Neighbor from hell

(Baonghean) - While reading the newspaper and following the investigation into the plane crash in Russia, I accidentally heard a conversation between my wife and our neighbor:

- Have you read the scandal about the "entertainment queen" singer who became the third person to destroy another family's happiness? It's understandable, the "dollar" princes are no longer as rich as before, so they immediately go to the "diamond" tycoons, from the past until now, long-legged girls still have to go with the tycoons!

- Such hot news, how could I miss it. But the abandoned husband also had a new girlfriend by his side early this morning. This girl is much younger and fresher than his ex-wife. It is not known which cat bit which mouse, but it seems that just a handshake from the "dollar" prince has brought her one step closer to the center of attention of the entertainment industry!

- The case of the whole family mysteriously dying in a closed house in Thanh Hoa is really scary, ma'am. I heard it was caused by the husband. These days, the press is full of thrilling stories, and they are family matters! That's why I say, small families are the source of countless problems in this society...

I shake my head in dismay at the gossip of my ladies. Honestly, I find such news so “tactless”? Do other people’s love affairs, family affairs, husbands and wives, children, have any relationship or influence on our lives and work, that they have to be “elevated” to become a topic of debate for the whole society? Going around social networks in recent days, there are many opinions, comments, praises, criticisms, even heated debates about the secret love affair of Ms. A with Mr. B, Mr. C finding new happiness with Ms. D, etc. etc. I feel extremely confused, confused in the face of the so-called crowd mentality and the need for social gossip.

Illustration (internet).

A while ago, I bought my son a video game called “Neighbor from Hell”. The player takes on the role of a guy whose perverse hobby is breaking into his neighbor’s house and causing trouble, making him so angry that he cries. Drawing on family photos, mixing laxatives into cakes, hiding firecrackers in trumpets, putting wet soap on the bathroom floor, dropping crabs into the chair, etc. All of these are persistent and annoying pranks, prying and interfering in the poor neighbor’s private life. My son really liked this game at first, but after about a week, he put the game disc in the cupboard and said to me seriously:

- This game is fun, but not good at all, Dad. Just imagine if I really did something like this to my neighbor, it would be really reprehensible. Why do we encourage things that cause trouble, affect other people's private lives like that and take pleasure in it, joke about it?

At that time, I was very surprised by my son's thoughts, but at the same time, I was very pleased because he understood how important mutual respect is in building and maintaining social relationships. Sometimes, it is enough to start with very small things, such as suppressing your curiosity and closing your eyes to other people's private matters...

Returning to the taste of chasing after gossips that is very popular in today's society, I think people are unintentionally realizing the game "Neighbors from Hell" without knowing that it is not good, even wrong. Arguments like "the public must accept", "as long as you comment, you still care about them", ... probably cannot cover up the real reason: that is the human instinct of curiosity and inquisitiveness is misplaced, exaggerated, and exaggerated. Try putting yourself in the position of countless "neighbors" looking, scrutinizing and pondering, is life like that comfortable or not?

Hai Trieu