In the 5th season of Friends, episode 15, Ross moves into a new apartment and one of the neighbors asks him to donate $100 to throw a party for the handyman who is retiring. He declines since he just moved in. The neighbors start to call him a cheapskate so he decides to throw his own party to prove to them that it isn’t about the money but about the principle – he didn’t know the handyman.
He says he will have a party and explain to his neighbors about his principles. His friend, Chandler comments that those are the best kind of parties. His other friend, Rachel, suggests he just give the 100 bucks since a party will cost more and then his neighbors will like him. He assures them that his party will be so great that his neighbors will like him.
This is a funny episode, of course, but I like how Ross goes on and on about his values. I didn’t know I had values until I moved into cohousing. Living so close to others makes you realize what is important to you, and what is not. And when do you bend those to fit in with others?
Later the neighbors suggest that Phoebe move in since she fits in because she donated the money whereas Ross didn’t. It’s funny, but how much do neighbors want you to just let things slide?
In the end, the neighbors never like him and Phoebe trying to talk him up backfires. It is a cohousing worst case scenario.
