Part of the answer to how people answer the question is their cultural upbringing. I was raised on a couple of farms in Texas. We had neighbors in sight, and everyone helped out when someone had a cow get loose or got injured. I'd say there were a couple of reason. First, it's the moral thing to do. Everyone deserves a helping hand the first time around regardless of fault. We all make mistakes, and you hope the other guy learns from his, just like you did. If the guy keeps needing help, however, it gets to be a burden and help trickles down to a stop. Lots of people need help through no fault of their own. If the cow got out, it took milk off the table for their kids. That's not right.

Another reason was, we're all in the same boat, and we're all going to need a neighborly hand somewhere along the line. You give help, and you know you'll get help.

This brings me to a thought no one has broached: all these supposed emergencies come to an end someday, and we're all back in our homes again with those neighbors. Did they come to you for help? Did you pull your gun out and tell 'em to drop dead because they should have planned like you did? Or did you pull out a box of powdered milk and say sure, I don't have regular milk but here's some powdered milk - will that help your baby?

> I can't imagine shutting the door on friends/family/neighbors.

It's inconceivable to me, but that's how I was raised.