How tolerant are you ?

As a follow-up for the thread Comparing Japan and the world => tolerance & prejudices, I'd like to ask you next to which of these types of neighbours you wouldn't like to live.

Personally, someone with a criminal record (esp. serious crime) and political extremist if they happen to be religiously motivated (Islamic or new-born Christian kind of extremist) or are racists and have something against me (eg. in case there was an anti-foreigner party in Japan).

I could add emotionally unstable people or heavy drinkers if I lived in a country like the US (because of firearms) or if they were particularily noisy. So I'll just make a "noisy people" category.

The other would be case by case. I guess I wouldn't mind drug-addicts, depending on the kind of drug and intensity, as long as they don't have a criminal record.

As a reminder, the stats from Nationmaster mentioned that the percentage of Japanese people who found these types of neighbours undesireable is as follows :

- 91% for drug addicts
- 82% for political extremists
- 77% for people with AIDS
- 69% for homosexuals
- 62% for emotionally unstable people
- 58% for heavy drinkers
- 50% for criminal record holders
- 11% for people of a different race

I opted for

1. noisy people (too much noise pollution in Japan anyhow)
2. drug addicts (wouldn't like to stumble across used syringes) &
3. political extremists (depending on their political affiliation)

:131:

It kind of disturbs me that people with AIDS and homosexuals got way over half of the votes.

Anyway, my personal preferences:

1. drug addicts (wouldn't want any desperate crack addict burglarizing my house)
2. noisy people (have children that have to concentrate on homework and sleep)
3. people with a criminal record (wouldn't want a convicted child molester in the vicinity)

All of them depend on the situation, though.

Political extremists: Are they in the KKK or something? If so, then definitely not. I have die-hard conservatives all around me, but we get along just fine.

Homosexuals: Definitely not a problem. Especially if they're women...heh.

People with AIDS: Not a problem.

Emotionally unstable people: Depends on how unstable. My grandma has a bipolar neighbor who sometimes drives people insane, but can usually be managed. Anything worse, I don't know...

Heavy drinkers: Are we talking major alcoholics? They can be kind of like drug addicts. Possible break-in, desperate to get alcohol. My (reformed)alcoholic grandfather would do anything to get a drink. Even drink vanilla flavoring.

People of a different race: Doesn't matter.

thomas said:

2. drug addicts (wouldn't like to stumble across used syringes) &

Click to expand...

Mmh, neighbour does not mean roommate or someone who share the bathroom or toilet facilities.

And why the drug-addict and not the criminal ? I don't know what they include in "someone with criminal record" but I imagine a murderer, rapist, arsonist or robber who has just got out of jail, not somebody I would like to live anywhere near. I don't think offences (speeding, drunk driving, tax escaping, visa overstaying, etc.) as crimes, so when I hear criminal record (not "offence record" if there is such a thing), it can only be for serious stuff.

I only checked drug addicts and 'criminals' meaning serious convictions. I wouldn't be happy about people with lesser convictions, but unless it's huge I probably wouldn't even find out--I'm very private.

I voted for Political Extremists (left-wing and right-wing), drug-addicts (car broken into), noisy people, and people with criminal records (in-terms of serious crimes. It could be argued that since I've got a speeding ticket, I've got a record)

I guess I'm not sure what you mean by Drug-Addicts. Some people would call all pot-smokers addicts, and I'm not sure that that's the case. Also, ex-cons could mean people who were convicted for non-violent or victimless crimes... I'd only be scared of living next to violent ex-cons. I'm more concerned with loud neighbors than most of the rest of that. I get very annoyed by loud inconsiderate neighbors.

I don't care who lives next to me as long as they leave me alone. Just want my peace. Hence I only voted for "noisy" & "emotionally unstable" since they are those with the -IMO- greatest probability of getting on my nerves. But it all depends, as usual...

I wouldn't want to live next to alcoholics (though i count them as drug addicts) because I know just how much trouble you can get from them. Also noisy people are bad. If someone wants to blast their stereos at 3am on weekdays, you could say that I have a problem with that... I'm not sure what "emotionally unstable people" means? I mena it can just as well mean a complete nut case or something milder... Actually I don't really care about what kind of problems/characteristics my neighbours have just as long they don't cause any trouble to me.

If that questionnaire was a basis for a scientific study, it'd never pass :3 It's pretty impossible to say what the people who answer actually think. Maybe it could serve as a sort of measurement as to what kind of characteristics people associate with certain categories or stereotypes...

Sorry if i sound like I'm nit-picking! :bluush:

I have a pretty high tolerance when it comes to who lives next to me, depending on how they act is what would determine if i like them or not.

No matter how normal or weird they are it depends on how they treated and acted towards me that would determine if i liked them or not.

