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I respectfully disagree. I spent the first 22 years of my life in Wisconsin/the Midwest and I did not perceive what you claim. Perhaps people behave differently elsewhere.
Most people who live in harsher climates do so because that's where they were born/raised, or their careers took them there. In my experience, very few of these people live as you describe and most tend to complain incessantly about the climate during harsher seasons. When you ask them what they like about living where they do, the often cite other amenities as making up for/negating the effects of their local climate. If they like 'seasonality', it's usually in reference to fall/spring, which tend to be shorter seasons in harsher climates anyways. But when a family member/friend decides to move to a milder climate, suddenly living in a place with 4-6 months of winter becomes a badge of honor/mark of superiority . Funny how that doesn't stop them from begging to visit once temperatures start to drop.
Again, that's my experience. I can't stand people who maintain a superiority complex from living in a harsher climate when it's clearly a coping mechanism. Of course, that doesn't apply to everyone. I do think a lot of Wisconsin's climate is harsher than most places in the states too...
I'm afraid you don't really understand - ABQConvict is correct: People who move to 4-season climates usually *really do* like the 4 seasons. Personally I LOVE snow, I do not "say" I love snow merely as a "coping mechanism," I genuinely love it. And cold weather, too (I'm quite cold tolerant). Then when summer comes around the hot muggy weather and thunderstorms here in the Midwest have their own appeal. But in both cases the appeal wears off after a few months and a desire for relief arises. Too much of anything, no matter how good, gets tired after a while.
Disagree completely. The great thing about 4 distinct seasons is because you get sick of either hot weather or cold weather after a while. After 3 or 4 months of weather in the 80's or 90's I simply get sick of it and can't wait until fall. Then, after 3 or 4 months of cold weather I get sick of it and can't wait until spring. Having the same weather for, like, 6 months or more would drive me crazy.
This is exactly why I don't care to live in 4 seasons. The heat is too extreme, and the cold is too extreme, with not enough moderation. If you're always looking forward to the next season because the one you're in kind of sucks, that's not a great climate. I don't like extreme heat either, and I can only take a little bit of extreme cold. The great thing for me is mild weather, and that's where SoCal excels. From November through June, when it's mostly in the 60s and 70s, I never ever say "Gee, I'm sick of this perfect weather, I sure wish it would get back to the 90s."
This is exactly why I don't care to live in 4 seasons. The heat is too extreme, and the cold is too extreme, with not enough moderation. If you're always looking forward to the next season because the one you're in kind of sucks, that's not a great climate. I don't like extreme heat either, and I can only take a little bit of extreme cold. The great thing for me is mild weather, and that's where SoCal excels. From November through June, when it's mostly in the 60s and 70s, I never ever say "Gee, I'm sick of this perfect weather, I sure wish it would get back to the 90s."
One doesn't look forward to the next season because the current weather "sucks," one looks forward to different weather simply because one gets sick of it after a while. As I said, any weather, no matter how good, gets boring after a while IMO.
- If you had a favorite song, would you want to listen to it every day the rest of your life? No. Why? Because you'd get sick of it after a while, even though it's your favorite song.
- If you had a favorite food, would you want to eat it every day the rest of your life? No. Why? Because you'd get sick of it after a while, even though it's your favorite food.
Likewise for the weather. As much as I like 72 degrees and sunny, if I had to experience it every day the rest of my life I would get very bored of it really quick. Variety is the spice of life.
I'm afraid you don't really understand - ABQConvict is correct: People who move to 4-season climates usually *really do* like the 4 seasons. Personally I LOVE snow, I do not "say" I love snow merely as a "coping mechanism," I genuinely love it. And cold weather, too (I'm quite cold tolerant). Then when summer comes around the hot muggy weather and thunderstorms here in the Midwest have their own appeal. But in both cases the appeal wears off after a few months and a desire for relief arises. Too much of anything, no matter how good, gets tired after a while.
