Uptight neighbors can be a drag. If they’re not poking their nose into your business, they’re always complaining about some or other so-called injustice. They can also be a nightmare for landlords who are at their beck and call.
For one landlord in Aydin, Turkey, who was hoping to rent out some real estate to a major company, he hit a brick wall when his neighbors said they didn’t want a busy shop in their area. Frustrated no end, he came up with a cunning plan to turn a profit.
More info: Reddit
Landlords get a bad rap, but this one may deserve a round of applause for his cunning move
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
His plan to rent out a shop to a reputable company was blocked by his neighbors and he was sued for putting up an awning which he eventually had to dismantle alone
Image credits: master1305 / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The awning ordeal cost him $4500, so he came up with a plan to make the empty space profitable
Image credits: RagdollSeeker
His genius solution was to open an adult store, which he claims there is a lot of demand for and will be a service to society
In a post on r/MaliciousCompliance, the community got a dose of the kind of stuff the subreddit was made for when a member shared a story they discovered on X about a Turkish landlord who came up with a genius way to get back at his uptight neighbors.
According to his interview with Havadis News, the landlord had planned to rent out his shop to a franchise, but his idea got strong opposition from his neighbors who didn’t want a busy shop in their neighborhood.
Already frustrated and out of pocket to the tune of $4500 for an awning he got sued for (and had to dismantle with his own hands), the landlord gave his predicament some thought. That’s when he came up with the perfectly profitable idea of opening an adult store.
Says the landlord, “There is a lot of demand. People are saying they will buy products from us, and they are already coming. Many people also want to work at our shop”.
The satisfied entrepreneur added that he sees his new shop as a service to society, providing proper hygiene and safety.
Though the landlord may have got his own back regarding his uptight neighbors, it was Confucius who said, “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.”
In his article for Psychology Today, Bernard Golden Ph.D. writes that the motivation for revenge might be initially fueled by anger, but it is ultimately powered by anticipated satisfaction or enjoyment. A potent driving force for revenge is the idea that acting out the desire for revenge will deliver an emotional release and make us feel better.
Image credits: @_haberimolsun
Despite this, studies have discovered that, while there may be initial satisfaction, revenge actually perpetuates the pain of the original offense. What’s more, it often creates a cycle of retaliation, with the victim claiming the most recent offense as yet more justification for extending revenge.
According to Golden, dispensing with the desire for revenge requires the fortification of our rational brain to overcome our emotional brain; an ability to demonstrate restraint even while we may wish for that sweet revenge. As it turns out, focusing our energy on the satisfaction of our personal goals and aspirations frees us from bearing the weight of revenge and helps us to move on in our lives, despite perceived slights.
In her interview with Knowable, psychologist Michele Gelfand says that only recently have researchers started to theorize that the impulse to take revenge might reflect something really fundamental about human psychology, with both positive and negative aspects.
Gelfand goes on to add that, when institutions upholding the rule of law are absent or weak, offering very little protection, revenge can serve a critical function.
"In such a context, people who are expected to seek revenge if they are harmed will often manage to ward off aggression, so it really serves a function there," says Gelfand.
In her article for Science of People, Vanessa Van Edwards writes that revenge re-opens and aggravates your emotional wounds - even though you might be tempted to punish a wrong, you end up punishing yourself because you can’t heal.
So, while the landlord may have served his bothersome neighbors a side of ice-cold revenge, he might also have inflicted further pain on himself.
Bored Panda caught up with psychologist Dr. Deborah Hecker to get her take on the situation.
When we asked her what she thought of the landlord's solution, she had this to say, "I applaud the landlord’s solution! He is what we would call a capitalist, operating successfully in a capitalist society."
Hecker adds that while his decision to open an [adult store] may have been motivated by rage (revenge) for being sued by oppositional neighbors, the political system of capitalism gives him, a small business owner, the privilege to make private investment choices, hire exactly who he chooses and make a profit.
"I would even say that the landlord might justify his choice to be innovative and serving the best interests of his society!", said Hecker.
On the topic of why we, as humans, feel the need to take revenge, Hecker says, "When one feels unfairly targeted, as this business owner did, it is human nature to want to retaliate in the form of revenge behavior. His anger toward his neighbors fueled the need to get even. The driving force of retaliation is to feel some sort of emotional release in the form of satisfaction, which often is temporary."
Hecker goes on to say that seeking retribution as a form of emotional catharsis by acting out one’s anger is not an appropriate way to deal with most interpersonal situations. Feelings of anger are not right or wrong. They are just feelings. You cannot control what you feel. You can, however, control how you behave towards others.
Hecker concludes, "In lieu of acting out one’s anger, I recommend finding a good outlet; redirect your attention to self-reflection; engage in conflict resolution with the offender; consider forgiveness; meditation."
What do you think of the landlord’s cunning move? Do you think he'll cash out with his new venture, or will the neighbors riot? Let us know your opinion in the comments!
In the comments, one reader claimed that, according to Turkish law, the neighbors won’t have much of a case against the landlord, especially if he owns the deed
Image credits: Rahul Pandit / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: cottonbro studio / Pexels (not the actual photo)
