a better job with the tone. Either way though, finding a truly non-provocative angle for this request is basically intractable.