Having neighbors can be a blessing and a curse. When it’s a curse, you will surely notice it, be it because of them stomping their feet, playing music at 2 AM, or causing other kinds of trouble. It’s easier not to notice them when they’re a blessing – keeping to themselves, being courteous, and maybe even nice enough to water your plants once in a while.
But some of the good kind of neighbors take it a step further than just watering plants. If you need proof, we have an entire list of neighbors being wholesome just below. Scroll down to find pictures that might restore your faith in humanity and see for yourself that some people living around us are truly worth their weight in gold.
On the list below you will also find Bored Panda’s interview with a licensed clinical social worker with nearly five decades of experience and more than ten published books, Robert Taibbi, who was kind enough to discuss the importance of being kind to thy neighbor.
#1 I Went On A Vacation 2 Weeks Ago, And Let My Neighbor Babysit My Pets. Shortly After I Got Back Home, I Received This Letter From Him In The Mail That Made Me Smile And Cry. I’d Like To Share It Here
Image credits: SnooCupcakes8607
#2 Last Year We Gave Our Neighbors An Egg To Incubate, Today We Were Invited To The Birthday Party
Image credits: SnowyViolet
#3 First Day Teaching Coding Class To My Neighborhood
Image credits: ConferenceConscious4
Unfortunately, we can’t always choose who we live next to. So there’s not much we can do but hope that they’re decent human beings, who might not become friends, but hopefully, won’t become nemeses, either. That’s because both good and bad neighbors can quite significantly influence our day-to-day lives and, by extension, our well-being.
“Good neighbors can be a source of support and friendship; bad neighbors can be a source of aggravation and anger,” licensed clinical social worker Robert Taibbi told Bored Panda in a recent interview, adding that unless you are willing to move away, you are stuck with them for better or worse.
#4 This Is So Beautiful From Your Dress To The Painting To The Story Of Community
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#5 This Lady Being Friendly To Her Neighbor
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People who, unfortunately, weren’t lucky enough to draw the nice people in the neighbor lottery might find it difficult to believe, but in the US, close to nine-in-ten people like their neighbors, PR Newswire reports. Delving deeper into neighbor relationships, a survey found that the thing people like most about their neighbors is their friendliness, followed by their sense of respect and consideration.
Other things people appreciate about their neighbors are the latter watching out for them, being trustful, and not turning away when asked for a favor or to lend something. People also appreciate that their neighbors return the things that they borrow and like the fact that their kids, as well as their pets, can play together.
#6 Our Neighbor Betty Just Turned 100 Years Old. We Got Her Balloons
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#7 Our Neighbour From India Asked If We Have A Sauté Pan For Him To Lend. We Had And This Is How He Returned It
Image credits: BabbelMatze
#8 Got To Love My Neighbours Who’ve Set Up A Little Information Stall To Teach The Young Uns About The War
Image credits: ShampooandCondition
“Kindness is always in the eyes of the beholder. Even saying good morning to someone, especially if they’re depressed or lonely, can make a big difference and change their mood,” Taibbi noted, talking about how being nice to your neighbors can make a difference.
“It can also influence the way they view their lives,” he added. “They might see others or themselves as more positive than they thought.”
#9 Neighbors Heard We Were Sick. I Hear A Knock On The Side Door And Walk Outside And See This
Image credits: Civil_R0se
#10 We Have A Neighbor Who Doesn’t Have Pets, But Absolutely Loves Our Dogs And Calls Them For Visits Over The Wall Daily
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#11 My 74 Year Old Neighbor Asked Me To Paint Her Nails… I Asked Her What Color She Said “I Want That Color!!” Now We Match LOL
Image credits: unbreakablewildone
According to Taibbi, you never know what can make a difference in someone’s life, and that’s a good enough reason to be kind. “That said, don’t confuse being kind with being too accommodating and sweeping problems under the rug,” he said.
“Kindness is about courtesy, respect, and empathy. But if problems arise, you can apply these same ideas to be assertive and work together to solve a certain problem.”
#12 I’m Trying To Have Grace With Them And Grateful That They Have Grace With Me
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#13 What A Nice Neighbors
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#14 An Elderly Neighbor Of Mine Is Throwing A Birthday Party For His Dog
Image credits: Grey_Gryphon
According to the aforementioned survey, a small part of the respondents don’t feel that fond of their neighbors; and while they all might have their reasons, some seem to be more common than others.
The survey found that the thing that bothers people the most about their neighbors is them being loud. They tend to also be aggravating because of their unruly pets, because of how nosy they are, how they don’t care for boundaries, and how sloppy their house is, among other things.
#15 My Neighbor Knows I Have Ra & Am Recovering From Covid… This Morning, She Bought A New Tree For Me, Planted It, Got Some Neighbors To Help, And Gave Me Her Puppy To Hold While She Was Doing It
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#16 This Is Absolutely Priceless. Wow
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#17 I Just Found Out That My Neighbors Tell Their Dog I’m Outside When They Want Him To Hurry Up And Get Out The Door. This Is Him Waiting For A Treat From Me
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When dealing with bothersome neighbors, it might be best to, as Taibbi suggested, approach any problems with courtesy, respect, and empathy. After all, we are social beings, so you might not want to burn all the bridges with those living around you.
