Sunday, September 25, 2011

Southerners and Northerners

What is the difference between Southerners and Northerners in the USA? What stereotypes have formed about these groups and their differences? How true do you think these stereotypes are? Explain, giving details from your experience to support your response.

79 comments:

  1. People in America view Southerners vs. Northerners in two very different lights. As I personally have lived in the south all my life, I have only briefly heard of southern stereotypes. For instance, the fact that most southern accents mean talking slowly and with a drawl, people have credited the south to be unintelligent. Obviously, that is untrue. However, southerners also known for their "southern hospitality" and kindness. As far as my experience is, I would go so far as to say this is fairly true. Whereas, in the north, I know that most Americans view Northerners as loud, pushy, and rude people. I would assume this to be the truth, as well, growing up in the south, however, I have met several Northerners where this stereotype simply does not fit. However, the North is said to be where the more intelligent people lie and, I would not disagree, but would say that it is not the only place. Any place in America is going to have a stereotype or two and some of them may or may not be true, but we can't depend upon stereotypes to make judgement. I, personally, think some stereotypes about the North and South have some factual evidence, based on my experience. However, when you find some that are so incredibly untrue, it makes it hard to credit any bad or good experience you may have with either part of America.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cameron Reid Simpson said...
    Having grown up in a small town in South Carolina my entire life I have come to love the South and think of Northerners as "yankees". The town i'm from is at least fifty percent Northerners who have come to retire at the beach so I have experienced both the good and bad in Southerners and Northerners. The stereotypes are all so typical. People from the South are slow-moving, un-intelligent, and speak with an inaudible tongue. The stereotypes continue with people from the North. They are fast-moving, self-centered, and say the word "Coffee" weird. Now having worked in the restaurant business and living in a tourist resort I have seen many sides to all of there stereotypes. Indeed there are those "Yankees" that are rude and choose not to respond to your greeting but there are Southerners who do this too. Stereotypes will unfortunately remain with us no matter what because we are not one people we are all separated into categories based on race, religion, ethnicity, and place of origin.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Even though the Civil War ended 146 years ago, it feels like both sides never got entirely rid of the animosity they felt toward the other. I was born in the north, but raised in the south, so I have experienced both cultures. From listening to my very Southern grandma talk, I know that the typical southern view of "yanks" is that they are standoffish, unfriendly, and even egotistical. I feel as though New Yorkers have a particularly bad reputation of behaving in this way. However most of my experiences with people in New York City have been wonderful. Just this past summer my mom and I had one of the nicest waiters ever while dining in a restaurant in the city. A big part of this rude New Yorker image is the way they walk. Yes, New Yorkers walk at a fast pace and know were they need to go, but they do not knock people down to get there.
    At the same time Northerners do not have very nice things to say about people from the south. Most believe us to be dumb as dirt and small-minded. Last December I went to visit one of my best friends in Ohio. Throughout my visit I had people ask me things such as, "Do you have stop lights in your town?" Her friends always made snide comments when I would tell them the universities that I was looking to attend because the list did not include North Western or Notre Dame. One of her friends even put on a country song at a party to "make me feel more at home." Needless to say I was offended. I do not like country music at all, and I was not asking them rude stereotypical questions.
    In my opinion both sides are in the wrong. We all make stereotypes, but we all need to step back and react to situations on a person-to-person basis, not because of a stereotype. This way we can interact with people different from ourselves in a peaceful manner. Not everyone fits into the same mold.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Born in the North, lived in the south. Me too. I don't think Northerners feel they have anything to prove. The subject never comes up. Southerners just cannot let it go. Whatever IT is. lol I have lived here for many years and never felt at home. I have moved many times in the same town and never had anyone come and welcome me to the neighborhood. I don't get it. What is this hospitality I am always hearing about? Sorry but I prefer Northerners. I have found them to be friendlier, more hospitable, less insecure and truer friends.

      Delete
    2. Northerner here. Born/bred in the North, raised in the North, currently living in the South (the military brought me here). I had seen movies of a "southern" persuasion and depictions of popular media of the south, but didn't think too much of it. First time I heard the term "damn yankee" was from someone from the south, and I asked him what it even meant. Honestly, stuff like that is retarded and I get sick of hearing it.

      No, I do not like phoniness. I also don't like rude people. But out of the two, I would rather have someone being rude and upfront than phony and backstabbing. It's really the worst and can do the most damage to you.

      Delete
    3. I moved around as a kid and heard continuous comments about being left handed with a southern accent. Now living in the Midwest I still encounter same comments. I think it's how your raised. Living in the south I may have commented on an accent but only in reference to where the individual is from. I would never make off - handed remarks or "poke fun" about how someone, I.e.: well, I would not live in the south - don't want my kids talking like that or comment on southern slang- as stupid. Comments like that are more about the sender. It reflects a level of prejudice and a judge mental attitude. If you are raised as a northerner or a southerner you come with a certain amount of prejudice and stereotype beliefs and its up to each individual to recognize this and to thoughtfully treat each human with dignity regardless of cultural and regional differences.

      Delete
    4. I am 17 years old, and live in North Carolina. I really admire the South, it's food, the people (mostly) and the fact it's very grounded in Biblical principles. There are Baptist churches EVERYWHERE you look in the South. I have family from the North and can't stand their accent lol. Most of my family is from here. I've been reading how people are saying Southerners are stupid, and have such low-grade intelligence. Well, I have never met smarter people until here. My dad is a complete History geek (he should have been a Historian), and he's very good at science and mathematics. Though, I have seen various people from here who aren't as smart as a dog...in fact, the dog is probably smarter. But I see those types of people everywhere. I've never been up North..I think I'd like to go if it's not too crowded, which I expect to be quite cramped in certain areas. I hear quite a lot about the Civil War and who was right...everyone here advocates for the Confederacy obviously. I just want to study it myself and get into the roots of it, but I do believe the people here when they say the South was right, but at the moment I'm mostly indifferent and not trying to be an anti-patriot but I'm not into that type of thing. Some kids my age are and they're overboard if you ask me...

      Delete
  4. I have lived in Lexington, South Carolina all my life. It is a average size town where everyone pretty much knows everyone. My whole family and eveyone i know really can not stand northeners. They are known to be rude and very unfriendly. Where I'm from and every other southerner I know, are all alike. If you're in the grocery store and pass someone in the aisle, if you know them or not, you nod and say how are ya? If you're driving down the road and someone throws a hand up while passing, you wave back...The hospitality in the South is just so great in the South. Everyone is friends to everyone and "whats yours is mine, and mine is yours is a saying many people live off of.

    Stereotypes for the North are pretty harsh but i believe them all to be true. The North is all about industrialization and factories. They find welath in large companies. They think wealth is measured by the car u drive and the house u live in.

