Should we take part in socializing with our neighbours ?

[Spirit of Light]

Is it very important to be a part of the close community where we live? What is good about being a big part of our neighbors lives? Personally where I live there are maybe 100-150 people within the 100-meter radius. But I don't even know my next door neighbor in the block I live. That said, it does not mean i would not help them if they come asking, or i see they struggle with something, I just don't socialize that much with people i don't know.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I don't know if you and your others in 'we' should. I just do what I think it right.

That said, I don't enjoy socializing, especially in groups. I prefer to talk one-on-one. If a neighbor approached me, I would certainly talk to them, but I don't go out of my way to make discussion.

I don't know my neighbors very well, but if I see them, I will offer a warm smile and a polite greeting. If they engage me, so be it, but as I said, I don't typically engage them.

I'm a hermit like that.

 

[ChristineM]

You wouldn't get on well here in a SW france village. I cannot go outside the house without being bombarded with ça va... It is only polite to respond and ask how they are.

People i have never met but have obviously heard about the crazy English walk up to me in the village shop and introduce themselves

There are regular dinners held in the village hall. All are invited.

Every 2 years the mairie (town council) holds a meet and greet to welcome people new to the village and outlying hamlets in the commune.


I have lived in several cities in my life, none are as welcoming and friendly as a village.

 

[Spirit of Light]

I don't know if you and your others in 'we' should. I just do what I think it right.

That said, I don't enjoy socializing, especially in groups. I prefer to talk one-on-one. If a neighbor approached me, I would certainly talk to them, but I don't go out of my way to make discussion.

I don't know my neighbors very well, but if I see them, I will offer a warm smile and a polite greeting. If they engage me, so be it, but as I said, I don't typically engage them.

I'm a hermit like that.

Maybe the "we" wording was a bit my fault It was more about is there a reason why people think socializing with our neighbors are important.

 

[Spirit of Light]

You wouldn't get on well here in a SW france village. I cannot go outside the house without being bombarded with ça va... It is only polite to respond and ask how they are.

People i have never met but have obviously heard about the crazy English walk up to me in the village shop and introduce themselves

There are regular dinners held in the village hall. All are invited.

Every 2 years the mairie (town council) holds a meet and greet to welcome people new to the village and outlying hamlets in the commune.


I have lived in several cities in my life, none are as welcoming and friendly as a village.

I would also say Hi when passing someone in the street if i know i seen them in my neighborhood before. But maybe Norwegians’s are a bit more closed people But yes i know French people are very open and outspoken to even strangers

 

[Shadow Wolf]

You wouldn't get on well here in a SW france village.

If looking for a rock to hide and cry under is getting on well then I will be fine.

 

[ChristineM]

I don't know if you and your others in 'we' should. I just do what I think it right.

That said, I don't enjoy socializing, especially in groups. I prefer to talk one-on-one. If a neighbor approached me, I would certainly talk to them, but I don't go out of my way to make discussion.

I don't know my neighbors very well, but if I see them, I will offer a warm smile and a polite greeting. If they engage me, so be it, but as I said, I don't typically engage them.

I'm a hermit like that.

Friends moved to a new area, from a city apartment to a house in the suburbs. One morning soon after they had settled in they were leaving the house, their next door neighbor was also leaving his house.

John shouted across "Good morning, how are you today?"

The neighbour growled back "What's it got to do with you?"

It set their relationship until the day my friends moved out.

 

[Cooky]

I don't know if you and your others in 'we' should. I just do what I think it right.

That said, I don't enjoy socializing, especially in groups. I prefer to talk one-on-one. If a neighbor approached me, I would certainly talk to them, but I don't go out of my way to make discussion.

I don't know my neighbors very well, but if I see them, I will offer a warm smile and a polite greeting. If they engage me, so be it, but as I said, I don't typically engage them.

I'm a hermit like that.

Same here. Group conversations, IMO, usually tend to progress toward egotisticality -something I'm not drawn to naturally.

 

[PureX]

To a very large degree, man's inhumanity to man festers in the distances between us all. The CEO that decides to mark up the cost of a life-saving drug to gain a massive increase in profits would not likely make that decision if he/she were living in close relations with the people that decision will adversely effect. Instead, he only socializes with others like himself, who can mutually affirm the righteousness of their greed, and ignore all evidence to the contrary. One of the reasons our current society is becoming so self destructive is that even though we do live in many cases in close physical proximity, we do not interact with each other on a personal basis. We don't care when the politician we help elect causes our neighbors to lose their job and their house because we don't share in the experience of their suffering. And then when it's our turn to suffer, there is no one there to help us, even as we are surrounded by our fellow humans.

Modern societies are very socially divided and isolated, to the point where the various groups that do interact fear and even loathe each other. And it's a sickness that feeds on it's own consequences. The uglier and harder circumstances become, the more selfish and indifferent we get.

 

[Spirit of Light]

To a very large degree, man's inhumanity to man festers in the distances between us all. The CEO that decides to mark up the cost of a life-saving drug to gain a massive increase in profits would not likely make that decision if he/she were living in close relations with the people that decision will adversely effect. Instead, he only socializes with others like himself, who can mutually affirm the righteousness of their greed, and ignore all evidence to the contrary. One of the reasons our current society is becoming so self destructive is that even though we do live in many cases in close physical proximity, we do not interact with each other on a personal basis. We don't care when the politician we help elect causes our neighbors to lose their job and their house because we don't share in the experience of their suffering. And then when it's our turn to suffer, there is no one there to help us, even as we are surrounded by our fellow humans.

