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The Good Neighbor Myth Is Fading—But It Doesn’t Have to Disappear

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For generations, Americans have liked to believe we are a nation of good neighbors. We tell stories about borrowing sugar across the fence, keeping an eye on one another’s homes, and gathering on front porches after dinner. Many people still assume those habits are alive and well. But recent research suggests something deeper is happening beneath the surface: the idea of neighboring is quietly fading from everyday American life.  A recent article from the American Enterprise Institute examined new survey findings showing that Americans increasingly define being a “good neighbor” not by engagement, but by distance. In other words, many people now believe the best neighbors are quiet, private, and uninvolved. Younger adults especially tend to see neighboring less as relationship-building and more as respectful separation.  That should concern us. Privacy is important. Boundaries matter. No one wants neighbors who are intrusive or disrespectful. But when neighboring becomes litt...