total and complete silence are a long shot from being courteous to those around you.
I learned a long time ago that the Universe does not revolve around me. I learned that what is a minor annoyance to me is pleasurable to someone else. Why should my likes and dislikes take priority over someone else’s? I’m just not that selfish – and I learned that anger is a waste of energy.
Things like noisy neighbors are a minor irritant – if I really wanted peace and quiet I would find a place to live out in the country with no nearby neighbors or roads.
My upstairs neighbor has a loud stereo with enhanced bass. It sometimes gets loud enough to move the pictures on my wall. It doesn’t take much energy to straighten the pictures in the morning on my way to the kitchen. I have a few neighbors with loud stereos in their vehicles. When I hear it at night I don’t bitch, moan and groan about it. I know that they are finding some pleasure in life.