    In the South wealth is measured by the amount of land you have or the amount of love in your own home. The South is all about farming and agriculture. All the northeners think anyone from the South is a man wearing cowboy boots and a straw hat about to go plow his fields. That may be the case in some rural areas but not for the entire South. Southeners, for some own known reason to me, are also thought to not be very smart, this is also not true. The South is not dumber nor smarter than the North. Where you live does not decide your intelligence.

    Things that are associated with the South are: country music, moon pies and RC cola (haha), the rebel flag, rednecks, farms, tractors, ditsy blondes in dazy dukes and ignorant cowboys. When in reality the Southern part of our country is absolutely beautiful and has so much to offer.

    I took a trip to New York one two summers ago and i was taking a tour of the city on one of those double decker red tour buses. A boy came and started talking to me and my sister. After we introduced ourselves he immediately started laughing at our accents and mockingly asked where are YALLLLL from? letting all his syllabuls last extra long. Throughout our conversation the boy kept rephrasing his sentences to make them easier to understand when me and my sister could understand them perfectly the first time. We were very offeneded and relieved when he got off on the next stop. Just because he met two girls that were clearly from the South he automatically assumed we were unintelligent.

    I agree with bloggers above that no stereotypes are fair and should be considered correct. Stereotypes have been around for a long time and will continue to be around for much longer. It is up to the people of the world to decide whether to believe them or not or find out for themselves.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think that sounds 2 fold there. You've painted the south in a portrait of beauty when infact it is far from it. I too live in the south and just as you state the little boy that mocked your accent is rude I think it is very disrespectful when I hear ignorant southerners use the term "Them Damn Yankee's". Southerners may come across as sickeningly sweet but many of them are backstabbers where as most northerners will be straightforward and upfront. In my area people don't hold doors, wave to you, say hello but they do hold on to the sexist role of "only a man can do that...A woman is too weak to" which I find to be an ironic duplicity.

      Even with my deep southern accent I have been asked many times if I am from up north because of being so direct with people. I have just learned how the portrayal of the so called "southern hospitality" is a load of "CRAP". A person is either genuine or they are not.

      I agree with your final statement and also will say if the people that are from your area are genuinely friendly then that's great. I'm sorry for the bad experiences you've had with the northern people. I would say they may have just gotten a bit of a "Big Head" because they think they are better than everyone else.

      Delete
    2. Sorry but you don't know what TRUE southern hospitality is. People from the south are nice even when paying you an insult. For example, "You look very nice in that shirt, but I would NEVER where that and neither would my any of my family. But you look very nice in it." Southern hospitality is everywhere down south, you just have to first learn what it is and second how to spot it. Also you may think you're from the south but all you are is a damb yankee. But don't worry God still loves you. (Again, that's a prime example of southern hospitality. )

      Delete
    3. "are nice even while paying an insult"?? really?? that's called "passive aggressive" and it's nasty, not nice. I am from the North and my Mom taught me," if you don't have something nice to say than don't say anything". Southern Moms teach their kids if you don not likr someone kill them with kindness. That's nasty and dishonest. Northerners have lots of shortcomings for sure, but nobody here is pretending to be nice.
      I lived in the south for 3 years and met lots of really nice people. But also met a lot of phoney "southern hospitality"....honesty if much better than fake friendliness.

      Delete
    4. Originally from NYC, grew up in Jersey, and have lived in Dallas since the late 90s. I still haven't found this so called "Southern Hospitality", but maybe I'm looking in the wrong places. Hmm.

      In general, I have experienced people being polite. Sure they will speak to you in a store and even wave to you as they drive by (although I have no idea who they are, nor do they know me), but rarely does one receive invites into their homes. I've invited them into my home for various functions--and they attend, and have returned, but the invites are reciprocated--and of course I've stopped.

      I would rather deal with reality. If you have a problem--say so. Cut the passive aggressive crap--it's so transparent. I've been called rude, arrogant, aggressive, and of course, DAMNED YANKEE! Lucky for me I don't have thin skin, but it appears that's not the case with most.

      One thing that's a common occurrence, the DAMNED YANKEE that I've met all have experienced the same as me. I'm and bred Yankee, that will never change, and since I have the right to reside where I choose, I think some should get over it. It is what it is. Sheesh!

      Delete
    5. Why do some people from the South seem to think that the North has no small towns? That no one is a farmer? That nothing in the North is rural?
      Perfect strangers I have never met, who would not wave at me in a car, nor strike up a meaningless conversation with me in a store, did stop and offer to help change a tire for me in the middle of a raging snow storm.
      Yes I live in the north.
      No one where I am from, and I mean no one, in half a century has ever referred to the Civil War as anything but history with the same relevance to modern USA as the Jamestown colony. It is ancient history where I am from. Huge percentages of many of our ancestors were still in Europe when the Civil War was fought. Do I understand that the Civil War was a hugely shaping force in the USA? Yes. So was the war of 1812, the Revolutionary War and even the French and Indian War. None of them is in my mind daily and in relation to all situations. The North, especially those of us who are descendants of later immigrants will never understand Southern obsession with the Civil War.
      I do not want to be bothered by small talk that is of no consequence. It does not seem polite to me, it seems fake. No stranger really cares how I am doing and if they do I would perceive them as a potential threat.
      At least in the north we would never give a backhanded nicety such as "Bless your heart." That is the most condescending and demeaning thing someone could ever say.
      My husband is from the South. He would like us to move there. What I hear and read makes me leery of ever trying to live in the South, even though I have many reasons to leave where I am. No, everything is not better in the North. No, I do not believe everything Southern is backward or ignorant.
      I just don't want to deal with the ignorance about and prejudice against Northerners, nor do I wish to be forced to accept Southern customs that I find uncomfortable or fake.
      I have and will go out of my way to help anyone in need. I give respect to all unless they show me they deserve otherwise. I do not believe I am better (or worse) than anyone else in any way.
      Stereotypes are bad in either direction.
      I was not raised by people , nor surrounded by people who thought that "we" are better than Southerners. I never knew until my 40th decade that some people in the South believe that Northerners think of them as uneducated or backward. I was never overtly or subjectively taught that. Where does this belief come from? Are Southerners so sensitive that they believe that a few stupid people from the North are representative of us all?
      Southern neighbors, I understand that you do not like to be stereotyped. Please extend us the Southern courtesy of not stereotyping all Northerners.
      MMS

      Delete
    6. very well said

      Delete
  5. I never realized the extremes between the American Southerns and Northerners until I started here at USC. I am from Columbus, OH and though I have visited the south, most of my experiences and all of my family are from the north.

    Being from the north I held stereotypes toward the south. I expected souther hospitality, everyone to be laid back, women to be viewed differently and races to be view differently. Nothing was exactly how i expected it.

    Though I haven't been to a southern home, I have experience some southern hospitality through students I have met in the south. But, these experiences are not that much different that where I am from in the north. In Ohio everyone is always welcome and large groups of people share and enjoy many things together. I grew up with many close family friends and was taught to be polite. I think in the north people may be rude sometimes but when they are polite it is genuine. They don't say nice things just to come off as nice. They actually mean what they say and don't just try to seem nice. This idea of "trying to seem nice" is not true for all southerners but I have experienced it quite often since I have been down here.

