I think most of us have been annoyed at intrusive noise from other patrons in a theater. This person wrote in praise of "shushing."
:)
Shushing
The Case for Telling Total Strangers to Shut Up
Reminding others how to behave in public is a civic duty.
By August Thompson
Ever since, I’ve been a shusher, dedicated to telling people, first politely, then with more ardor, to shut the hell up. I’m shameless. Sometimes gleefully so...
Shushing was once commonplace, if a little snooty and silly. Now, however, a phone-addicted culture has made us all seemingly oblivious to just how annoying we are in public. Our ways of being annoying have worsened: People take pictures at the cinema, flash on; they watch entire movies on the train without headphones. As selfishness is normalized, calling people out for their bad behavior has become more fraught...
Shushing is not just about quashing the mosquito-buzz irritations of the world around you. It’s about self-respect. To stand up, to feel the sweaty rush and request decency, is to not be a person who just takes it. In a world full of everyday bullies, it’s a way to reclaim a little power.
For the whole article:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/01/magazine/the-case-for-shushing.html