Why is California welcoming to outsiders...But other states are not? (Klamath: fit in, crime rate)

[Gormur]

Originally Posted by CantWait2Bthere

Hmmmm Gormur...I had to take out the old dictionary for this one....I would hope what I and everyone else means by nice is the same thing, no?

I don't imply that we use the definition of the latin term from which our modern word 'nice' is derived; the original term is ignorant. I would like to think that I am very nice as in " calling for care and distinction".

Perhaps that is why I notice details of the overall tone of a how individual strangers conduct themselves. And by definition, it is not the majority that are, "pleasant, atttractive, good, kind, etc."

This is California, not some third world war zone. Being polite is not relative. You either are or are not. I will judge people and do assume that in their upbringing they were not taught our western social norm of offering an "pardon me" when they brush up against my body trying to sueeze by me in a store aisle. What I tend to do, when the situation calls for it, is I smile, make eye contact and say soemthing like, " these stores don't make the aisles big enough do they?"

Anyway...staying close to the orignial topic...this was not a dicssion of IF people in Califorina are nice. The original poster asked why Califorina's seem more accepting of outsiders. I stay by my original point. We generally are too busy to notice enough to care.

Being a bit nice as in "calling for care, tact", may be the part of Webster's dictionary that we really need to pay attention to.

Have a NICE day.

Etiquette differs by culture, but it's only a façade. Being polite, formal, informal, etc differs by culture and has nothing to do with being a nice or good person..but with social dynamics.

[karnival96]

Originally Posted by Gormur

Etiquette differs by culture, but it's only a façade. Being polite, formal, informal, etc differs by culture and has nothing to do with being a nice or good person..but with social dynamics.

I beg to differ on this one. While it is true that some people consider being "nice" to be burdensome or a waste time, many have come to realize that when they display nice behaviors, nice things tend to happen to them. I would be willing to bet that people who are around people who treat them nicely most of the time, are probably more healthy and successful and less stressed than they would be if they were surrounded by willfully indifferent and impolite people.

[Gormur]

Originally Posted by karnival96

I beg to differ on this one. While it is true that some people consider being "nice" to be burdensome or a waste time, many have come to realize that when they display nice behaviors, nice things tend to happen to them. I would be willing to bet that people who are around people who treat them nicely most of the time, are probably more healthy and successful and less stressed than they would be if they were surrounded by willfully indifferent and impolite people.

You aren't disagreeing, you just missed the point. So I will repeat myself - etiquette differs by culture. To an American, Japanese etiquette may seem cold or over-formal, but if you get to know Japanese people, you will quickly realize it's only their etiquette which is a lot different..not them as people. For sure there is a social dynamic involved in the way people behave, but environment (and social history) plays a dominant role over individual personality. We're talking about different things here...and I've already mentioned previously that it is possible to be open with people and to get them to open up. But this has nothing to do with etiquette or culture and everything to do with social dynamics...

[artichoke63]

It's because we're all outsiders, silly! Take a look around Los Angeles. How many born-in-America folks do you see?

Artie

[Gormur]

Originally Posted by artichoke63

It's because we're all outsiders, silly! Take a look around Los Angeles. How many born-in-America folks do you see?

Artie

I'm not. I'm a native (I guess technically not as native as the California Indian tribes tho ). Even my parents were born in California. I grew up in the Inland Empire..which is like almost all native Californians, excluding the growing Mexican population of course.

I don't think I even heard any other American accents growing up...because there just aren't many outsiders where I lived. I guess that's why Californians don't think they have an accent. (Obviously there is a California dialect tho, because people always ask me where I'm from -- I dafenetely have tha California vowel sheft as wall ). When we moved to Tennessee, it was basically my first trip outside of SoCal (I'd been to Oregon once before)...I couldn't understand anyone. What a trip dewd.

[CantWait2Bthere]

Yeah, California does have an accent and it even has a name...it's called
C-Dialect. It is the english of Hollywood, and the dialect spoken by major broadcaster nationwide. Proper C-dialect english is the standard in the televison industry; that's not to say you won't hear other dialects of english on tv, depending on the setting/theme of the sitcom or whatever. But people all over the world who are exposed to American pop culture and CNN are familiar with the way California's speak, and for the most part, it is our english that they associate with the United States.

If any of you who have this accent ever go to some third world country, don't be surprised if some stranger asks you if you are from Hollywood. It has happened to me.

Though I was honest and said 'no', I have wondered what would have happened had I said 'yes'.

[Twinkle Toes]

Originally Posted by CantWait2Bthere

Yeah, California does have an accent and it even has a name...it's called
C-Dialect. It is the english of Hollywood, and the dialect spoken by major broadcaster nationwide. Proper C-dialect english is the standard in the televison industry; that's not to say you won't hear other dialects of english on tv, depending on the setting/theme of the sitcom or whatever. But people all over the world who are exposed to American pop culture and CNN are familiar with the way California's speak, and for the most part, it is our english that they associate with the United States.

If any of you who have this accent ever go to some third world country, don't be surprised if some stranger asks you if you are from Hollywood. It has happened to me.

Though I was honest and said 'no', I have wondered what would have happened had I said 'yes'.

You would have immediately been cast in the newest 'Bollywood' film.

[Hungry For Cheese]

My take on it is that with the large percentage of illegal hispanic immigrants, Californians don't have enough time in a day to worry about legal immigrants from other states. These people generally work a legit job, pay taxes, have car insurance and anything else "they" say the illegal people do not.

Im not going to be bothered by Joe Schmoe moving here from New Hampshire after he got his degree at an Ivy League school. But I will be bothered by Jesus who comes here and damages my car and I can only afford liability and now I have to drive a damaged car or worse, no car.

[Angel Bear]

Sometimes, doesn't it feel like Americans treat each state as a separate country? LOL Well, I suppose some state are like a different country--no states' names metioned...hee hee! Heck, I know Detroit is another country...that's where I'm at now

[Midgejohn]

I am from Covina, California, outside of Los Angeles. I have lived in Grants Pass and in Portland, OR. I presently live in Prescott, AZ.

Notice that I am from California - as far from it as I could get - lol. Most of the negative attitude about Californians seems to me to stem from the political attitudes of a tiny minority of the whole. These are the ones who failed to get elected in California, so they go to small towns in other states. There they manage to get elected, then proceed to screw up the political venues by insisting on treating small towns as if they were huge ones. Hence the negativity. In Oregon and Arizona, I don't admit I was born in California.