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People always try to portray that Southerners are the nicest and most welcoming of all Americans. I just want to know, in your experiences and views, is Southern Hospitality a myth or reality?
There is a general level of openness/friendliness that is often experienced in the South that you don't always find in other regions of the U.S. Of course it does exist and every region has friendly people, but there is something extra that is often (not always) found in the South.
I was talking to someone yesterday who told me she met a new resident in our neighborhood...she said the woman was friendly, but "New England" friendly - not "southern" friendly. I don't know how to describe it, but I knew exactly what she meant by that. It's not bad or good, just different IMO.
If someone is truly from the South or has spent significant time there, they have always fit the reality in my experience. I must say that I always look forward to my trips in the Southern U.S. much more than when I head North. There are some places in the North that I have met so many people that didn't know the word, "Hospitality" and most certainly didn't know the definition.
Sure, I have had some rude situations in the South from time to time, but I always try to find out where those people are from and 99% of the time, they haven't been from that area. So, I am a true believer in Southern Hospitality.
Yes. Its a reality. The thing is don't mistake they're kindness for weakness. They can be extremely manipulative. Down south it may seem like you have alot of friends when in reality you only have a few, whereas up north it seems like you only have a few friends, but are suprised to find love in some of the most unexpected people/places. Just my experiences.
Yes. Its a reality. The thing is don't mistake they're kindness for weakness. They can be extremely manipulative. Down south it may seem like you have alot of friends when in reality you only have a few, whereas up north it seems like you only have a few friends, but are suprised to find love in some of the most unexpected people/places. Just my experiences.
same here.
Yeah I cant lie down south while the niceness is cool and all it pretty damn easy (well for me at least) to see through the bull s*** of corse you can tell who is sincere and there are plenty of sincere folks down south. So to answer the question yes southern hospitality is real but that dont mean they're your friend
The south - friendliness, hospitality
East coast/mid west cities - keeping it real and honesty
Yeah I cant lie down south while the niceness is cool and all it pretty damn easy (well for me at least) to see through the bull s*** of corse you can tell who is sincere and there are plenty of sincere folks down south. So to answer the question yes southern hospitality is real but that dont mean they're your friend
The south - friendliness, hospitality
East coast/mid west cities - keeping it real and honesty
It's usually called courtesy...it isn't always sincere and people aren't always your best friend, but it's a very simple thing (IMO) to be nice and friendly to a stranger. You aren't promising honesty or reality by doing it. Anyway, I usually tend to find courteous people wherever I go...you often get back what you put out.
It's usually called courtesy...it isn't always sincere and people aren't always your best friend, but it's a very simple thing (IMO) to be nice and friendly to a stranger. You aren't promising honesty or reality by doing it.
I'm not referring to common courtesy. I know the difference. Believe it or not that exists up north too.
When I was down south the women were easy, and everyone was acting like they were my best friend, not because they liked me, but because they liked what I could do for them, and my up-north swagger. When it was all said and done I realized most of their personas were fake. I just would have rathered them been up-front with me about who they truly were from the start, and I was young and naive when I went down there, and thought that everyone was the same as the people back home. They could never play me, but I lost alot of respect for them for not owning who they were and how they felt, like they were insecure.
With that said, the majority of the people I met down south were genuine, simple, but genuine. It was just a select few that were constantly trying too hard.
Myth IMO. I would say that people in my area are generally friendly, but they don't necessarily come off as nice unless you're a tourist. From my experiences in more "traditional" parts of the south I found most of the hospitality to be fake. There are nice people and mean people, but they usually have this idea of "respect", "courtesy", and I guess "hospitality" instilled in them. Like it's a cultural norm to "act this way in public" and "to not say/do ________ in front of people". There's like an understood boundary of what is acceptable and what isn't and most people seem to have been taught not to cross it. I don't think that it's necessarily a good or bad thing, but I do prefer to be around people who display what they feel vs. people who want to appear friendly. It's funny because in TX, MS, and other parts of LA I've been told how I'm too cheeky/aggressive/mean where at home I'm told I'm too nice.
It's usually called courtesy...it isn't always sincere and people aren't always your best friend, but it's a very simple thing (IMO) to be nice and friendly to a stranger. You aren't promising honesty or reality by doing it. Anyway, I usually tend to find courteous people wherever I go...you often get back what you put out.
Yep, That's all I thought it was, it's not saying you want to be best friends your just being polite.
In my experience it's kind if both, it is real and it is a myth. It's real because it is common courtesy but "Southern Hospitality" makes it sound exclusive to the South and surprisingly there actually are people who think that.
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It's not bad or good, just different IMO.
