Civilised conduct

Suddenly everyone in the neighbourhood received letters with the same content, as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,
My name is Lý Xuân Vinh. I have just bought a plot of land in this neighbourhood and will soon build a house to live in.
Before looking for land here, our family learnt a good deal about our future neighbours, and we were delighted to find that we were about to live near gentle, civilised and decent residents. The whole neighbourhood never has rubbish scattered carelessly in the street. If any scrap of litter does fall, everyone knows it was dropped by someone passing through from elsewhere. The children in this neighbourhood are polite and respect their elders. The parents here all keep an eye on one another's children so that any bad influence creeping in can be spotted in time. We have no reason at all to refuse to join such a good community.

However, throughout the time we have the house under construction, we will cause a great deal of nuisance to our whole neighbourhood. Delivery lorries for materials will come and go at night and disturb everyone's sleep. The builders shouting to one another will destroy the precious quiet. Worst of all will be the sound of cutting ceramic tiles, cutting steel, knocking down walls, drilling into partitions... which is truly harsh and unpleasant. These sounds will affect the children's homework, the health of the elderly, and the work of our whole neighbourhood. Often even healthy, ordinary people become more negative in mood after being exposed to those sounds all day.

We fully understand our fault in this case, and ask for your understanding and forgiveness. We have also set aside funds to remedy, to some extent, the consequences that the construction will cause to the neighbourhood. If you feel you need soundproof doors or windows fitted, please do not hesitate to contact us on this telephone number, 096789999, and we will send a crew that specialises in soundproofing to take measurements and replace them for you straight away.

Since we will start building in about three months, we would like to do something sooner to show our affection for the residents here beforehand. We hope the soundproof replacements will be installed for you before we begin work.

Before the start date, we will certainly ask permission to call at your home briefly to ask your views on a few related matters.

With our warmest regards.

P.S. We very much hope you will send us your request for soundproofing.
🏗

It may seem costly, but what we receive later is well worth it. Living with thought for everyone is hard, but it is interesting. A way of living with feeling and with responsibility towards the community lets us pass through a life as beautiful as a dream. It is far better than living with thought only for ourselves, which will go on to cause a great deal of grievance, trouble and wrongdoing.