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> Imagine a world where you might once again say hello to your neighbours When people complain about social isolation, that still doesn’t necessarily mean that

> Imagine a world where you might once again say hello to your neighbours When people complain about social isolation, that still doesn’t necessarily mean that they want to interact with their neighbours. It could just mean that they want to be able to interact with people who, they know for sure, share the same hobbies and interests and (in polarized countries) the same political and social views. One of the supposed upsides of urban modernity is the ability to choose one’s acquaintances at will, which is potentially liberating from the gossip and judgement of small-town and neighbourly communities, especially for sexual or other minorities.

throwaway0a5e 6y ago
> Imagine a world where you might once again say hello to your neighbours That world never went away. It's just a couple tax brackets below the typical HN user.
- Mediterraneo10 6y ago
  No, that world definitely went away in some places, even for the urban poor. For instance, residents of apartment blocks in the large Finnish cities today typically don't know their neighbors. (In fact, some would even consider it a faux pas to leave the flat without first checking through the peephole to see if someone else is in the corridor. This is because it could make both you and your neighbor uncomfortable if you passed by one another.) The literature of a century ago with its tales of frequent neighborly interaction now strikes people as a completely different world regardless of their tax bracket.
  - throwaway0a5e 6y ago
    You're right, it did go away for the poor who are thoroughly under the thumb of the wealthy. Many of the less well off residents of (for example) Boston or DC would relate to that sort of "trying to keep your existence on the down low lest you draw the ire of someone who will make your life harder" pattern of action. Places like Cleveland, Buffalo, or anywhere that the local culture if free of thinking highly of the local culture people are much more open and friendly than major metros and their high class suburbs.
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throwaway0a5e 6y ago

> Imagine a world where you might once again say hello to your neighbours That world never went away. It's just a couple tax brackets below the typical HN user.

Mediterraneo10 6y ago
No, that world definitely went away in some places, even for the urban poor. For instance, residents of apartment blocks in the large Finnish cities today typically don't know their neighbors. (In fact, some would even consider it a faux pas to leave the flat without first checking through the peephole to see if someone else is in the corridor. This is because it could make both you and your neighbor uncomfortable if you passed by one another.) The literature of a century ago with its tales of frequent neighborly interaction now strikes people as a completely different world regardless of their tax bracket.
- throwaway0a5e 6y ago
  You're right, it did go away for the poor who are thoroughly under the thumb of the wealthy. Many of the less well off residents of (for example) Boston or DC would relate to that sort of "trying to keep your existence on the down low lest you draw the ire of someone who will make your life harder" pattern of action. Places like Cleveland, Buffalo, or anywhere that the local culture if free of thinking highly of the local culture people are much more open and friendly than major metros and their high class suburbs.
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