According to Taibbi, while our need for social contact varies by personality, we are naturally social creatures. “We know that those who are lonely and isolated struggle. Solitary confinement in prisons is a punishment because the negative impact of lack of connection is real. Being part of a group not only helps us feel connected, but supported, too. Being around people who share our perspective and values helps us feel validated. Being invisible is for many a core fear.”
#18 Does It Count If I Cried First? Out Of Work Since September, Down To My Last Dollar In Savings, And Wasn’t Sure What I Was Going To Do For My Daughter Next Week. Then My Neighbor Knocked.. ?
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#19 My Ww2 Veteran Neighbor Brought This Heirloom Garlic Home From Italy After The War And Had Been Sustainably Growing It Since. I Took Over Duties Just Before He Passed A Couple Of Years Ago And Continue In His Honor
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#20 When I Say This Is My Best Friend I’m Tellin You He Knows My Favorite Cake And My Shirt Size
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#21 He’s Waiving At Passing Cars And Everything
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#22 My Sweet Little Elderly Neighbor Had So Many Pots Break Outside This Winter And These Boots Were Here Favorite. I Made It A Personal Mission To Fix Them Without Her Knowing. I Did The Best I Could With The Boots. And Added Some Color For Her To Smile
Image credits: Ill-Book-1185
#23 Our Neighbor Sent Me This Adorable Display Of Pure Joy Between Our Dogs. They Finally Got Him A Stool So He Could Greet His Big Friend Properly
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#24 They Look Delicious
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#25 My Neighbor Had His Black Lives Matter Sign Stolen, So He Did This
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#26 Food From My Kind Elderly Albanian Neighbors
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#27 Harley Is 17, Deaf And Going Blind. I Used To Always Take Him To The Office With Me, But It’s Been Extremely Hard Until My Neighbor Gave Me An Old Jogging Stroller. Now Harley Gets To Go To The Office With The Other Dogs
Image credits: Rasputin_mad_monk
#28 This Is My Neighbor Papa John. He Said, “Post This Online And Let Everyone Know Giovanni Can Grow Anything, Anywhere”
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#29 Someone In My Neighborhood Knitted Up Some Hats And Scarves And Left Them Out For Free. It’s Getting Cold In Minnesota
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#30 I Improvised A School Picture Day For The Neighbor’s Kids Since They Won’t Get One This Year
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#31 Crying And I Cant Stop. A Kind Neighbor Over A Mile Away Found Her Laying On The Couch Of Their Lanai And Called The Number On Her Collar
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#32 My Neighbor Hollered Over At Me To Show Me Her Completed Crotchet Blanket She Made For Her Sister Going Back To College. She Too Cute Also Telling Me Of All The Colors She Used
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#33 That Bread Is A Wonderful Return Gift
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#34 A Wholesome Neighbor Unexpectedly Sent My Wife This Card… She Hasn’t Stopped Smiling Today
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#35 My Neighbor Is The Master Of Halloween. 350 Nathans Hot Dogs, Chili , Cheese, Hot Cocoa And More
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#36 My 70 Year Old Neighbor Burns Cds For Me With Music He Thinks I Will Like ☺️
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#37 They All Wait Patiently Everyday To Receive Treats Through The Fence From The Neighbor. Daughter Included She Gets Her Own Treats
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#38 When Your Neighbor Graciously Takes Care Of Your Driveway Without Even Asking Them To
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#39 Was Told I Should Post This Here. My Neighbor Has No Living Family Members And This Year Her Only Friend Moved Into A Retirement Home. Every Year We Get Her A Gift. This Text Broke My Heart Into Pieces
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#40 That’s So Nice To See Him Out & About At His Home
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#41 I Got To Turn 56 Today. I Wore My First – Ever Dress With A Bare Shoulder. My Brand New Neighbor-Friends Treated Me To Dinner And Took Me To A Wine Bar After. They Walked Me Home Just Now Even Though I Live In The Next Apt Building. I Waited A Long Time To Have Local Friends
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#42 About Every Other Month Or So, Our Elderly Neighbor Will Drop Off A Page To My Wife From His Coloring Books. Here’s Her Collection On Our Fridge So Far
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#43 My Neighbor Has Had This In Her Yard Since April. Gives Me The Feels Every Time I Walk By
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#44 Someone Left This Wreath Anonymously On My Mailbox. This Made My Day. I’ve Only Just Moved In. My Neighbors Are The Kindest People! They Know That I’m Foreign And I’m Still Learning The Local Language, But They Are So Patient And Generous. Bless Them!
