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People from the east coast tend to be more "direct" and confrontational about the way they feel or think, whereas, southern mindsets expect a person to have manners and either tolerate something or find an articulate polite way of expressing themselves?
This statement makes it sound like only NY, NJ, PA (northern states) are on the "east coast". I had to laugh at this. I'm from NC but live on the West Coast now. People here refer to any of the states, NC included, that border the Atlantic Ocean as East Coast... since they are geographically part of the Eastern Seaboard. I think it's all relative.
This statement makes it sound like only NY, NJ, PA (northern states) are on the "east coast". I had to laugh at this. I'm from NC but live on the West Coast now. People here refer to any of the states, NC included, that border the Atlantic Ocean as East Coast... since they are geographically part of the Eastern Seaboard. I think it's all relative.
I know that... but there is a personality difference between them... and I live in AZ right now and deal with relocatee types too....
People NY, NJ, PA say they are from "back east"... but I haven't heard many people say "back east" in reference to NC, SC, or even FL... I don't think they even call it the south either...
The post I made originally was more addressing how the NC people poke fun at "yankees" and vice versa... so if I use the term "east coast" too loosely, I do apologize.
Of course NC is considered "the South"!
Many of the new transplants may not have figured this out yet, but no self-respecting NC native would consider it anything but the South.
I wouldn't call NC the "fringes" of the south; that is Upper Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, etc..... NC is definitely considered a Southern State by everyone who lives here.
Nothing was off limits, nothing was too sacred for her to criticize or give somebody flack about. It was too much for me, I'm not used to that kind of social interaction and don't ever desire to be.
I think this was one of the biggest culture shocks for me in moving to NC, and one that I am still not used to (not sure I ever will be). I want to know where people stand on something, what they actually think and where they are coming from.
I just can't trust someone, no matter how lovely of a person and how trustworthy of a person they may actually be, if they won't be honest and upfrount about what they think. It' is like you (general you) are always waiting for the other shoe to drop....very passive aggressive.....very nerve wracking.
Anyway....just the other side of your coin.....just because other folks have a different appreciation of being upfrount, doesn't make hiding your feelings morally superior, or even more polite.
I think this was one of the biggest culture shocks for me in moving to NC, and one that I am still not used to (not sure I ever will be). I want to know where people stand on something, what they actually think and where they are coming from.
I just can't trust someone, no matter how lovely of a person and how trustworthy of a person they may actually be, if they won't be honest and upfrount about what they think. It' is like you (general you) are always waiting for the other shoe to drop....very passive aggressive.....very nerve wracking.
Anyway....just the other side of your coin.....just because other folks have a different appreciation of being upfrount, doesn't make hiding your feelings morally superior, or even more polite.
I agree too... I prefer people just say it like it is.
I think in order to survive in that environment, you have to know personally who you can be candid with, and who you have to bite your tongue with.
That personality thing happens everywhere BUT in other parts of the country where say New Yorkers have moved there isn't that North/South thing to attribute it to.
People from all over the country mix here in AZ. Most of the time NO ONE is really "from" here... and even if THEY are, their parents aren't so there isn't that real rooted in history thing going on. You just know if you get along with a person or not, and actually more people keep to themselves.
So I was trying more to figure out if real "southerners" don't like "yankees" just because of where they are from? Is it a N/S thing going back to the civil war? Or is it just a personality thing where southern "charm" clashes with "directness"?
I understand not liking hoards of outsiders coming in & "ruining" a place, but no matter where you go, you can't stop that, so its not really anyones "fault"... Seems the pattern of the country everywhere is that people are moving out of dense cities and finding areas that are more affordable. The cities people are flocking to should find a better way to address the growth.
Blame the developers and the cities that let them pack people like sardines into little treeless HOA neighborhoods. In the long run that isn't going to make for a happy population.
NC, TN, WV, KY, OK, VA, AR are Upper [Border] South states.
SC, GA, FL, TX, AL, MS, LA are Lower [Deep] South states.
"However, it should be noted that these Sections and regions differ, in at least some respects, from those which well dovetail with the various divisions of the country utilized over the years by the U.S. Census Bureau. For example, for decades, Delaware, Maryland and the District of Columbia were often considered to be more part of the "Upper [Border]" region of the SOUTH than the "Mid-Atlantic" region of the NORTHEAST, as is the case here."
I know that... but there is a personality difference between them... and I live in AZ right now and deal with relocatee types too....
People NY, NJ, PA say they are from "back east"... but I haven't heard many people say "back east" in reference to NC, SC, or even FL... I don't think they even call it the south either...
The post I made originally was more addressing how the NC people poke fun at "yankees" and vice versa... so if I use the term "east coast" too loosely, I do apologize.
CMIST, no need to apoligize... you did not use the term too loosely. I was just pointing out how people here (Portland) use the term. I did not make myself clear... thats what I get for trying to complete a thought with "Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom!" going on in the background.
You are right there is a cultural difference between the North and the South. And I think people here (Portland) get that. But most of them call all the eastern seaboard states "East Coast" or "Back East". I even once heard someone refer to Minneapolis as "Back East". LOL! Yes, it is east of Oregon. But I consider it upper mid-west/ great lakes. But it's all relative... our lense of experience shapes how we see things.
I've been trying to figure out the whole N / S thing all my life. When I go back to the small town in NC that I grew up in, I'm often mistaken for and sometimes treated like a "yankee", which is no fun. But I think most of the people who aren't friendly to outsiders are just afraid of loosing what they have know all their lives. My parents live on the land that has been in our family for 300 years...(since the King of England probably stole it from the Native Americans and then land granted it to my relatives). This is the norm in this town. But because land values have gone up so much in recent years many of these people wonder if they will be able to afford the taxes until they can pass it on to future generations.
Your are right that in our country alot of different people are moving to more affordable areas and bringing new cultures. Reminds me historically of the dust bowl when all the mid-westerns moved to California... this movement changed the face of California. And the current movements will change the face of NC. My husband and I are planning to move back and we probably wouldn't have considered that 10 years ago. I love living where people are from everywhere. But some people are just afraid of change. It can be pretty soul searching stuff.
If I ever figure out the whole N / S thing I'll let you know. You let me know if you figure it out too. In the mean time I think I'm going to make a glass of sweet tea to go with my Philly Steak and Cheese.
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