Why do People Outside California seem to have a Chip on their Shoulder? (Los Angeles: homes, buy)

[I Love Buildings]

But we (California) are better than them (landlocked states) ...

But yeah its so true how everybody falls in love with California during their first visit. It's almost hypocritical.

[MN_Ski]

It goes both ways as well.

I've met a lot of Californians over the last few years, I've liked most of them. There is a SoCal/LA attitude that a lot seem to have though, and it comes from pride, which I understand. It didn't matter whatever city I was in, a few transplants have had to make comparisons to everything...and this is very common in Denver with LA transplants. They move here, but will always say something like "Well I'm from LA, and Denver is so small and [insert comment about how it's not as good as LA]". The natives get a irritated with it because they are also prideful of their state, and have enjoyed living there as is. They obviously don't like hearing people who just moved saying that Denver is a bad city because it isn't as big, or doesn't have as many high end amenities, or clubs, beaches, In and Out, or whatever.

California is a great place to live for many people, so I understand the pride, but in cases it does come off pretty arrogant.

I think in general, most cities have some kind of native/transplant feud. They don't want their city to become whatever city the transplants have fled from.

As far as California hate...I hear this a lot in the Midwest. Most of the complaints I hear are about the heat and the traffic...and I would agree on those two things. I don't hate California, I've enjoyed every trip I have ever taken, but I know it isn't for me.

[ohioaninsc]

Originally Posted by I Love Buildings

I Love California! I agree it can be jealousy triggering most of the "chips on shoulders" that OP is talking about. Think about it.. They have to struggle to pay flights and hotels just to visit OUR home while we get to stay here after many tourist's vacation. The most depressing part for midwestern tourist is the landing back to their flat, boring, nothing-going-on small town of theirs.

As a Midwesterner, who feels my area is not boring, this kind of attitude lends a lot to why people feel like they do about CA or other areas.
Living anywhere is what You make of it...if you are a boring person, you'll be bored in CA or FL or NY or OH. If you get out and do things, you can live in OH or KS or CA and not be bored.

[Bunjee]

I lived in Colorado too and it does go both ways. I would make a comment that was not meant to be a derogatory comparison, just an observation--much like out-of-staters here who are just talking about home--but it was taken as a slight. Sometimes people are primed to think you're being condescending. People could tend to make a lot of assumptions about me, being from SoCal. Bemusing mostly, at times hilarious, but sometimes aggressive.

[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by Slytrix

Why is it that people, even some of my relatives seem to hate California? If they don't live here, and we aren't bothering them, what's the big deal?

They sure like to vacation here I know that

What I find curious is that people who have never been to California, or who have only spent a week or two here on vacation, feel that they know everything about California and have no hesitation about how to "Fix" California.

I mean, I've spent a week in Iowa, but I would never try to act like an "expert" on the entire state or tell people who live in Iowa how to do things.

And then there are the stereotypes that my non-Californian friends constantly toss out about Californians:

"Everyone in California has a swimming pool."
"Everyone in California lives by the beach."
"Everyone in California is beautiful and fit."
"Everyone in California is blonde."
"Everyone in California is a liberal."
"Everyone in California is a surfer."
"Everyone in California hangs out in Hollywood."

Judging from some of the comments in this thread, I guess another one is "Everyone in California is so arrogant."

[MN_Ski]

Originally Posted by Bunjee

I lived in Colorado too and it does go both ways. I would make a comment that was not meant to be a derogatory comparison, just an observation--much like out-of-staters here who are just talking about home--but it was taken as a slight. Sometimes people are primed to think you're being condescending. People could tend to make a lot of assumptions about me, being from SoCal. Bemusing mostly, at times hilarious, but sometimes aggressive.

It's all how it comes out.

But it is rare, at least compared to how some people generalize CA transplants, and I can only think of handful of times where someone was truly being condescending.

It's the difference of , "I really miss ___, because of A, B, and C".
And
"I'm from___ , and it is SO much better than [current city], because of A, B, and C".

[eureka1]

Jealousy.

[Bunjee]

Originally Posted by MN_Ski

It's all how it comes out.

But it is rare, at least compared to how some people generalize CA transplants, and I can only think of handful of times where someone was truly being condescending.

It's the difference of , "I really miss ___, because of A, B, and C".
And
"I'm from___ , and it is SO much better than [current city], because of A, B, and C".

Yeah, you know how it goes sometimes. A casual exchange like, "I really miss..." gets relayed and somehow twisted down the line into "there's that dude who thinks everything here is all..." I've been totally WTF-blindsided at parties LOL. Ever the Guy From California, whatever that meant.

Happens everywhere, point being no one gets exclusive finger-pointing privileges. Anytime I see testaments of "vast cultural difference!"--from anyone addressing whatever other--it's self-valorization. An unwarranted moral, intellectual or cosmopolitan self-image, mostly from folks who seemingly have no sophistication in the topic of their own complaints. Have you noticed that? A constant irony.

[Moboy32]

Some people are envious

Some people hate it

Some people resent the California superiority complex

[gone down south]

California is traditionally at the cutting edge of social and environmental changes, and lots of Americans for some reason feel threatened and react poorly to the idea of change.