What makes a good neighbour
What makes a good neighbour
What Makes a Good Neighbor
Sometimes good, friendly neighbors are hard to come by. When you do have a kind, good neighbor nearby, it really goes a long way. So what actually makes a good neighbor and how can we be the best neighbor? Here are some ideas of ways we can be great to those we live around.
Be considerate. Notice the time of day and what others might be going through. Noise levels can be a huge issue with neighbors, especially late at night. Does the family next to you have small children that go to bed early? Then don’t blast your music super loud with the windows open at 11:00 p.m. Is there an elderly person who has a hard time getting around? Bring their mail up to their house on days with poor weather.
Notice who and what is around you. Is there a neighbor who has a hard time getting their trash out? Or maybe a young mother who needs twenty minutes to run to the store. Or what about that old widower who doesn’t cook for himself and needs a nice, warm, home-cooked meal every once in a while. It doesn’t take too much time to be aware of those we live around and their simple needs. Take some time to help even just one neighbor out each week.
Yard work. There is always someone in the neighborhood who could use a little extra help in their yard. While you’re out raking your own leaves, why not rake the neighbor’s too? Or even just pull a few weeds for that busy family who doesn’t have time to get around to it for another week.
Simply say hello. A genuine smile and a «Hello! How are you today?» can go a long way. When you see your neighbors outside, just say hello. It’s such an easy thing to do and it shows that you are kind, friendly, and approachable.
Let’s all try to be the best neighbor. It will make life much more pleasant for everyone!
How to Be a Good Neighbor
We all want good neighbors, but it’s hard to know how to be the kind of neighbor our neighbors want. What makes a good neighbor? How can we become better ones?
What does it mean to be a “good neighbor”? A major insurance company has a slogan that begins with these words: “Like a good neighbor.” The message the company wants to convey is that you can count on it in times of need, just as you can count on a good neighbor.
Being neighborly
Many people today, particularly those who have grown up with Facebook and Twitter, have amassed relationships with people around the globe. But at the end of the day, how many are real friends? Friends and friendship mean different things to different people. So it is with being a good neighbor. Being neighborly means different things to different people as well.
In an article titled “Being Neighborly Without Being Nosy,” Rose Alexander explained it this way: “Depending on your personal preferences, being neighborly might mean staying invisible except for a quick wave while getting the mail. Or you might think of someone being a good neighbor when he or she is available to help out with any unexpected need, whether it is to lend an egg or give your child a ride to soccer practice when your car won’t start.”
What kind of neighbor do you want to be? If you’re going to be a good neighbor, what does that entail?
We might begin by examining our own personalities. Are we reserved or outgoing? Are we shy or bombastic? That will play a part in what kind of neighbor we are. But the next thing to remember is that not everyone in our neighborhood will be like us, which means it is important to get to know the people in our neighborhoods.
This can start even before we move to a new neighborhood. We can seek whatever information we can find about the new neighborhood. If we have children at home, we’ll probably check into the schools they would attend. Not only does all this help us get to know the neighborhood, but it may also reveal some common interests with those who already live there.
Learning about and getting to know our neighbors can help us become better neighbors.
But first, let’s define who our neighbors are. What about people who live outside our neighborhood? Do we have a responsibility to be neighborly to those who live on other streets or in other towns or cities? A long time ago, someone posed this question to the greatest Teacher to ever walk the earth.
Who is my neighbor?
You may be surprised that the Bible has much to say about neighbors. In fact, Jesus presented an entire parable to show how important it is to be neighborly; and not only that, He showed how being a good neighbor figures into inheriting eternal life!
A lawyer asked Jesus Christ what he needed to do to receive eternal life.
Jesus, knowing that it was the lawyer’s duty to be familiar with God’s law, answered the lawyer with a question of his own.
“He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?’ So he answered and said, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself’” (Luke 10:26-27).
The lawyer answered correctly, and Jesus advised him to do this (
And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”
Jesus took the opportunity to explain the answer to his question with a parable. To understand the parable, it is helpful to get some background of that day. According to Albert Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament, regarding Luke 10:29, the Pharisees held the belief that they were only obliged to be neighborly with their own people. Barnes wrote, “The Pharisees held that the ‘Jews’ only were to be regarded as such, and that the obligation did not extend at all to the Gentiles.”
Being a good neighbor involves compassion
The parable of the Good Samaritan (
Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain ;man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”
And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.”
Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
New King James Version (NKJV) The Holy Bible, New King James Version ©1982 by Thomas Nelson «>verses 30-37), reveals the answer to the lawyer’s question—“who is my neighbor?” The parable tells of a certain man attacked, robbed and left injured on the side of the road.
The first two travelers who saw the injured man may have truly felt bad for the man and may have wished him well in their hearts, but they simply had no time or inclination to become involved with him. Sadly, they were a priest and a Levite—men who should have been setting an example of what it is to be a good neighbor.
However, when the Samaritan (despised by those in the community) passed by, not only did he feel bad for the victim, he had compassion—and that compassion moved him to action! Having dressed the victim’s wounds, he then took him to an inn where he told the person in charge to do whatever was necessary to ensure the man got the best of care. He paid the bill and said he was willing to pay more if needed.
In this story, we see no mention of the Samaritan being concerned about the identity, race or nationality of the wounded person. His caring actions were not portrayed as payback for some good deed that had been previously done to the Samaritan. Nor does the account suggest that the Samaritan was hoping his good deed would cast his people in a different light—to improve the Jews’ low opinion of the Samaritan people. He simply treated this unfortunate person as a neighbor.
No doubt the lawyer was feeling a little uncomfortable, especially when Jesus asked him to render a judgment on which of the three passersby was a good neighbor to the injured man. “And he said, ‘He who showed mercy on him’” (Luke 10:37).