Modern societies are very socially divided and isolated, to the point where the various groups that do interact fear and even loathe each other. And it's a sickness that feeds on it's own consequences. The uglier and harder circumstances become, the more selfish and indifferent we get.

Personally I have never used my right to vote for any political party or person, But I would of course help my neighbor if I got to know they were in some sort of need. But honestly i dont know any of the people in the block (except for the direct neighbor who live on each side of the apartment my fiancé and i live in.) I dont think my fiancé know them either

 

[Cooky]

Personally I have never used my right to vote for any political party or person, But I would of course help my neighbor if I got to know they were in some sort of need. But honestly i dont know any of the people in the block (except for the direct neighbor who live on each side of the apartment my fiancé and i live in.) I dont think my fiancé know them either

Oh, I didn't know you were engaged. Congratulations.

 

[Spirit of Light]

Oh, I didn't know you were engaged. Congratulations.

Thank you Been engaged to her for 2,5 years and together total of 4 years

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

Is it very important to be a part of the close community where we live? What is good about being a big part of our neighbors lives? Personally where I live there are maybe 100-150 people within the 100-meter radius. But I don't even know my next door neighbor in the block I live. That said, it does not mean i would not help them if they come asking, or i see they struggle with something, I just don't socialize that much with people i don't know.

Yes, but I don't do it that much. I am an Aspie and it is to difficult for me to be around "normies" for long periods of time.

 

[icehorse]

Is it very important to be a part of the close community where we live? What is good about being a big part of our neighbors lives? Personally where I live there are maybe 100-150 people within the 100-meter radius. But I don't even know my next door neighbor in the block I live. That said, it does not mean i would not help them if they come asking, or i see they struggle with something, I just don't socialize that much with people i don't know.

Over the last 20 years we've lived in increasingly rural locations. Every time we get farther from town so we can afford more land. And the farther from town we get, the more we get to know our neighbors. Now, in our most remote location, I feel a stronger sense of community than I have since I was a kid. I really like it.

That said, there are plenty of hermits in our community as well.

 

[Howard Is]

I just don't socialize that much with people i don't know

Apartment block friendships are like workplace romances IMO. Best avoided..
Being friendly is good, knowing one another’s names is good, acknowledgement is good.
But you may be living next door to

 

[Spirit of Light]

Apartment block friendships are like workplace romances IMO. Best avoided..
Being friendly is good, knowing one another’s names is good, acknowledgement is good.
But you may be living next door to

View attachment 37666

My door is always locked so i am not scared of anyone trying to enter the apartment

 

[It Aint Necessarily So]

is there a reason why people think socializing with our neighbors are important

Like Christine, we live in a village in a foreign country that isn't English-speaking - Mexico in our case. Despite the language barrier, we have a friendly relationship with our Mexican neighbors, and that's very important to us, since we want to be known as good neighbors and be welcome in the neighborhood and the country.

We also hope that they watch our home when we're gone.

In this culture, they throw street parties. Recently, there was one right outside our front gate, and we were invited to join them and eat, drink, and dance. Children are included, and stay up quite late. It's good for them to see us like that, and we learn more about them as well.

But back in the States, we rarely knew our neighbors, and rarely even saw them. Also, we rarely traveled on foot, which is more characteristic of this village life, and causes us to run into several people that we know whenever we go out. Strangers greet strangers in passing, and we frequently join friends at restaurant we both chose. Just this morning, we took the dogs out for some exercise, and ran into our friend Judy, who we spoke with. She heard that we were looking for a new remote for our digital video recorder (word of mouth is more effective in this environment than the one we left), and offered us her spare.

One more observation, a little off-topic. Upon moving here, I was reminded of my childhood, when we did everything on foot or on bicycle. This gave us a detailed knowledge of the neighborhood. I knew the name of every street I crossed, knew where every shop was, knew the places where there were hols or inclines in the streets, etc.. Then came adult life, and all that changed. I drove everywhere, and wasn't looking at most of the street names or most the shops I was passing, and was unaware of where the street wasn't level since I wasn't walking up or down those grades.

But here, we have that kind of familiarity with our neighborhood again because we have that life back.

 

[Howard Is]

My door is always locked so i am not scared of anyone trying to enter the apartment

The Cable Guy is a movie about a narcissistic control freak.
I meant that it is uncomfortable if there is an unwanted intrusive ‘friendship’ that is always just outside your door, if not inside.

 

[Mock Turtle]

I don't seek out a social life, but if called upon I would tend to help anyone nearby, and I do have a few neighbours (one especially) who I can count on for help me if I needed such. I'm more likely to get into conversation with strangers whilst waiting for a bus these days, and much more than I ever did some decades back. Some of us are quite content with our own company but will also appreciate the company of others where that is reasonably compatible with ourselves.

 

[Flame]

My nearest neighbor requires 10 minute drive up the road. I suppose his cows count as my neighbors but they aren't very sociable.