    I thought the south would be more laid back than home but I was completely wrong about this one. It is true that the north appeals to fashion and what the new trends are but I think the south appeals to brand names and looking dressed up all the time. At home casual wear is much more common and dress wear is more for special occasion.

    The idea of women in the south is very different than the north. I do not know what I expected but I can defiantly see a difference. Women in the north are seen as more independent and it is very common to participate in athletics. In the south it seems to be less common for girls to play sports and men are always sure to take care of women.

    Lastly, there is large difference in groups of people with different races. I don't know if it is just my experience at USC but in the north different races hang out a lot more than in the south. Since I have been here I rarely see multi-race friend groups. This is especially apparent with the Greek Life at USC.

    The situations I have just described are only based on my experiences. I am sure these are not true for all of the north or all of the south. There are obviously people from the entire spectrum from both areas.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am from the south and your description is pretty "spot on"!!

      Delete
    2. From what I have lived and what I am reading here it would seem that much of what is being described is a difference between city and country rather than North and South. Though I would definitely agree that Northerners are generally more direct (it saves time) and Southerners pretend to be nicer.

      Delete
  6. Often, Southerns have the impression that northerners are much more fast paced and rude. I have had experience with both southerners and northerners because I was born in New York and moved to Hilton Head as a young child. My northern family members have a tendency to be more work focused all the time and less open in conversation with strangers but in no way are they rude. I think stereotypes have a tendency to show how many people act but should never be used to assume how a group will act. Even assuming that what you think you know about a culture will help you in communication is irresponsible. I do not agree that because anyone is in the north that they should be less friendly or less like their own culture. Although southerners tend to be more laid back and live a "slower" life, meaning they speak slower and work slower, northerners should not come to South Carolina expecting to find a group of lazy southerners. Living on a resort island, I would encounter people of all cultures at work, school, and during vacation. This led me to think that I knew what every group was like and I thought I could point them out in a second. After a couple years working in tourism, I realized it was always best to act myself and let others react to you. When working with people from all over, also, I heard the stereotypes affecting their work ethic. Waiters would come back from a table saying they had it easy because the northerners would tip badly anyway so they did not have to work as hard. In the end, it was their own fault that they got the bad tip and the idea that stereotypes had any truth in character. Another stereotype is that southerners are either rich or "rednecks." This is one hundred percent false! Southerners are typically the same as northerners and have every level of financial and social status. It is frustrating living in a world where people let assumptions and stereotypes control their actions. I hope that one day everyone will act in a respectful way with open minds about how each person is their own person.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Northerners and southerners have both similarities and differences. They are both American so they each have a sense of individualism and independency. I am personally from the south, but I have a roommate who is from the north. She constantly makes fun of my accent and when she imitates it she gives the impression that I sound unintelligent. My “y’all” contrasts with her “you guys” and “drink” with “pop”. But just because we have that country twang occasionally, doesn’t mean we actually are dumb. Then again, there are those few “rednecks” who live up to that reputation quite well. Also I’ve heard the term southern hospitality used, meaning us as southerners are open to new people and visitors and show them nothing but respect upon meeting them. While this may be true for some, I know I personally am not that hospitable towards people I’ve only just met. My mom has always told me I act as if I was raised in the north and this probably has to do with the fact that my dad is originally from Iowa. When I think of the north I typically picture New York City. I view the people to be extremely blunt, sometimes obnoxious, loud, and always on the go. Recently having visited New York, this description fits pretty well if you ask me. People will take your cab that you’ve been waiting on, cut in front of you in line, please and thank you is not commonly heard, and if someone wants to tell you like it is, they will. Northerners lean more towards individualists then southerners I believe. They do what they have to do when it’s needed. Personally, although very different, I love both the south and the north equally and believe they make America who/what we are today.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am a Michigander whose great grandfather fought for the North in the Civil War. New York City is in the northeastern part of the United States and the residents there do not represent the entire north. New Yorkers live in a fast paced atmosphere, so if they appear snotty or rude they really don't intent to present themselves like that. It's just that time is money to them.
      I believe the pace which people live depends on a lot of factors from weather conditions, business climate, population, etc.
      Where I live you can't drive down the road without someone waving and it doesn't matter if they know you! There are items placed by the road with a sign saying " free" these items are anything from vegetables to used doors and windows. And then again there are signs where people are selling eggs or sweet corn or other fruits and vegetables at the side of the road. No one is out there monitoring the cash that is thrown in a coffee can or making sure you are taking only what you have paid for i.e. they believe all are trustworthy.
      With that said I believe it doesn't matter wherever you are born or live there are kind, friendly, and generous people everywhere!

      Delete
  8. Chris Ricketson
    The tension between the North and the South can get pretty heated at times. We both think that the opposites are way worse then they really are. As a southern we all are southern gentlemen, that have manners such as “yes sir, no sir”, treat people right and drink sweet tea. As a southern I feel that all northern people are Yankees with a Boston accent, Jersey Shore type people that are all terrible drivers. But on the other hand all northern people think the south is rednecks that inbreed and can’t talk right. Both sides have strong stereotypes against us, but in the end most aren’t true about either one of us. For example not all northern people are Yankees with Boston accents or jersey shore stars, but all of them are bad drivers for sure. Both sides have completely different views about one another but in the end are very similar.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. All northern people are bad drivers? If you meant that, then you are very funny without intending to be. Most drivers everywhere in the states are pretty good drivers. Try going to other countries to see "bad" drivers.

      Delete
    2. I feel like this may have some merit if you replaced "all" with "most." There are VERY few cases in which a stereotype is true for every single person.

      Delete
  9. I'm from Charlotte, North Carolina, which is a very interesting city. While i'm from the South, Charlotte has a lot of northern influence because of the banking industry's presence in the city. Most people who reside in the city are from somewhere else so most people in North Carolina view Charlotte as a northern city.

    I guess the biggest difference I've noticed between Northerners and Southerners is the affect religion has on everyday life. Religion seems to be more ingrained in the culture of the South than it is in the North, mostly because the South is made up mostly of Christians. Northerners tend to always be in a hurry and want to get things done as quickly as possible, while in the South people tend to be more relaxed and easy-going.

    For the South the biggest stereotype is that we are stupid because of our accents and tendency to simplify words like "you all" into "y'all". Northerners are thought to be angry and rude to everyone they see and the North in general, especially the big cities, are places where no one will help you.

    I know both stereotypes aren't true, most of the people i know that are from the south are very smart, and we just simplify words because we love to talk and shortening words just makes it easier. As with the stereotype that all northerners are mean and rude, I've been to Boston and the people there are very friendly. They only get mad once they get into cars, if the light has turned green and your car isn't already in the middle of the intersection you're going to get honked at.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Do you think beliefs and opinions are handed down by generations?