I don't really care who lives next to me, provided that they don't bother me.

I did check off several boxes though:
The area I live in is isolated, but I still would like to stay away from drug addicts and political extremists (if they become violent) if I can. Alcoholics, too. Although If I can't tell that there is a problem, then it obviously is not bothering me. Unstable people-- my neighbor spent a half hour yelling at the cable installation guys, writing down their license plates and driving back and forth...If I could avoid this too, I would. Criminal record-- it depends on what the crime is...please no sexual preditors, molesters or creeps. About Homosexuals, noisy people, people with AIDS, and people of other races...all invited. The bar-B-que is Saturday. Bring a side dish.

1. Mentally Unstable People - You never know what crazy Mofos with guns are capable of doing.

2. Noisy People - People who have their subs blasting until 5 am everynight would get to be more than annoying.

3. Drug Addicts - They are likely to bring their other junkie buddies around, and I don't want them to be burlarizing my house to support their habit.

4. People with a Criminal Record - I rather not have repeat offenders around me or my family.


The rest I could deal with, that is unless I've got some wacko trying everyday to recruit me for the Republican party.......

To answer the question, I don't care who lives next to me. People are people, we all have had problems in our past. I believe the community has a responsiblity to the individual as much as the individual does to the community. Imagine this: the undesirables aren't being let into a community, where do they go? The answer? To the ghettos and streets. Ignoring problems or hoping they go away if ignored won't solve the problem. I'll take the dirty, crowded, diverse, dangerous city over the white bread suburbs anyday.

Maciamo said:

And why the drug-addict and not the criminal ? I don't know what they include in "someone with criminal record" but I imagine a murderer, rapist, arsonist or robber who has just got out of jail, not somebody I would like to live anywhere near. I don't think offences (speeding, drunk driving, tax escaping, visa overstaying, etc.) as crimes, so when I hear criminal record (not "offence record" if there is such a thing), it can only be for serious stuff.

Click to expand...

Well, DUI is a felony in the states! :souka:

But here are my choices:

1. Noisy People - I prefer my privacy, and your noise invades that privacy! Especially when I'm working midnights and need to sleep during the day!

2. Drug Addicts - Drugs do bad things to normally good people...never know what is going to happen!

3. Mentally Unstable People - But isn't everyone a little unstable?

4. People with a Criminal Record - I would like to believe that the truly dangerous people are in jail, but I know that the US justice system routinely fails!

I chose,

Drug addict
Heavy drinker
Noisy people.

Although I would not mind them as long as they don't bother me, I have a few incidents dealing with them that caused a lot of stress, so I picked those.

About people with criminal records - sometimes people get records for little or no reason. I don't think you can dismiss anybody with a criminal record as being a bad person or unsuitable neighbour.

For me it would be:
- Political Extremists
I wouldn't want to live next to people who are totally screwed in the head.
- Drug Addicts
Not for being drug addicts by themselves, but rather for the "side effects" that go with it: odd behavior, high criminality etc.
- Heavy drinkers
tend to be being very noisy, stirring up trouble etc.
- Noisy people
Especially loud folk music or classical usic would drive me up the wall
- Criminals
Only with severe offenses.

None of them really bother me that much as neighbors

Political Extremists -- There were quite a few Bush/Cheney signs in my neighborhood this fall, but I chose to ignore them because those folks have the right to make their own choice.

Homosexuals -- It really makes no difference to me as to the configuration in which two people plug themselves together for a good time, but I do appreciate discretion.

People with AIDS -- poor unfortunate lot. I hope we can find a cure.

Drug-addicts -- As long as they are able to live responsibly in spite of the addiction, and do not endanger my family or property, then it doesn't matter to me.

Emotionally unstable people -- good grief! I think that most folks will fall into that category now and then.

Heavy drinkers -- see "drug addicts"

Noisy people -- Where I live, the houses are spread out a bit, so they would have to be REALLY noisy for that to be a problem, and it would be a problem only if they kept me from sleeping.

People with a criminal record -- see "drug addicts"

People of a different race -- racial and ethnic diversity is a good thing.

When at home, we enjoy our privacy and do our best to respect the privacy of our neighbors.

Thw worst case scenario for me is having a neighbour which is NOISY and has a CRIMINAL RECORD...

I am lucky that my neighbours are wonderful ie. they are quiet and trustful neighbours....

I'm only really concerned about behavior. For example, if my neighbor was a black homosexual HIV-positive alcoholic drug-addicted schizophrenic jailbird who worshipped Kim Jong-Il, as long as they kept to themselves and were respectful of people around them then I could care less.

Likewise, if I had a neighbor who agreed with me on all issues and had what I would consider to be an excellent background, if that person was a rude, inconsiderate jerk then none of that would make them any more bearable.