Going deaf would be absolutely terrible. A life without speech, sounds or that beautiful ambrosia which is music would make my life absolutely unbearable.

Although it would be tragic to lose my hearing, I think I could deal with it a lot better than losing my sight.

I'm partially deaf now, due to an impact noise injury some years back, which means I have trouble hearing sounds in certain pitch ranges.

Going completely deaf would be problematic, but I've been expecting that it will probably happen eventually, so fear isn't really an issue.

I'll miss music and a lot of the sounds of life, but I damn sure won't miss some of the droning nonsense I hear every day.

Deafness actually seems hereditary in my father's family; my father is extremely hard of hearing and it does make daily interaction difficult. Since we're not genetically related, it's not a worry for me in the sense of having it happen to me, although I went to my share of rock concerts when I was younger, and listened to my share of loud music. The first concert I ever went to featured Ted Nugent and Black Sabbath on the same bill and my ears rang for a day or 2 afterward. Thankfully, I started using ear plugs not long after that and they definitely helped. My friends thought I was a "pussy" for using them, but a lot of the people I knew from that period who disdained the use of ear plugs are paying for it now with severely diminished hearing and tinitus and a host of other hearing-related ailments. It didn't even need to be loud rock music. A close friend of mine is an accomplished jazz drummer. He's nowhere near deaf, but it appears that years of playing loud music in small rooms has definitely had a deleterious effect on his hearing. Part of it may be age related; I don't really know. Certainly my hearing isn't what it used to be, but I think that's true of anyone as they age, particularly in a society where we all deal with varying kinds of industrial and/or other types of noise pollution. The sense I value most is my sight, but hearing does rate a close second. I love listening to music and would hate to be deprived of that source of pleasure. Unfortunately, aging is about diminishment no matter what kind of happy-sounding gloss we want to put on it, but what's the alternative? Die young with my hearing intact? As Randyman suggests, we'll all have to "deal with it." There's truth in the old cliche that "old age ain't for sissies." The older I get, the more I recognize and agree with that unpalatable truth.

I am losing my hearing. I am glad I am old. This is scary. I never used to think so until it started to happen!

I would go crazy not being able to listen to music!!!

I'm not exactly afraid, but I am concerned. I am hard of hearing but I get by okay with what I hear, and by reading lips. On my fathers side I have two Uncles and several cousins who are deaf. On my mothers's side my aunts have lost their hearing as they got older. So I do have cause for concern. I'll deal with it though.

I love my ears too much. Atleast I'd be able to learn sign language from the girl I work with.

It is not my biggest concern because I know that if I went deaf, I still have my sight and my sense of smell and touch. It would be inconvenient but at least you would find it easier going to sleep! But there is also an element of me which would feel insecure because sometimes, you need to hear danger if you can't see it. Or what if someone in your house had a medical emergency and collapsed or was choking. If you are deaf, you can't hear that and won't be able to help them in time. That is one of my only concerns about going deaf. But overall, it is not something I fear. Again if you lose any sense, your other senses will be enhanced et I've noticed that deaf people seem to have really good vision.

What was that you just said?

Not that scared of this. If I lost my hearing, I wouldn't have to hear folks'lies or mean comments;I wouldn't have to hear rap music, TV, loud music or dogs' barking. Deafness would be an inconvenience and at times a nuisance, but as long as I had my vision I would be Ok.

If it were between deafness and blindness, I'd go deaf in a minute.