      Delete
  10. When people found out I was applying to school in South Carolina I got mixed reviews from my friends and family. People told me that everyone would hate me because I was from the North and people told me that I would be welcomed with open arms by that good old southern hospitality. I was skeptical about coming to school down here. Countless teachers told me that the education wouldn’t be equivalent to the education I could get in New York, but nonetheless I decided to venture south. From what I’ve seen so far I couldn’t disagree more with that accusation. There are so many intelligent people here and I’m getting a great education.

    I was terrified when I first got down here. I thought everyone would see me as a rude, inconsiderate, fast-paced, girl from New York since that is the classic stereotype of a Northerner. However, I was pleasantly surprised that no one judged me that harshly. Everyone I met got to know me as a human being before they labeled me Northerner or Southerner. I’m sure they had some preconceived notions when they first heard where I was from but they put all of those behind them,

    I believe some of the southern stereotypes are correct. For example the southern hospitality or kindness is apparent. So many of the people I meet are so genuinely interested in how I’m doing, which is something you don’t see often in New York. It isn’t that people up North aren’t kind it’s just that many of them feel they don’t have the time to waste or they aren’t as open with people they don’t know. I know people in New York who are the exact stereotype but I know people who are laid back and friendly, it really depends on the person you meet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am from North Carolina and have visited NYC and NJ on several occasions and I must say it has been pleasantly surprising at how friendly and helpful people have been in "both" area's.

      Delete
  11. As an American born and raised in the South, I know the stereotypes that are commonly accepted by people from the North. First of all, for some reason, it is thought that we have a lower level and standard for education in the South. Many think that Southerners live on a farm out in the back woods and sit on their porch all day chewing tobacco. Obviously, that's not always true. There are a lot of people from the South that do still hold onto their agricultural roots but the majority of us attend school and do quite well in the "working world". It is even more evident that Northerners think we're not intelligent when they acknowledge our accent as rediculous dumb sounding as they insist on making fun of it. Also, when was respect and hospitality such a bad thing? Many people that aren't familiar with the South think it is odd and not normal that we offer so much to those that we may not know. It is all about making them feel welcome and comfortable.

    As far as the North goes. The first thing that I picture when I think of the North is New York City. With all of its grandeur and bustling city life, it signifies life in the North to me. I imagine that people are rude and always in a hurry. There is no time to waste and I think they are probably the most efficient people in the world. Schedules and timetables keep them on track and there is very little time to relax and take it easy.

    Of course not all of the stereotypes I presented are neccessarily true but those are what help to define the separate groups of people in our nation. I have not personally been up North but I know many people that have moved here or visited here and, for the most part, what they have seen dispelled many of the rumors they accepted to be true. Just the other day a friend noted that he thought he would find a bunch of dumb rednecks in the South when in reality he said we were some of the smartest people he knew. It just goes to show that whether you sit down to eat some fried chicken or grab a hot dog on the go, we are still American

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you ever go up north with an open mind I bet it will be a very surprising experience. Being from the south I have heard plenty of stereotypes of the north as well. Damn Yankee's (which I detest hearing), they're too loud and "ALL" of them are rude, they talk funny and have unusal food.

      The one thing you will generally get from them is upfront honesty which is more than I can say for many southerners. Also, in the area of NJ I visit they still have a community spirit and do not judge a person based on their sex "or" sexuality which still runs "VERY" rampant in the south.

      Delete
    2. The reason the south scores lower academically is because we have so many niggers.

      Delete
    3. I was a born in a small town in Virginia then moved to Richmond to finish high school. My high school mascot was the Rebels, of the Civil War variety. I went to Columbia University in NYC for college, lived in Washington Heights for 4 years, and then owned a nice condo near Central Park. Then I married a Jewish woman and am raising a family in NJ.

      I think of myself as a Southerner, as my family comes from Va or NC for 300 years. My NYC college friends joke about me as a redneck, and my old high school friends call me a Yankee. The thing I noticed when I came to NYC was that everybody asked my my heritage. Since I was blond with blue eyes, they wanted me to be Irish or English. They needed a European country to put me in. Growing up in Virginia, no one asked. You were either white or black. I got annoyed by the questions about my ethnicity, since no one would accept Virginian as my background. Strangely, I felt like the obsession with ethnicity in NYC to be more racist.

      Also, people in NYC and NJ have an 'angle'. People in Virginia would be nice for nice sake. A person bagging your groceries in Virginia would refuse a tip as an insult, yet a policeman in NYC would work double overtime his last year on the job to get a higher pension.

      New Yorkers talk more with their hands and tend to raise their voices during normal conversation. When I first moved here, I had to keep from getting into 'fight' mode just talking to other college aged males when we would have a minor argument. They tended to show non-verbal cues that to my Southern eyes were aggressive. To them it was 'bustin' balls'.

      Southerners have a higher level of respect and manners. When I would bring my wife to social parties in Richmond, she always felt accepted. The other women would introduce her to others at parties. In NYC and NJ, we both notice that people don't have the social grace to introduce people to each other. People tend to hold the door open for you more in Richmond and say hello as you pass a neighbor. Its not fake to me, its nice. My wife laments that I have lost some of my 'Southern' gentleman from when we first met.

      Of course people tend to walk faster with a purpose on NYC streets. I was one of the worst offenders, and I am an aggressive driver too. I was that way in Virginia too!

      NYC and NJ have an energy that does not exist in Virginia. Its especially noticeable when you are younger - in your prime party years. Even though I have a blast going out in Richmond with my brother.

      I romanticize my early life in Virginia, and I hope to retire there. In Richmond, I knew all my friends parents and grandparents when they were alive. It was a multi-generational place. That's a nice thing raising a family. I have great friends in NJ, they are great people, but its more transient. No deep roots.

      Both places have there strengths. Educate yourself and party in the North when you are in your 20s, then raise a family in the South to impart that gentility to your kids. That is my recommendation.

      Delete
    4. Except what do your kids do when they hit their 20's and want to party, lol, there is never a perfect place to live, in my opinion. I am a northerner, living in the south, I appreciate the north for what it taught me, I like the warmer weather of the south, but yeah, sometimes the prejudice gets to me. In the north I was taught to respect everyone for being different, so I keep that in mind.

      Delete
  12. Linda Wozniak

    Southern hospitality has always been very important to my family and it's shaped me as a person. I'm from Charleston, South Caroline and although it's not in the deep south a lot of southern influence is very evident in the culture. Saying yes Ma'am and No Sir are automatic responses to me, and every time I'd go visit my family in Connecticut people would always comment on how good my manners were. I always thought it was weird, because down south it's normal to say things like that. There are some negative stereotypes about the south that aren't really true. Like, not everyone is a dumb redneck and likes to hunt and fish. Yes, there are quite a lot of people who enjoy doing those kinds of things but it's not good indication of their intelligence.

