Should we be obliged to share our personal property with our neighbors?

There is no doubt that living close to other people is a much more pleasant experience when you can cultivate a friendly relationship with them. Being on good terms with your neighbors is a key part of building that much sought-after community that is supposed to be so good for us, and it can turn out to be pretty handy when we need a favor done, too. 

However, making this kind of effort does come with certain risks. A big example of this is making an acquaintance with a neighbor who decides that they have the right to take much more from you than you are comfortable with. They may decide that you are the best person to turn to for help in a way that is totally unsustainable, or they want to use the facilities of your home far more often than the occasional friendly invitation. 

This can be an awkward issue to address, because it isn’t like you can avoid them if you need to escalate the matter to a confrontation. Nonetheless, it is important to stand your ground and let them know what is and isn’t acceptable.