I don't disagree that people who MOVE to 4-season climates enjoy them; I was referring to people that were born/raised in such climates and adopt a mentality that they are tougher/better, despite clearly not embracing said climate (constant complaining/longing for the next season, staying indoors all winter, running the AC 24/7 during summertime, etc).
His original point was that people who live in these climates are 'tougher'; mine was that this doesn't hold true for much of the native population. Anyways, it's a silly argument to begin with. We all ought to be grateful for the variance in climate preferences; if everyone in America preferred to live in the same places most of us would be priced out.
FWIW: I prefer SoCal's cliamte because it's consistently pleasant and if I ever want something different, I need only drive a couple of hours to reach the mountains/desert/beach/etc. I would absolutely prefer a place with 4 seasons (ideally with mild winters) over somewhere like Phoenix.
My own observations are, people who were raised in 4-season climates who don't really like them, are not averse to complaining about them. If somebody truly hates cold and snow they're typically not above griping and complaining about it and rarely say they like it when they really don't.
- If you had a favorite song, would you want to listen to it every day the rest of your life? No. Why? Because you'd get sick of it after a while, even though it's your favorite song.
- If you had a favorite food, would you want to eat it every day the rest of your life? No. Why? Because you'd get sick of it after a while, even though it's your favorite food.
Likewise for the weather. As much as I like 72 degrees and sunny, if I had to experience it every day the rest of my life I would get very bored of it really quick. Variety is the spice of life.
I look at it from a more positive viewpoint:
Would I like to be married to the same person for the rest of my life? -- Being happily married, I can say yes, I would.
Would I like to enjoy good health for the rest of my life? -- Definitely.
Would I like to be financially secure for the rest of my life? -- Absolutely.
I don't need divorce, sickness, or poverty to keep from being bored. And I also don't need blizzards, tornadoes, hailstorms, or heatwaves to keep from being bored. As someone else said, if I really feel the need for snow or desert heat, I can drive an hour or two, get my fill, and go home again.
Would I like to be married to the same person for the rest of my life? -- Being happily married, I can say yes, I would.
Would I like to enjoy good health for the rest of my life? -- Definitely.
Would I like to be financially secure for the rest of my life? -- Absolutely.
I don't need divorce, sickness, or poverty to keep from being bored. And I also don't need blizzards, tornadoes, hailstorms, or heatwaves to keep from being bored. As someone else said, if I really feel the need for snow or desert heat, I can drive an hour or two, get my fill, and go home again.
In that case, the difference between you and I is that I don't regard cold, snow or heat to be the meteorological equivalent of divorce, sickness and poverty. That is, I don't regard cold, snow or heat to be "bad." I love snow and cold, and I like hot humid weather - at least for a while. But like anything else that I like, I can get tired of it after a while and desire a change, for a while.
In that case, the difference between you and I is that I don't regard cold, snow or heat to be the meteorological equivalent of divorce, sickness and poverty. That is, I don't regard cold, snow or heat to be "bad." I love snow and cold, and I like hot humid weather - at least for a while. But like anything else that I like, I can get tired of it after a while and desire a change, for a while.
I understand that. One result of living one's entire life in a place like SoCal is that one takes mild, clement weather for granted. It's just something that is there in the background, like good health, enabling one to get on with one's life. I've known various people who moved to "four seasons" areas, and while a few just loved it, the majority were disgruntled, at least initially, at all the different ways the weather could interfere with their plans. You plan a summer picnic or ball game, and it rains. You plant your garden, and a hailstorm or flood wipes out the little plants. The first snowfall comes early, and you don't have the right tires on your car, so you miss work. You visit family for Christmas, and an ice storm cuts off the electricity. (All of these things have happened to my siblings). Probably people who grow up in this kind of climate take it all in their stride, but there is no doubt it's an inconvenience.
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. Funny how that doesn't stop them from begging to visit once temperatures start to drop. 