    The stereotypes that come to mind when I think about Northern's are that they're rude, not very friendly, bad drivers, and mostly just things along those lines. That they're generally outspoken or aggressive people when it comes to confrontation or something like that. I'm not really sure why this is. Also most people I've met from the north have been very nice and my whole family is actually from the north. But when I was in New York City the general like vibe from the people there was definitely not the most inviting. People weren't very nice when I tried to ask for directions and things like that.
    Stereotypes may be true for some portion of the population, but for the most part people are very different, and one person fitting into the stereotype does not reflect upon that group of people as a whole.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry for your bad experiences in NYC....I never encountered that while there. Guess it depends on the day, time or year that you're there. I certainly wouldn't want to ask for directions at 8am on Monday morning or at 5pm on Friday evening!!

      Delete
  13. There are widely known stereotypes of Northerners and Southerners. Southerners tend to believe that Northerners live a very fast-paced lifestyle and aren't as open to helping other people and would rather just take care of themselves. Southerners believe themselves to be more hospitable and live a more relaxed lifestyle. I have family in the north and the south and have spent a lot of time in both areas of the country. Whenever I've visited the north I've found myself expecting them to be rude and not open to strangers as we are in the north, and while there are differences in the way they interact with strangers (they don't say hi or smile when passing people on the street unless they know them well) they are generally just as friendly as people are in the south once you meet them. I think it's so funny when I visit my family in the north and the people I meet comment on my "charming" southern accent, when compared to a lot of people that I know in the south, I barely speak with an accent at all. In my family here in the south, they always tell me that I act like I'm from the north despite all my immediate family being in the south. Northerners always see southerners as uneducated rednecks, which in reality is untrue. The stereotype comes from the southern drawl that is so famous and originally, the agricultural economy that is big in the south, in comparison to the very industrial economy of the north.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I have grown up in the south and have been raised that people from the north are different and more than likely not friendly. The most common stereotypes are rudness, speed of life, and lack of religion. These are not always true, but I have noticed more times than not that they are accurate. Down here we tend to be slower and more polite. We take pride in saying sir and mam and we go out of our way to help someone if we can. I think that the priorities of northerners sometimes cause them to appear rude. They are often so focused on what they are doing that they don't have time to say hello or stop to help with something. I love the southern hospitality that I live in, and the transplanted northern people I have met have all said that that has been a major reason they moved, along with weather and living costs obviously. Other stereotypes about the north that arent as prevalent are that they can't drive and a lot of food based differences. I do not know too much about the North's view of the south, but I figure they see us as redneck, and having and accent. Regardless of what they say, I would take our accent over theirs anyday of the week.

    ReplyDelete
  15. There are many widely known stereotypes of Southerners and Northerners. Since I grew up in a small town in the south, I've heard many things about Northerners. Northerners are use to a fast-paced life; therefore, they don't have a lot of time to help others. As in the south, Southerners are known for their "southern hospitality." I've also heard that Northerners are rude and impatient. However, I can not say that this is true. My family and I visited New York once and met a man in a restaurant who was from New Jersey. He offered us his town car so we wouldn't have to take the bus back to our hotel. Another stereotype that is held against Southerners is that they are uneducated, which is not true. This comes from the southern drawl that is well-known.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I was born in South Carolina and I have lived in the rural town of Gilbert all my life. This fact cause every stereotype I hear to be biased. All of them favor the South over the North. The stereotypical southern family is very sweet and hospitable. The stereotypical northern person lives at a fast pace and doesn't enjoy the little things. They are very materialistic. According to these stereotypes, northerners are very rude.

    ReplyDelete
  17. When we think of stereotypes of the North and the South, we typically think of the extremes. Some of these have merit to them and some do not. For example, one of the most widely accepted labels for the two regions is the Democratic North and the Republican South. Statistically speaking, this holds true. However, as an leftist in the Southeastern United States, I can tell you I am not alone. Similarly, not all individuals in the North are Democrats. One of the most prominent mayors of New York City, Rudy Giulani, is a Republican. We tend to see, though, more people claiming to be independent these days.

    Another stereotype of these two regions relates to dialect, the way they both talk. There are distinct accents for both regions. The Southern accent is typically viewed as long, drawn out, slurred speech. Southerners are known for saying "y'all" and "ain't" and we associate this dialect with "Southern hospitality". Northerners have a "tough guy" accent, they usually speak rapidly, and their sentences are strung together by curse words. Again, this is not always true. But I can testify to this in some sense. My grandmother on my mom's side lives in Bluffton, South Carolina and my grandmother on my dad's side lives in Howell, New Jersey. I can clearly make out the differences between the two dialects.

    The South is seen as uneducated and carefree while the North is viewed as sophisticated and meticulous. It is assumed that Southerner have this mentality that "the South will rise again", meaning they believe the nation will return to the conditions that were present in the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. This is not really true as I have experienced. On some occasions, though, I have seen Confederate flags flying on some porches.

    One stereotype that is 100 per cent true in my opinion is that Northerners find sweet tea to be an oddity.

    ReplyDelete
  18. In the USA there are numerous stereotypes that people have formed about Northerners and Southerners. The only real difference is that some live up North, and some live in the South. There are stereotypes though that are really prevalent in the way others judge visitors from different parts of the country.

    People from up North generally think that Southerners all say y'all, love fried chicken, have a twang, drive pickups, wear cowboy boots and take life a lot slower. Being from the North myself(Ohio) I can't say that I haven't thought these things at one point in my life but I try to not judge before I meet people. I actually have family from Kentucky, which people down here consider to be pretty Northern as I've seen, that have the twangiest accents I have ever heard, love Lee's Famous Recipe more then the owners themselves and really define the stereotypical "Southern citizen."

    However, living at USC for the short time that I have I've seen an entirely different side of Southerners. Some people born and raised here don't even have an accent at all. Not everyone is obsessed with country music but I have seen my fair share of cowboy boots so we can't entirely rule that one out. I think the Southern hospitality that I was expecting is there but at the same time I feel like people use it too much. I guess I just personally don't understand how you can honestly be that nice all the time; it seems to be a little forced at times. The thing that I'm extremely not used to is the amount of racism and just general prejudice that I've witnessed. I'm not going to say that everyone is because that's ignorant, but it is something that I've noticed. Even though people say they're kidding making fun of blacks or gays I would just never see that up North and it makes me uncomfortable to hear. Some of my best friends are black and I don't give a second guess as to how I view our friendship. I've only seen a few mixed race groups hanging out; it seems like everyone separates themselves.

    As I'm generalizing about people from the South, I know people make stereotypes about us from the North all the time. I've heard, "Ohhhh you're from Ohio, do you guys say 'eh?' up there??" No. I'm not from Canada. It seems that people think that we are all from either New York or Canada, which seems really odd to me. Obviously there's that fact that we say "pop" instead of soda or coke or whatever it is. Another one is that we all drive horribly and have extremely bad road rage. Although, I think I've almost gotten hit by a car more times being in South Carolina then I have back home. I guess people think that Northerners are rude and loud and don't know how to be hospitable. I can't say these things aren't true for some people, but for me and my family, they are quite the opposite. It just goes to show that you really can't determine how someone is before you really know them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very good observation and I'm from the south!!

