Many of us have dealt with that annoying neighbor who will inconsiderately blast music at the oddest hours. Even if you try to have them turn the volume down or involve the police, your requests will likely fall on deaf ears.
A woman was in this situation with a man living a few houses away. With almost zero options left and the noise driving everyone mad, she hatched an elaborate yet clever petty revenge plan that worked like a charm.
The author’s actions pleased the entire neighborhood but left the insensitive homeowner distressed. Proud of how she handled the problem “like a Disney princess,” she shared her story with the Petty Revenge subreddit.
Some inconsiderate neighbors will refuse to change their ways, no matter how you approach them
Image credits: Wavebreakmedia (not the actual image)
A woman had been dealing with a nearby homeowner who blasted loud music in the wee hours
Image credits: Erik Mclean (not the actual image)
After numerous attempts to have him tone it down, she hatched a clever plot that got his attention
Image credits: wirestock (not the actual image)
Her plan worked, leaving the man distressed and the rest of the neighborhood satisfied
Image credits: japaneseCrying
The cause of a person’s inconsiderate behavior may be deep-rooted
The author didn’t give much information on the personal background of the neighbor in question, but his selfish behavior may have more severe causes.
According to clinical psychologist Dr. Natalie Datillo, physical and emotional childhood trauma could be one factor.
“Survivors of abuse may develop unhealthy coping mechanisms, making it challenging to be considerate of others,” she told Everyday Health.
Some people develop trauma-related insecurities, and their insensitive actions may be their way of masking them. According to California-based licensed marriage and family therapist Natalie Jambazian, these are the ones who use inconsiderate behaviors as a defense mechanism.
A person can also be intentionally or unintentionally inconsiderate. The Berkeley Well-Being Institute describes the former as someone who knows their behavior disregards another person’s but does it anyway. Meanwhile, the latter is when people act thoughtlessly without realizing how their ways affect others.
In this story, the neighbor might understand how his loud music annoys everyone, but he might refuse to care. However, he may also be oblivious and too naive to comprehend this.
Either way, it caused a great deal of inconvenience to the neighborhood, which caused the author to take action.
Taking the high road is the best option when handling an inconsiderate person
Stooping to an insensitive person’s level only worsens the situation. It’s a lose-lose situation for everyone involved. That’s why experts always advise taking the high road. As Jambazian reminds us, we only have control of ourselves.
She adds that dealing with inconsiderate people must be about maintaining well-being and encouraging positive change.
“Do not react — instead respond,” Jambazian said.
Credit goes to the author for not retaliating in a way that may have only caused a bigger problem. Instead, she thought of a lighthearted way to get her message across after failed attempts that even involved calling the police.
We’d like to know what you think. Do you approve of the author’s way of handling her problem?
Most commenters approved of the author’s petty revenge plot
Others shared similar stories
