Sometimes neighbors are too noisy.
Sometimes neighbors can get a little close for comfort. One way neighbors become too close is by being nosy. A nosy neighbor will press you and probe you for information about your personal life. A nosy neighbor finds entertainment, and even personal value, in learning private information about other people. This can be annoying and even offensive for the other people involved. Getting free of a nosy neighbor takes tact and patience.
Instructions
1. Be general. Nosy neighbors will press you for details. Don't provide them. Give vague answers. Don't be committal if a nosy neighbor is trying to pin you down. A nosy neighbor might become frustrated by your generality and stop probing.
2. Reveal little. A nosy neighbor will probe into your every detail, even trying to glance at your mail when you are taking it from your mailbox. Keep your mail private. Don't talk about your family, your personal life or your professional life. Every bit of information will give your nosy neighbor more fuel to keep probing. Refuse to feed your neighbor's nosiness. If your neighbor's questions are more and more probing, resist revealing information. Eventually a nosy neighbor may become bored and leave you alone.
3. Make a joke, then change the subject. Smile and ask, "So when did the police hire you as a detective?" Then politely move on to a different topic before ending the conversation.
4. Excuse yourself. Let your neighbor know that you have to get going. Say you have to do laundry, vacuum, or run some errands. A nosy neighbor will probably want to detain you for a long time trying to probe into your life, or possibly tell you about another neighbor. Don't let him. Be polite and explain why you have to go. Then go.