      Delete
    2. Most of the friend groups I see are pretty mixed, and honestly I almost never hear a joke about race. I made a joke about race once, but that was about me and my family. We're Native American and for some reason people see as rednecks because we aren't rich. So I said "If we're rednecks, then we're the reddest rednecks I've ever known"

      I've heard a few gay jokes, but most of them are actually told by gay and bi people. The whole point is to make people laugh and when others get offended, nobody cares. The way people act depend on where they are, how the community usually act, and how they were raised. I always thought the north and south stereotypes were crazy! And usually my friends and I only talk about the stereotypes when we're making fun of them.(Seriously though, who doesn't like fried chicken?)

      This is just a random side thing, but I don't have a southern accent at all and only say "y'all" and "yaint" every now and then. Yet everybody who aren't from the south are always commenting about how strong an accent I have. It's one of the most annoying things ever.

      Delete
  19. I'm Long Island, NY born and raised, and after seeing Deliverance, I won't set foot in the South. Last thing I want is to be sodomized by toothless rednecks whistlin' Dixie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. you are a very ignorant person. Only a few people in the south are like that. This makes me believe the rude, loudmouth sterotypes the northerners have.

      Delete
  20. I'm from the north and have never spent much time in the south, and I must admit that sometimes I have let my mind be too guided by southern stereotypes. In the north, many think that a lot of southerners are biased, racist, conservative, and narrow minded. I know this is not true, of course, but I was sort of raised with the little puns and poking fun at southerners. I have to say that northerners have plenty of nice, sweet people, and I have been smiled at or said "hi" to by strangers on a walk. We also have plenty of dumb-as-dirt people who can't ever understand something no matter how many times its explained. We all stereotype and prejudge, and I think that we should consider that and try to avoid it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm from the south and was raised hearing "Damn Yankee's". Having friends from the north I no longer believe that all northerners are rude, pushy and obnoxious. And all southerners are not as friendly as they are portrayed to be. They are human with their faults as well.

      Delete
  21. i'm from boston and moved to the very bottom of maryland, just about where it starts to get countryish below the mason dixon. i dont have a boston accent, i'm very laid back and not in a rush like most southerners seem to think we are. i try to be polite as i can, and while i am a quiet person that does not mean i'm stand offish or snobby, its part of my humility. i tried not to have any stereotypes of the south when coming down here, and i can honestly say southerners are real cool people. they are not dumb by all means, very friendly and easy to get on with, real hospitable, and so far nobody has treated me with hostility. they are actually pretty humble people, dont get so flustered about small things, and have loads of fun (fishing, dirtbikes/atvs, fires, shooting guns, hunting). overall the stereotype i have heard in boston is entirely false and i'm happy the south stayed with the united states, i love my southern neighbors glad to call them my fellow countrymen!!!. oh and southern women are FAR more easy going than northern women. southern girls are funny, down to earth, not afraid to get their hands dirty for the most part. northern girls are snobby, self centered, and hot tempered. south>north in terms of ladies

    ReplyDelete
  22. "oh and southern women are FAR more easy going than northern women. southern girls are funny, down to earth, not afraid to get their hands dirty for the most part. northern girls are snobby, self centered, and hot tempered. south>north in terms of ladies"

    So far, from me living down here in "glorious" Tennessee all of these years, southern "women" are nothing more than a bunch of loud-mouth, in your face pricks that throw their empty beer cans on my front lawn and shout every expletive in the book. Uh yeah...funny? No. Down to earth? Whatever.

    By the way, I'm from the horrible, terrible, nasty north where girls are snobby and self-centered and won't get their hands dirty. I call bullshit on that, since I'm a CNA and that's all I do is get my hands dirty lifting 200 pound women up with just my arms and back. I'm from Chicago, Illinois, and to all of these fine, fine southern "women" down here that are living off of welfare all around me and swearing a blue-streak, I say piss off to them because none of them work!

    Anyone who says that the South is superior in the quality of its people in any way is crazy as hell.

    Also, these nice Southern people are terrible drivers, the worst I've ever seen; so much so that I fear for my life that someone is going to pull out in front of me or sideswipe me. I'd rather have Chicago traffic; at least up there you know enough to get the hell out of the way when you're driving, instead of driving with your turn signal on and slowing down to a damn crawl because everybody's so laid-back. Snort. They've rode my bumper, cussed, screamed, hit my back end more than once, flipped me off. They're all just a bunch of no-good rednecks.

    Also, I love it when someone from the South comes up in my face and only has an inch of space between our noses so I can smell their crappy old chewing tobacco, and every time that I try to back away a step or two they step toward me. What the hell? Northern people like me don't like getting kissing close.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. this is exactly what northerners are. They are so ignorant and cuss didnt your mom teach you not to do that. YOu should respect your elders. YOU are the "woman" that every northern girl tries not to be. No reason more US citizens are moving to the south than any oter region.

      Delete
    2. I'm from ky and when people say that we're not afraid to get our hands dirty they mean working in the garden and helping our husbands fix the car. We all work and I've been a CNA for yrs. Northern women and men are stuck up snobs. Southerners are more polite, than northerners. I also have lived in Detroit and that's all the women there like to do is get in you r face so close that you think they are trying to kiss you. Northern drivers act like they got there driver's license out of the cracker jack box.

      Delete
    3. I'm from Louisiana. Half-Irish, half-French. I can be honest: I'm a Cajun. When I get heated I have a tendency to use a few choice curses...in French. Because of my mother, French was the primary language in our household. When I call home, it's the only language my mother will respond to, despite the fact that she speaks English perfectly and has since I was a child (which annoys me to no end, especially in public)! Point being: I even look at other Southerners as somewhat odd, when in fact I am one myself. Until I went off to college I had never actually even met a Yankee (but this owes much to the pathetic size and isolation of the Bayou shit-hole I grew up in). Now I live in Chicago, right in the heart of Yankeedom! I have a lot of trouble being understood. People ask where I am from and I must constantly say Louisiana, and some don't even believe I'm American at all (but admittedly this is my fault for keeping my phone, television, and computer settings all in French). At least back home people understood me. Here I have to have my roomate order our takeout because I get angry repeating myself on the phone. So, yeah, linguistic challenges present themselves up here in ways that to my knowledge probably wouldn't affect a Yankee if they were down south. And I don't consider myself some uneducated, backwater hick. I speak properly, and, accent and the occasional "Cajunism" aside, I feel just as American as all y'all do. I mean, it's certainly an adjustment for me, but I recognize the vast majority of southerners come from communities different than mine. We're an anomaly, I guess. I just lie and tell everyone I'm from NOLA, because unlike Ville du Saint-Arnaud (where I'm really from), you can find it on Google Earth. So, to any southerners going north nd northerners coming south, you'll get used to it. You know, if you Yankees can mange to pry that stick out your asses ;)

