Smug/flaky attitudes (fit in, transplants, high school)
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I have recently moved to Seattle and the culture in the Pacific NW is quite quirky and annoying. Smug and flakyness is common and acceptable. People don't like to make plans and if they do, flake out last min or they hit you up last min, expecting you to do someth with them without notice. Im from Ny/Nj and this is strange to me because Im used to straightforward and down to earth. I wonder though, do any other cities have this typa smug/flaky, wishy washy attitude like maybe in the south, midwest, etc?
I have recently moved to Seattle and the culture in the Pacific NW is quite quirky and annoying. Smug and flakyness is common and acceptable. People don't like to make plans and if they do, flake out last min or they hit you up last min, expecting you to do someth with them without notice. Im from Ny/Nj and this is strange to me because Im used to straightforward and down to earth. I wonder though, do any other cities have this typa smug/flaky, wishy washy attitude like maybe in the south, midwest, etc?
It's a West Coast thing. Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego all have some variation of the smug/flaky syndrome. Even cities like Reno, Las Vegas, Sacramento, Fresno, and Phoenix may not be nearly as full of smug people, but are still bound to have some flakiness. I hate to say it...but it's a cultural quirk that you'll have to learn to get used to.
These attitudes also aren't nearly as pervasive in the Midwest and South. Maybe, maybe cities like Minneapolis and Austin, but even then they're still in states full of generally grounded, down-to-Earth people (though Texans are much more known for their straightforwardness than are Minnesotans).
But people are definitely not as high strung and obnoxious as people back east.
The smuggest places are Seattle, Portland, SF, and SD- all cities dominated by transplants from back east.
These points are also hard to argue against. Driving in Florida is like getting a free pass to drive in NASCAR, and that state is full of people who are transplants from NYC, Newark, Philly, Boston, Connecticut, DC, etc. So, +1.
San Francisco is unbelievably smug--to the point that it is mocked profusely in one of South Park's most famous episodes. San Diego is astoundingly full of itself, pretty much because they're the "anti-L.A."
Look at the populations of these cities. Portland and Seattle really stick out on this subject. The are populated by endless influxes of younger people. People that flock to these areas because, they feel the regions are more representative of them and their mindsets,. Such as their mindsets or lifestyle. I think that is why you see what you do in these cities. If you don't blend in with these types you can feel out of place.
But people are definitely not as high strung and obnoxious as people back east.
The smuggest places are Seattle, Portland, SF, and SD- all cities dominated by transplants from back east.
That seems unlikely. The majority of transplants, per the census, to Seattle and Portland are from California. In fact it's the largest "state diaspora " in the country; surpassing NY to FL recently.
I know a guy from high school who moved out to Seattle from NC after graduating college. He is probably one of the least sociable/friendly people I've ever known. Thinks he's better than everyone else and that he's always ahead of the curve on trends, social contexts etc.....really he has no friends and he LOVES Seattle and thinks it's "his type of city". He did NOT fit in here at all.
While it's true about the steady steam of Californians streaming to Portland and Seattle over the decades as has been suggested, there is also a newer influx of East Coasters, specifically New Yorkers who are moving to these places. They are more responsible for changing the face of these cities, in my opinion, than the Californians.
I lived in Portland for nearly forty years and watched the changes and that's what I observed. A certain type of East Coaster began to migrate to the PNW in the 90's. Those were the ones who read the New York Times that touted the PNW as trendy, cool and hip and the place to live. They wanted to be trendy, cool and hip so they relocated there to feel a part of it.
For me, those are the ones who with the most smug, flaky attitudes. But it certainly does not reflect upon everyone living in Portland and Seattle.
It's definitely a West Coast thing. West Coast cities tend to attract transplants who think they are some sort of special breed of person who is vulnerable because of it. In SoCal, it tends to be the "I'm hot and your jealous" crowd, whereas in Seattle I remember the prevailing mentality was "I'm smart, nerdy, and above you on the totem pole and you're going to taunt me/come after me because of it." As a result, you get this army of people who only care about protecting themselves and are hesitant to meet new people or hang out with non-family, because such folks might bust their ego. Protecting one's ego is more important than committing to a plan to hang out with a friend. East Coast urban dwellers, NYCers in particular, are generally more thick-skinned. They don't mind meeting new people and jumping into something new, even if it means taking blows to the ego.
Last edited by skidamarink; 03-12-2016 at 09:06 PM..
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