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The biggest challenge in resolving neighborhood noise issues isn't communication, but rather failing to locate the noise source or identifying the wrong source. The following story illustrates this: the protagonist wrongly accused their upstairs neighbor, not only straining their relationship but also leaving the actual noise maker feeling self-righteous. It even highlights the complexities of interpersonal relationships, proving that a poorly managed neighborly relationship makes resolving noise problems just as difficult.
The story begins:
Six months ago, my husband and I bought a house and moved in. At first, things were fine before the neighbors on the floors above, below, and sides moved in.
Later, as more people moved in, we started hearing the sounds of barefoot footsteps and children running. At first, I instinctively thought it was from the upstairs neighbors, so I went up and politely asked them to be quiet and wear slippers. After several attempts to communicate, it didn't improve the situation, so I even bought slippers and brought them upstairs myself. But we still heard the same sounds. One day, my husband and I couldn't take it anymore and went upstairs to yell at them, which led to an argument. After we negotiated with the upstairs neighbors, they said they would change their ways, so we were relieved. The day after the argument, we still heard the frequent running and barefoot footsteps. I went to their door again to see what was going on, but no one answered the doorbell. I thought that was impossible, since I clearly heard the sounds, so I took the elevator down to take pictures as evidence that they were deliberately making noise. When I got down to the first floor, I ran into a family of three. I was stunned. What was going on? They asked, "Are we still making noise for you?" I asked, "Weren't you home just now?" They said they had just gotten back from get off work.
I looked them over; they were dressed neatly and didn't seem to be lying. When I got home, I thought about it. What was going on? (The running sound was fast and frequent; I was sure it was a child, but the child upstairs was just a toddler I'd only seen before in the elevator.) Then I thought of the neighbors next door, since our living room wall is shared and not solid. After testing various methods, I realized the culprit was our next-door neighbor. Ugh, so exhausting. Now that we knew who it was, we tried to communicate and resolve the issue. The first time we went, we were polite. The second time, his wife was clearly impatient as soon as she opened the door. At first, she thought we must be hearing things, but my husband still tried to communicate patiently, trying not to escalate the situation. But the second time, nothing changed. Her husband was still walking barefoot without restraint, and their son was happily running around. Finally, I couldn't hold back and tagged him in our building's group chat, hoping the pressure from the crowd would make him change. As a result, disgusting things happened. When I talked about him in the group chat, the neighbor aunties who usually get along with him ganged up on me and attacked me, saying that it's okay to walk barefoot and that it's normal for children to run. Some of them even made personal attacks on me.
Because my husband and I are both young, we basically don't interact with the other neighbors in our building. We just come home from get off work, watch TV, and go to bed. Our neighbor's husband likes to drink with the other male residents, and the women like to form groups of older women who often talk badly about us behind our backs. I initially thought that even if they're friends, they could still distinguish right from wrong, but I underestimated the ugliness of human nature. These people who are friends with him spread rumors without any regard for facts-it's terrifying! I thought, how would I know if they were noisy? It's so awful! Then our neighbor took advantage of the situation, pretending to be more careful, and even said she wasn't home earlier-just trying to get away with it. Fine, then I contacted the property management and the police. Even the police couldn't help. We clearly reached an agreement in front of the police, but as soon as they left, she deliberately invited all those older women from the building with their children to our house. They were running around in and out over fifty times, and she even told me to go buy a villa if I had the guts.
The above real-life examples are from Zhihu.
The reasons why the above noise is difficult to solve are:
1. The noise source is hard to find.
2. The neighbor's family has children, and the adults walk barefoot.
3. Difficult to communicate with neighbors, but well-developed interpersonal relationships.
4. The protagonist is young and not good at socializing with his neighbors.
In a society where personal relationships play a significant role, relying solely on others' self-discipline to solve noise problems is utterly ineffective. Trying to suppress a noise-maker through shame or civic virtue can sometimes backfire, making the noise even worse. The best way to solve indoor noise is, as the saying goes: if you can't change others, change yourself.
Neighborhood noise can be improved through soundproofing renovations. Doing a good job of soundproofing not only protects your own auditory health but also prevents noise from restricting your behavior.
Home soundproofing renovation includes:
Home soundproofing renovation includes:
① Wall soundproofing
② Passive sound insulation and noise reduction of the ceiling
③ Active sound insulation and vibration reduction of the floor
Besides the three main measures mentioned above, other factors that contribute to indoor noise include water pipes, exhaust fans, air conditioner outdoor units, windows, doors, and home furnishings... These are all causes of indoor noise and can be addressed through various methods. Follow me for more detailed information on soundproofing and self-repair techniques.