I am getting the idea that Georgia is very groupthink. (Atlanta: neighborhoods, gated)

[green_mariner]

I have lived in Georgia for the last 12.5 years and as I have grown up, I have felt dissapointed by all of the "groupthink" I see around me(and I live in the metro Atlanta area). To me Georgia isn't as open to new ideas as one would believe living near a major metropolitan area. Alot of people seem to think "with the group" and individualism seems very rare.

[jennydowd]

I was going to give my opinion on this, but I decided to wait and see what everyone else thought first.

[JPD]

What types of individualistic acts and "new ideas" are you missing out on that were commonplace where you used to live?

[green_mariner]

Where I live it seems like if you are not Republican, Protestant(I am borderline socialist and Catholic), and have an aversion to the Confederate flag, you tend to feel out of place(and many people will make you feel out of place for it). Atlanta may be the one exception but even Atlanta can be a bit "groupthink". I live in the suburbs and it seems like groupthink is the rule. According to some of my friends from the western states, GA is very groupthink and when I do look around, I see what they mean.

[JPD]

You live in the wrong place.

[ellie]

I think people in different regions have different ways of thinking. The majority of folks in the NE have a different way of thinking than people in the NW. The SE is quite different in "group think" than the SW. Usually you have a majority who are one way and a few minority groups who think differently, but you'd never think a person from LA would see issues the same way as a person from Charleston.

I've lived in ultra liberal communities who were just as "restrictive" in their points of view as many Republicans are. You could be labeled a pariah if you ate a hamburger or if you accidentally threw an aluminum can in the waste paper container. BORING. Far more fun to be a heretic.

[leefowler]

Hmmm, Im not sure where you live in Ga, but maybe we should switch towns. I wouldn't so much call it groupthink, just individuals who agree. I think you are right that most are conservative protestant. But I would argue that the flag debate is small and dying.

[JPD]

Mr. Evergreen, I'm going to guess you live in Gwinnett.

[green_mariner]

No, I don't live in Gwinnett County. I live in Cobb.

[Georgia]

I can agree and in some terms disagree.
When one lives in heavily populated area (I have lived in Philly, NYC, Chicago, and now the Atlanta area) one will find less individualism. This is why you see so many cities with "neighborhoods". Heck, I found NYC as the most groupthink environment which I have ever lived. Segregated and closed neighborhoods. Yes, you can go out to a bar and be "individual" but once you hit your area of residence you better regress to the idealology of the neighborhood.

You will find most individual thinking people in places like WV (native) Vermont and other places where they escape to in order to get away from the "rules".

Georgia is rather conservative, and very Baptist, however being agnostic myself nobody has ever judged me. I'm more of a to each is own individual. I guess you could say "Rebel" much like Southern thinking to the rest of the country.

One could even review your comments (socialist/catholic) now one could say that is the eptimy of "groupthink". With most socialist (Hollywood is a good example) you better assimilate or be damned. And the Catholic Church, should we even think about being individual there? If so, hello excommunication.