      Delete
  23. This has been helpful to read your input. I have been frustratedly married to a yankee for 19 years, even though that she was born in New York state , she still will not admit that she is a Yankee! We have nothing but arguments, she calls them 'debates'.
    I hail from Northern Kentucky and have been called every name in the book, by her obnoxious family. All the while I am amazed by their arrogance and rudeness, not to mention law breaking behavior that they find normal. For me it is shocking to deal with arrogant, self-righteous, overbearing, law-breaking, self-absorbed, obnoxiously rude dumb asses, who can't tell shit from apple butter, and yet think that they can visit you and dominate your house from floor to ceiling.
    It is reassuring that the gun laws are still open as they should be. Due to the fact that,Southerners living in the north will always need to keep the yankees straight.
    Who knows, perhaps on a good day will may help these wayward wanderers find the Lord Jesus, and be whole, and become human again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Awe... did you get your feelings hurt by the mean Yankee wife?

      Delete
  24. Most of the comments here seem to be from southerners, many of whom are carrying very large chips on their shoulders about northerners. Some of you seem quite rude to me (I am a northerner). I have often asked one of my closest friends - who is originally from Alabama and who has lived and visited places all over the world - why southerners seem to be so angry and touchy about northerners, calling all of us "rude" and "obnoxious" at every opportunity. She doesn't even know why herself; she's made a lot of northern friends and she finds us to be very polite and interesting people. We also DON'T make fun of southerners, nor do we think of them as "stupid rednecks" (a term I use to refer to my northern elder brother, who actually lives farther north than I do). I think the prejudice southerners hold of the north is just as unfair - in many cases even more so - than the reverse. People are people, and some people are polite, and some people are rude, and some are honest, and some are dishonest, and some are smart, and some are dumb... And they ALL come from EVERYWHERE. Of course, if you go into a situation where you assume that northerners are rude, and that comes across in how you speak to a northerner, don't be surprised if they live up to that stereotype. Nobody likes being pigeonholed, northerners included, so don't treat us like you've already made up your mind about us before we say ten words to you.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Do any of you realize how untruestereo types are. I am sure there are city ppl I the south. And I know that the majority of the north is very rural. I am from Ny. Seven hours from newyork city. Never been. I am surrounded by woods rivers the great lakes mountains farmland and the amish. In our towns ups here there are like a million churches and a million bars but not a single stop light. The gas stations are spaced out fifteen minutes apart. The nearest hospital in any direction is an hour away. Every one needs a fourwheel drive for our six month long winter where the snow gets deeper than we are tall. Salmon fishing brings tourests from all of the country to our rivers. Snowmobiling hunting boating and fourwheeling also attracts tourism. We all have lived in the same area for generations so everyone knows everyone. We all wave and say hi to anyone passing by. Most of us live below the poverty level. There simply aren't any jobs. The nearest jobs are fourty or more miles away. And if you cant afford a vehicle you cant get to work. We seem to all be teenage or young moms. We camp and hike and fish and hunt. Everyone owns a gun. If its hotter you jump into the river or lake closest to you. We are surrounded by wildlife. As a kid we grew up catching crawfish snakes and frogs. Every summer we go to a bar with a turtles we caught to race them. And we would fill our bellies full of wild apples and blackberries and all sorts of otherstuff we find in the woods out back. Our closest cities aren't even cities they are just very big towns lol. My neighbors are amish. It always stinks of fish and manuer. Because of the fishermen and farmers. We are so very redneck way up here. People from further south pick on us for being from so far north. Because in Ny the further north you go the more redneck and rural it gets. I am right next to the Canadian border. And I have had a Person south say that I cannot possably be redneck because I am from the north. And what I don't get is how I am not a redneck. And the person who said that because I was from the north I couldn't be a redneck lived in a CITY in the south. Up here if you say someone is from the north your mind goes straight to redneck living in the woods lol. And its true. I mean we have bears and coyotes and mountain lions. I walk a mile down a dirt trail through the woods almost daily to get to my kids fathers moms house. And I have been told by the south that I cant possable be a redneck. Well come up here and deal with out winters lol. With winters like ours you get tough and you turn redneck right in a hurry.

    ReplyDelete
  26. I've lived in the south all my life and I'm going to put a twist on this thread. I have noticed that Southerners are portrayed in a "friendly" light and Northerners not so much. I have visited NYC and NJ on several occasions and find there is more of a community spirit in those areas than there are in NC where I'm from. People in the south have become standoffish and rude and I would run from living in a small southern town full of gossipers and backstabbers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. i live in northeast Ohio. I can never understand why everyone says that southerners are nice and sweet. i had a friend who moved to north Carolina and told me about how girls we rude saying bless your heart or some passive aggressive shit like that. i believe in the north we call as we see it. we are probably the realest out of the two. you may not like what we have to say but damn sure we are going to say it and not be fake, backstabbing individuals. plus by calling at we see it we can get down to the problem and solve it fast than just acting like its not there and hiding behind your true feelings with passive aggressive shit.

      Delete
  27. I grew up in the north and moved south in my early 20s. I've lived in the south for eight years now. So far, in my experience, the stereotypes hold true.

    In the north, we don't feel the need to greet every soul who walks past us; we have other things to do. In the north, we are fast paced and we like to get things done so we have more time to do leisure activities.

    In the south, there is the great 'Southern Hospitality'. However, this is merely masking their true selves. They welcome anyone and everyone in. As soon as they are no longer present, the gossip begins and the rumors spread.

    The stereotype for southern stupidity isn't too far from the truth. There are a lot of intelligent people in the south. The problem isn't with their intelligence. The problem is that they aren't allowed to express their intelligent in the affect of "It works fine the way it is" or "We've always done it this way".

    In the north, if there is a more intelligent way of doing something, speak up! Northerners work under the general idea of "Work smarter, not harder!"

    So far, my perception of southerners in general is they are lazy, small minded, back-stabbing, untrustworthy folk who still believe the civil war is still on going and believe everyone from the north is an enemy.

    ReplyDelete
  28. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  29. I lived in different parts of the United States. Was born and raised in Md, lived in Georgia, Florida, Nebraska, South Carolina, and even NYC. My ancestors are all from the Deep South, mainly Georgia, so I'm very familiar with Southerners as well as "Yankees." Northerners faults aside, which there are some, I want to talk about PHONY so-called "southern hospitality" and backstabbing two-faced Southerners. I'm certainly not claiming all Southerners are backstabbing and two-faced, but I've met a good portion who fit the bill. Of the guilty, most can't be sweet enough to your face, especially if they want something, but they will talk viciously about you behind your back. And a lot of Southerners give lip service to things they never intend on doing. They will make promises they never had any intentions of keeping. Personally, I found more people I could trust while living in NYC than in living in some small, backstabbing Southern town.