Image credits: CanalAnswer
#45 Surprised My Neighbor With Her Needle Felt Dog
I've always loved her dog and I want to get better at making dogs, so I'm gonna make some neighbors and friends dogs. I know my dogs still look kind of cartoony, but I think I did a decent job, better than my first. Can only get better with practice! If you have any tips based on what you see here, I'm happy to hear them.
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#46 For The First Time In 5+ Years The Island Beside My House Can Be Walked To On Ice. My Neighbors Immediately Walked Over With Trash Bags To Start Cleaning It
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#47 Since I Lost My Job And Had Our First Kid We’ve Been Doing A Ton Of Gardening. This Letter We Got From A Neighbor We Don’t Know Made Our Day
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#48 We Don’t Really Know Our Neighbors, But We’ve Been Friendly With Them For Years…they Know We Just Had A Baby And Dropped This Off, Along With A Few Small Baby Toys
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#49 Our Neighbor Left Us 20 Gallons Worth Of Gas For Us To Use In Sw Florida During Hurricane Ian. Gas Is So Hard To Find Btw Because Of The Major Power Outages And Destruction
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#50 My Neighbor Came Over To Surprise Me With A Get Well Cake As I’m Recovering From Ankle Surgery. She Made It And It Came Out So Cute, She Knows How Much Of A Swiftie I Am
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#51 The Innocence Of Kids
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#52 A Neighbour Of Mine Set Up This Community Cupboard A Few Days Ago, I Walk By It Multiple Times A Day And See It Slowly Getting Filled By The Whole Neighbourhood
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#53 A Beautiful Tree
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#54 Our Neighbors Raised Money To Build Our Own Neighborhood Little Free Library
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#55 An Unknown Neighbor Had A New Pride Flag Delivered To My House
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#56 My Elderly Neighbour Has Discovered Emojis. Well Done Iris
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#57 As Of This Past Weekend, I Have Given Away 500 Tennis Balls To Good Dogs In My Neighborhood
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#58 I Was A Little Apprehensive About Buying A House Next To A Fraternity In 2020. They’ve Been Great Neighbors Though, Very Conscientious And Actively Helpful, So I Built Them A Beer Pong Table As A Surprise Thank You Gift. (I’m An Amateur So It’s Kind Of Rough)
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#59 I Noticed While Out Running My Elderly Neighbor’s Fence Had Some Posts Blown Off From The Hurricane, And I Just Happened To Have Two Spares In My Garage. I Snuck Over There And Fixed It For Her This Afternoon
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#60 My Neighbor Knows I’m At Home With A 2 Year Old While My Husband Is At Work. He Kindly Removed Snow, Cleared Our Walkways, And Salted The Driveway
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#61 I Gave My 93 Year Old Neighbor His First Pair Of Cowboy Boots For His Birthday. He Is In Heaven!
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#62 Got This On My Door This Morning From A Neighbor In My Apartment Complex, This Was So Thoughtful And Sweet!! I Rarely Hear The Doggo And I’m Okay With Dogs Barking. What A Wonderful Pet Owner. I Want To Set Up A Doggy Gift Bag Or Something For Her And Her Dog, Any Ideas?
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#63 I Love Nice People. Makes The Day Seem Brighter
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#64 I Love My Neighbors, Man Is Good…
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#65 This Is My Neighbor. His Family Lives Out Of Town And He’s Alone So I Often Take Him Dinner And Just Chat.. He Had The Same TV For 17 Years So For His 80th Birthday I Got Him A New Smart TV.. This Is Him Fascinated With Live Cam Footage Of Deer
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#66 Mayor Karen Bass Attended Our Block Party To Honor A Centenarian
My neighbor turned 100 on 9/11 and my street hosted a block party today. Karen Bass stopped by to honor her – such a wholesome day!
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#67 My Friend Put Up A New Fence But Left A Spot So He Could Still Talk To His Elderly Neighbor
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#68 My Elderly Neighbors Built A Library In Front Of Their House.. How Cute?!
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#69 Nosy Neighbor Called The Cops On My Mom Because Of Her Cleome Plant.this Was Her Talking To The Cops
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#70 This Is Incredible
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#71 Blew The Leaves Out Of My Carport And A Few Of The Neighboring Carports. Saw This The Next Day
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#72 Neighbor Knocked On Our Door And Gave Us This Meal
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#73 Neighbor Had A Giant Mario Kart Contest For Trick Or Treaters ??
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#74 Was It Good?
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#75 Your Teapot Is Gorgeous
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#76 Look At This Pal) My Neighbors Made For Him A Hole In A Fence To Keep Him Entertained Without Walking)
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#77 Got Invited By Our Japanese Neighbor To Visit Their House For The First Time. It Can Be A Challenge To Make Such Close Friends In A Foreign Country. We’re Loving Our Neighborhood!
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#78 If I Was Your Neighbor Would We Be Best Friends Yes Or No
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#79 Love Your Neighbor Done Right
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#80 Oh I Would Romanticize This Experience And Date Him In My Mind
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