Why Are People In The Bay Area So Soft? (San Francisco: taxi, pit bulls)
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Quite a thoughtful response. I was wondering if the marijuana culture of California has something to do with a slower less anxious lifestyle? This is a serious question.
Yeah well i'm kinda a thoughtful girl.
Regarding marijuana ... i'm not sure about that.
It may be the other way around ... that the relative openness to it has to do with what i perceive to be the essential California (separate from all of the political and social woes) ... future oriented, often cutting edge in many ways, open, tolerant, "live and let live", less driven, more relaxed, etc.. but i don't have enough of an "eagles eye view" to be able to say more than that.
Yeah well i'm kinda a thoughtful girl.
Regarding marijuana ... i'm not sure about that.
It may be the other way around ... that the relative openness to it has to do with what i perceive to be the essential California (separate from all of the political and social woes) ... [b]future oriented, often cutting[B/] edge in many ways, open, tolerant, "live and let live", less driven, more relaxed, etc.. but i don't have enough of an "eagles eye view" to be able to say more than that.
California's dilapidated infrastructure is evidence against that.
What your talking about specifically is probably silicon valley. Also California especially norcal/bay area is not tolerant or open in the general sense or understanding.
I've used this excellent post before (by Stillkit) when i feel that it's relevant and, regarding the tolerance toward marijuana, it may be ... relevant.
It also addresses the difference between the polar opposites of the northeast and California. There's a very different essential "mind-set".
"Never forget that the west coast was, and is, a barrier. It stopped the western migration of our history cold, dead in its tracks.
Those who perpetually moved west were the disaffected, the non-conformists, the recalcitrant, those seeking relief from responsibilities and expectations or running from the law. Those moving west were after a new life, a new beginning, a fresh start separated by a continent from the old life, from the old parameters and restraining conformity.
It still is. New generations head west for the same reasons their forefathers headed west, and they join the progeny of those previous immigrants. All of them have washed up against the Pacific Ocean and stopped. There's no place else to go.
That's why the west coast is different from the rest of America, and California in particular. The opportunities in Washington and Oregon are pretty much limited to those areas west of the Cascades, but California was, and still is, wide open, from the high deserts to the inland valleys to the coast; California is the Mecca, the Promised Land, the place where a person can begin again.
It has attracted, does attract, and WILL attract the detrious of the continent; the good alongside the bad, the decent people and the criminals, the lazy and the industrious. Anyone wanting to start over has come to California and they'll continue to come because they have no other place to go."
California's dilapidated infrastructure is evidence against that.
What your talking about specifically is probably silicon valley. Also California especially norcal/bay area is not tolerant or open in the general sense or understanding.
No i'm not talking about Silicon Valley specifically although it has taken part (does take part) in that cutting edge / innovative / future thinking "consciousness".
You'll notice that i highlighted the word "essential" ... the essence of a place (or person or anything) is distinct from what is seen on the surface.
Historically, California has certainly always been future oriented.
Californias "dilapidated infrastructure" is part of the social / political woes (let it collapse ... dysfunctional structures need to) that, again, is distinct from what i perceive to be the quintessential California.
And to say that "especially norcal/bay area is not tolerant or open in the general sense of understanding" is an interesting (i could say strange) perspective.
What area of California would you say is more open, progressive and tolerant?
And to say that "especially norcal/bay area is not tolerant or open in the general sense of understanding" is an interesting (i could say strange) perspective.
What area of California would you say is more open, progressive and tolerant?
"Tolerance" implies tolerance of not just ethnic differences, but differing political and cultural viewpoints. This is absent in the Bay Area. Like mysticality said its a different type of "rigidity" and is slanted toward progressive ideas of what "tolerance" does and does not mean.
The Bay Area is "diverse" ethinically but not "tolerant" to everyone except the categories of people that it likes and certainly not "open". The people are often "closed", guarded and introverted.
SoCal is a better example of true tolerance. Wide ethnic, cultural AND political diversity. A healthy environment of moderation, relaxed clothing and let and let live attitudes, minus the preachyness and pseudo-fascistic political rigidity of the north.
"Tolerance" implies tolerance of not just ethnic differences, but differing political and cultural viewpoints. This is absent in the Bay Area. Like mysticality said its a different type of "rigidity" and is slanted toward progressive ideas of what "tolerance" does and does not mean.
The Bay Area is "diverse" ethinically but not "tolerant" to everyone except the categories of people that it likes and certainly not "open". The people are often "closed", guarded and introverted.