The lawyer answered correctly again, but perhaps a little more contritely this time. Jesus told the lawyer, “Go and do likewise.”
We wonder, What kind of neighbor was the lawyer after this gentle correction?
Back to the present
Now fast-forward to the present. If we want to be good neighbors, we must seek a comfortable balance with our neighbors, as much as is reasonable and safe. Part of the balance is learning about some of the traditions of our neighborhoods or regions. In some parts of the world it is customary to bring a specially prepared meal for people moving in or when someone has lost a loved one. Opportunities such as these help sow the seeds of conversation that can develop into mutual respect, admiration and even friendship.
Becoming a good neighbor during good times is often simpler than during a crisis or natural disaster. If and when a crisis does arise, requesting help or providing help will be so much easier because of the relationships that have been forged.
The Golden Rule and neighbors
When we’re not really sure how to interact with our neighbors, we can just turn the situation around. When it comes to giving any good gift, Jesus said, “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12). This scripture is commonly referred to as the Golden Rule.
A good neighbor is one who is there for his or her neighbors. God does not use the term lightly, nor does He restrict it to one’s local community. A good neighbor is one who helps and serves in good times and bad.
King Solomon wrote, “Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,’ when you have it with you. Do not devise evil against your neighbor, for he dwells by you for safety’s sake” (Proverbs 3:28-29). That safety includes looking out for the well-being of those who are around us while being respectful of their personal privacy and the property.
It may start with something as simple as sharing some sugar with a neighbor, yet a small kindness can lead to so much more. The apostle Paul wrote, “For the commandments … are all summed up in this saying, namely, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:9-10).
Even if those around us don’t understand or value being good neighbors, we certainly can. For more information on making friends and being a good neighbor, read the article “How to Make Friends.”
What makes a good neighbour
What are the qualities of a good neighbor? (3)
1. From the very beginning of the development of the society people live in small groups. This helps them to face any problem easier.
In my opinion a neighbor must be first and foremost a good friend, secondly a person with good manners and finally a sober-minded one. I will prove the importance of these qualities one by one so you could understand my position.
The importance of a neighbor to be also a good friend can be proved by the following example. This week, one of my neighbors was hit by a car. When this happened I was staying at the balcony with my father, so we rushed out of the house and took our neighbor to the hospital. If we came ten minutes later she would had died. That’s why I think a neighbor must be a good friend that would always help you.
If you have a neighbor with good manners, being neighbors becomes a pleasure for both of you. A day begins batter if you get a «Good morning» from a smiling and nice person.
And finally, if your neighbor is a wise person you can always get a good advice from him; he can always help you with to solve some difficult problem.
In conclusion, a neighbor must be an example of a man from a developed society, because only then he can represent all the qualities mentioned above.
2. Neighbors are part of our daily lives. They are part of the process of socialization. Socialization is the process in which we interact with other people. In our lives we are always trying to look for a good area to live, a nice house, and most important of all good neighbors. This will influence in the decision of either moving to the area, or star looking for another area. In my opinion a good neighbor will be those who are respectful, friendly, and helpful.
The first quality that good neighbors should have is to be respectful. respect is the most important aspect of being good neighbor. Neighbors should respect your space and privacy in order to live in a peaceful environment. Being a respectful neighbor means not invading your personal space as well as your property. Another example will be to maintain a quiet environment not allowing loud music, or noise that will bother others. Respect to one another is the most important quality that a neighbor should have in order to live in harmony.
Another quality of a good neighbor is that it should be friendly. All people should be friendly to one another, but this quality is most important when it comes to neighbors. Neighbors are close to you, to your home, property and most important to your family. You might not see them every day, but they live next to you all the time. These are the reasons why they should be friendly. One of the ways to be friendly is by showing they care about you, and they should welcome you to their neighborhood. Friendly neighbors make a good and united society.
The last quality of good neighbor is that it should be helpful. Neighbors as well as everyone should be helpful to one another. Helpfulness is a characteristic that everyone should have. A helpful neighbor is that, that in the times of need is there for you. For example, if a person is in a situation where he/she need a moral support for the lost a loving family member, the neighbor should give this person all the support he/she might need and encourage he/she that they can count on them no matter what.
Overall good neighbors are those whom are respectful in every way. Friendly, that every time you see them they greet you with a good smile. And good neighbors are those whom are helpful when ever you need a supporting hand.
3. Neighbors are the people who live closest to us, so close that their maybe only a cemented wall separating their abodes. Therefore, i believe that a person has many responsibilities towards his neighbors. In my opinion the qualities of a good neighbor are, that he should be helpful, friendly understanding and trustworthy,
I would like to quote a personal example here. This incident just happened last year when a couple of my relatives came with arms to threaten my father. Me and my mother were on the door and screaming our lungs out at them. Hearing our voices my neighbor, a very pious lady, came to our house with her guards and sons. She helped us to get our relatives reported to the police and that’s not it she walked beside my family in every trial concerning this issue. Now that truly is a quality of a good neighbor! She turned better then our relatives also, a helpful and faithful friend, indeed.
Another quality of a good neighbor is to be trustworthy. A neighbor always has some knowledge about what is going on in the four boundaries of a house. This is because he lives so close to you, he can hear voice, see your appearances, observe who comes to your house and who goes; at what time. Basically, a can gossip about half of the things happening in your life. That is where the quality of a good neighbor comes in. A good neighbor should be trustworthy and sensible enough to not leak out one’s family secrets.
I believe that neighbors are very close people and being a good neighbor is a duty that everyone should fulfill. It highlights the basic concept of give and take. As a neighbor is the nearest person to one in the darkest hour of the night also, therefore one should always be a good neighbor so that he is also treated in the same manner when he is need.
What makes a good neighbour
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