From a libertarian point of view, how should one deal with a neighbor who makes noise throughout the whole house during the night?

After all, he does not actually violate the non-aggression principle, but for reasons of common sense, his actions should nevertheless be stopped.

anonymous question (paid in the amount of 0.0001btc)

How does a human neighbor differ from other annoying factors, such as a thunderstorm, a highway under the windows, flying planes, barking dogs, and so on? Only in that you can try to reach an agreement with them, whereas the most realistic way to avoid the other annoying factors is soundproofing.

But the neighbor, in turn, also understands that by coming to them and demanding that the noise stop, you are demonstrating double standards, because if you had actively protected yourself from the noise of the other sources mentioned above, then the noise from behind the wall would not bother you, as its level would be below the threshold.

Thus, after hearing your requests regarding reducing the volume level, they will expect a deal. The subject of the deal may turn out to be the most unexpected thing.

You can state that since they are celebrating so wildly that it’s impossible to sleep, they should pour you a drink as well—and join the party.

You can ask when the banquet is expected to end, and, having received an answer, declare that you are willing to tolerate it until then, but if they continue after that, they should be prepared for the harshest sanctions, from “I’ll shit under your door” to “I’ll smash the door with an axe.”

You can agree on monetary compensation, enough to spend the night in a quiet hotel nearby…

In general, there are plenty of options.

But, of course, you may also fail to reach an agreement. This will mean that you and your neighbor were unlucky with each other: you had a grievance, you initiated a conflict, the conflict was not resolved, and escalation is possible in the future, which entails costs for both parties. And no daddy-mommy-state will help; you are adults now, it’s time to learn how to negotiate on your own.

Leave a Reply