The "Yanny and Laurel" thing annoyed the crap out of me. BUT, it also might be one of the most profoundly important viral internet memes of our time. Here's why:
Very rarely are we confronted with the essential nature of our BIOINDIVIDUALITY in a tangible way. Subjectively experiencing something completely different than the person sitting next to you directly challenges most people's self-centered way of being in the world. I use the phrase-self centered not in a negative way, but in a realistic way. We all have to be self-centered to a degree in order to survive and maintain a cohesive sense of individuality and purpose. But, being self-centered of course becomes pathological when it no longer can accommodate the essential truth of everyone else's needs, desires, and perspectives.
Despite intellectually understanding that everyone is different, has different tastes, preferences, etc, it is still a massive challenge to truly put yourself in someone else's shoes. The reason why that silly little sound broke the internet is because it was a mindfuck to the majority that people's biological wiring could create such a radical difference in perception.
Personally, I found it silly because hearing those sounds is a pretty blasé example of bioindividuality comparatively to the nutrigenomic stuff I look at every day, but I think it's INCREDIBLE that it facilitated a deep and embodied understanding of the uniqueness of our brains and bodies for the general public, even if most people may not have been aware of these deeper principles at play.
When I think about the current state of the world, one of the biggest common factors is many of the deep problems stem from lack of empathy. Not empathy in an abstract sense, but a deep felt sense of understanding yourself first and foremost what it's like to experience something as a unique individual, and then apply not the CONTENT of your experience to someone else, but rather be able to understand someone else's experiential content through the FRAMEWORK of your own experience.
For example, when I first met my wife, I thought it was absurd she didn't like spicy food. I couldn't wrap my head around her bioindividuality that influenced her subjective experience of spice. I chalked it up to "it's all in her head," and while there's a complex dance between the mental and physical, the boundaries between the two are thinner than most people think, and completely non-existent when looking deep enough (i.e. psychoneuroimmunology). Over time I've learned that her response to spicy isn't a choice, it's simply the way her tastebuds and brain are predisposed to respond to that stimulus. It takes the interpersonal tension out of the equation when you can holistically understand the multiple factors that influence into a person's experience or preference like that.
I also think the cultural tension around trans rights and recognition also is an expression of the inability of some people to empathize with other's bioindividuality and perceived experience of themselves and reality.
So, here's my ultimate take: While the Yanny and Laurel thing was a silly viral bullshit nothing on the surface, it actually is a profound metaphor for some of the deepest issues plaguing humanity right now. And, it's strangely an opportunity and an opening point for people to shift their perspective in relationship to how they can perceive the way other people perceive reality that allows for multiplicity of truth, rather than a black or white/yes or no way of seeing things.
Essentially, the "Yanny/Laurel" thing violently jerked people out of their default self-centered bubble of awareness. It forced people to confront their neighbor in a way that required bioindividual empathy... even if it was in a tiny, silly way.
The 20th century was the age of the "average human." It was the first time in history we could scientifically measure data across huge populations. It was the first time a "food pyramid" showed up that was supposed to apply to everyone at once. It was the first time we could make generalizations about humans in a scientifically accurate sense. But, as we understand more and more, it's very clear that there is actually no such thing as an average human.
The "average human" exists on paper, but not in real life. In real life there are only bioindividuals.
So, Yanny, Laurel, I have no idea who the hell you are. But, thanks for subverting the narrative of the collective unconscious in such a viral yet subtle way.