SoCal is a better example of true tolerance. Wide ethnic, cultural AND political diversity. A healthy environment of moderation, relaxed clothing and let and let live attitudes, minus the preachyness and pseudo-fascistic political rigidity of the north.
I dunno.
Different perspectives and they're both personal .... and subjective.
The world that i live in (in Santa Cruz county) is very tolerant.
I do not find people in my neck of the woods (or in the bay area, etc.) "closed, guarded and introverted" ... not at all.
I'm not political and could care less about what the "powers of be" are doing and not doing.
Last edited by coyoteskye; 03-07-2010 at 05:09 PM..
"Tolerance" implies tolerance of not just ethnic differences, but differing political and cultural viewpoints. This is absent in the Bay Area. Like mysticality said its a different type of "rigidity" and is slanted toward progressive ideas of what "tolerance" does and does not mean.
The Bay Area is "diverse" ethinically but not "tolerant" to everyone except the categories of people that it likes and certainly not "open". The people are often "closed", guarded and introverted.
SoCal is a better example of true tolerance. Wide ethnic, cultural AND political diversity. A healthy environment of moderation, relaxed clothing and let and let live attitudes, minus the preachyness and pseudo-fascistic political rigidity of the north.
If what you are suggesting is tolerance of ignorance then, yes, California, and the Bay Area in particular are not tolerant. It's interesting that Republicans & those who believe that the world is 6000 yrs old and that gay people are the devil, etc. get resentful that the rest of society not only rejects what they believe but ridicule them as oafs. That will never change. Stupidity will always be unacceptable to anybody with a brain.
I grew up on the East Coast and I agree with your assessment. Very well said . I'd rep you but it wouldn't let me.
Although I do think California is not as laid back as it appears on the surface. And in some ways, I think we've gotten rigid in our thinking as well. Just a different kind of rigid than what they have back East. Not as bad, yet, and hopefully it won't get that way.
I agree with your response and the reply you wrote it for...
I always say I like that whole 'being nice to people thing,that's west of the mississippi'...lol and I am originally from boston/MA-3rd generation.
I have always appreciated the 'yin' of the west coast-
though after ten years of living here,I am finally starting to tire of it...
it's also evolved into even more P.C. and 'conform to non-conformity',here in CA/west coast,though-so this probably makes it feel less soft and more annoying/less free,to me....
I have always missed the intellectual spirit of the NE,though sfo/bay area provided a vibrancy and the newness of exploring,plus the natural landscape,made it not so apparent. But,after 8 yrs in San Diego,I am about finally ready to implode if I cannot have a deep conversation about any second now-lol-and the lack of follow through,particularly in so cal,is cumbersome at best,anymore.
And I don't mean flaky in terms of making plans,but even just in conversation-even with my spouse,who is a CA native,and I love that he's soft(:,but i'm like 'can we just have a quick,to the point conversation that has a beginning,middle and end?' Please???
That said,the NE traits can be really refreshing,but for example,my own family and most folks i knew,used this sarcasm and biting nature in a negative way,to the point that anyone who was sensitive [ahem,me] or not particularly wanting to be abrasive,but just being direct and opinionated instead, got/get kind of clobbered back there.
My spouse is very sarcastic and urbane-his whole so cal native family is...and the bay area is the only place in the country! that he goes where he feels like people really 'get' him,and his humor.
I don't know,I wonder if this is a case of 'hey,most people in CA are from somewhere else'...maybe it's all of us sensitive rejects from other parts of the country,that couldn't make it in that type of environ,who moved to CA and created a self-fulfilling prophecy of this place????
Last edited by lrmsd; 03-07-2010 at 06:04 PM..
Reason: typo
If what you are suggesting is tolerance of ignorance then, yes, California, and the Bay Area in particular are not tolerant. It's interesting that Republicans & those who believe that the world is 6000 yrs old and that gay people are the devil, etc. get resentful that the rest of society not only rejects what they believe but ridicule them as oafs. That will never change. Stupidity will always be unacceptable to anybody with a brain.
hmm. Just because a person is a Republican does not mean they believe the world is 600 years old, nor do they believe that gay people are the devil, etc.
hmm. Just because a person is a Republican does not mean they believe the world is 600 years old, nor do they believe that gay people are the devil, etc.
Guilt by association! Remember the Republican presidential primary debates where less than half raised their hand when questioned if they believed in evolution? That was all it took to realize that Republicans are either dumb or tolerate those that are merely for votes. which is worse!
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I was wondering if the marijuana culture of California has something to do with a slower less anxious lifestyle? This is a serious question.
