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As a non-native New Yorker, I definitely see a certain level of arrogance. However, people in rural areas like I grew up in my early years also look down on city people. Seems to work both ways.
People in Chicago don't put much thought into downstate Illinois. It's not a matter of looking down on them, but a matter of not even looking. Even the people who travel out of town for a rural get away usually head to Wisconsin.
Do you find that big-city people, upon finding out you are from a smaller city within the same state or region, treat you differently or have an interesting reaction?
For example, if you are a Californian from Redding and you are enjoying Los Angeles- do you experience "big city attitude" when someone (from the bigger city) finds out you are from the "small town"? Or between NYC and Upstate NY- that vein of comparison.
Do you think this mentality also exists in states with a major city that in reality is really not that big- but if it is the main regional center, it exudes a surprising presence/ "attitude"? (eg: 'major' cities in the middle of nowhere such as Oklahoma City vs. the rest of OK or Seattle vs. the rest of WA)
I guess its hard to tell, because I am a "big city person," at least here in Minnesota. I think I'd only look down on small town people if they were from Michelle Bachman's region. Honestly.
Ive lived in Michigan all my life, and you are right. It is the small towns and rural areas that look down on Detroit. I live about 2 hours north west of Detoilet in a very small town and most up here HATE Detroit. In fact everywhere in Michigan exept southeast Mi, Detroit is universally hated and run down. Our taxes are high to pay for its problems, our elections are decided by an overwhelming number of dead beat welfare recipiants, our insurance is high to pay for the stolen property, our states reputation is in tatters because of it. Any one who has ever driven through it has indeed seen the third world. Detroit is our states burden and embarassment, and trust me we all hate it. It has been two generations since Detroit contributed anything at all to our state. We would give it to Canada if we could get away with it, but im sure they would see that as an act of war.
It works both ways. People outside the cities assume people look down on them. In most cases, city people don't think about it very much. As Oscar Wilde said: "The only thing worse than being talked about is NOT being talked about."
There's a fine line between city arrogance and non-city defensiveness.
This sounds about right. I don't really care where you are from, and there are many city people who are like that. And I certainly don't look down on you based on where you are from, it rarely even comes up in my thoughts as I deal with people from all over the world daily and it would take up far too much energy to decide if I am going to look down on you for something as trivial as being from rural Alabama or rural Poland. But I've certainly had people who are avowed 'city haters' make all sorts of assumptions about me based on where I'm from.
In south Louisiana you might get an "ooh" or "ahhh" for being from Baton Rouge. You might get "oohs" and "aahs" in north Louisiana for living in Shreveport. Being from New Orleans will probably get you an "Oh!" or "ugh" from anywhere in Louisiana.
In Wisconsin you do get it a little from Milwaukee but you also get looked down upon if you're not from very liberal Madison. The locals their seem to think it's another Pandora.
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