    ReplyDelete
  30. I grew up in the Hampton Roads region, and despite Virginia is the south... it's more of a northern culture in Virginia Beach and surrounding areas. That southern influence is more in the hills of Western Virginia. You know I hear that phrase a lot that 'Northerners are rude, and mean' and I just don't find that to be true. Mainly because a lot of those tendencies that southerners complain about in northerners... I do, as well as my friends. Its largely concerning because they don't have 'southern hospitality' or say hi to strangers often. I mean people are hospitable in the north, they just don't make a spectacle of it. Furthermore concerning not saying hi... It wasn't that I was trying to be mean or didn't like you... I just don't know you. Nothing to do with your character so don't take it that way. I just never made it a habit to talk with random strangers. Have I done it before? Sure I have, but I didn't go out of my way to make it happen. I got things to do, places to be, and goals to accomplish. Concerning the whole backstabbing thing with southerners, yea its true for the most part. Ears are burning often in the south. It happens in the north too, but you typically know who your enemies are anyway. (A lot of people do a poor job of masking their disdain towards a person) So to each their own though, but give me the northern flavor, because I can't do the southern culture too much.

    ReplyDelete
  31. wow, what a bunch of bored losers

    ReplyDelete
  32. do you think historical background plays a role in these types of stereotypes?

    ReplyDelete
  33. Very interesting discussion and reasoning among the Northerners and Southerners. I myself am from Chicago. I relocated to North Carolina and have been here for 9yrs. I think a lack of understanding is to blame on both parts. Northerners are raised culturally different than Southerners. In Chicago, as a child I was taught not to talk to strangers due to the rapists that were roaming the neighborhood befriending unsuspecting children and then raping them, plus that was the general custom of how most parents raised their children in the 80's. Northerners have this mindset and understanding that "everyone that seems to be friendly is not your friend" and our standoffish behavior is a defense mechanism. Since i've been in the South, i've encountered fake individuals with hidden agenda's, not to say that Chicago doesn't have their share of the same but it's customary for people to be fake here especially to a Northerner. Even if they know you know that they don't like you, they'll still try to interact with you and to a Northerner that's senseless. Whether North or South, you stand a high chance of being back-stabbed but Southerners mask their intentions with hospitality and Northerners just stab you. In my personal opinion, being called a Yankee is far from an insult.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Very interesting discussion and reasoning among the Northerners and Southerners. I myself am from Chicago. I relocated to North Carolina and have been here for 9yrs. I think a lack of understanding is to blame on both parts. Northerners are raised culturally different than Southerners. In Chicago, as a child I was taught not to talk to strangers due to the rapists that were roaming the neighborhood befriending unsuspecting children and then raping them, plus that was the general custom of how most parents raised their children in the 80's. Northerners have this mindset and understanding that "everyone that seems to be friendly is not your friend" and our standoffish behavior is a defense mechanism. Since i've been in the South, i've encountered fake individuals with hidden agenda's, not to say that Chicago doesn't have their share of the same but it's customary for people to be fake here especially to a Northerner. Even if they know you know that they don't like you, they'll still try to interact with you and to a Northerner that's senseless. Whether North or South, you stand a high chance of being back-stabbed but Southerners mask their intentions with hospitality and Northerners just stab you. In my personal opinion, being called a Yankee is far from an insult.

    ReplyDelete
  35. I was born and raised in the north, first in Pennsylvania, and for the last 15 years I've been in Vermont. First, I cannot believe what I am reading from southerners! WTH is with the anti-north thing?

    As for stereotypes, I can only share my own experiences. My grandparents lived in Florida, and we used to drive through the south every year to get to their place. I never knew people thought of southerners as dumb, that wasn't really a stereotype I have heard, and it isn't something I believe. I will say that I have often found myself extremely uncomfortable by someone calling me ma'am. I know in the south it is considered mannerly, but that level of formality was very uncomfortable for me. The other thing I have noticed, is that in the south people will say nice things with their mouths, but not really mean them. I guess they consider being direct to be insulting, but really isn't it better for people to know how you actually feel, rather than being dishonest with them? Maybe I shouldn't say better, because that is a judgment. I feel a lot more comfortable when I know where someone is coming from, and it is hard to have patience with people who are unable to be direct. So there is that, and I guess it is just a cultural thing.

    What I've heard about southerners (and I am NOT saying I believe all of these, these are the general stereotypes): They are conservative, anti-gay, usually religious, they can be racists and in general are unwelcoming toward change and new ways of doing things. They tend to look backward, and tradition is big for them, while we are more forward-thinking. They don't like new things, or new people. There is no real business or industry in the south, other than factory farms and industrialized agriculture. They don't care about the environment and don't believe in climate change. They are into guns (but then again so are Vermonters so that is a good example of a stereotype that can't really be applied everywhere). They don't like you if you tell them you aren't a Christian, or that you are a socialist. They are pro-military, but they have awful social programs and if you are poor there, you can die in the streets and no one will give you a hand-up because they equate being poor with being a burden, especially if you are a minority. I've had people say "negro" when describing a person of color in the Carolinas, and that really freaked me out because I felt like I had been transported back in time to the 1950's or something. Another stereotype is that southern women are super into getting dolled up. They have big hair and wear dresses and generally spend a lot of time their looks. Is it true? From my experience passing through I didn't find it to always be the case. I have also heard that southerners still think the civil war isn't over and that the south will rise again and become its own nation. I've heard that they are anti-science, because they are so religious I guess. Oh, they also like everything big. They aren't really into voluntary simplicity or being ecologically responsible by not consuming.

    So anyway, those are the stereotypes that I've heard. I don't know if they are true, I haven't spent enough time down there to be an expert. I hope this isn't offensive, but it is true I'm a little scared to spend too much time in the south because I don't feel that I would be welcomed. Sounds like it might be true based on all of these comments. Yikes, I'll stick to good old New England.

    ReplyDelete
  36. "Southern hospitality" does not exist. Southerners are NOSY and will USE that fake "hospitality" ruse to find out about your business. Southerners are also two-face, backstabbing gossip addicts, so don't fall for their faux friendly act, they are only trying to get your guard down where they can find out all about you and spread your business all over town.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "Southern hospitality" does exist, but yes, a lot of southerners are two-faced and will use fake kindness. But I have met a lot of southerners aren't like that at all. "Southern hospitality" is saying good morning to your neighbors, holding the door for strangers, and saying "Sir" and "Ma'am". I haven't heard any gossip about people in town, but then again I don't go looking for gossip. It's pointless, it's just gossip and gossip is just a giant web of lies.

      Delete
  37. My father is american born in the south but im uruguayan... My known family from the usa was southerner... But my grandfather was a northerner from denver colorado... He was a typical northern that moved to the south in search of hotter and more gregarious life style... My father despite the fact of loving the south and its culture... He was a northerner in attitude and way of thinking and language... He has great amount of trouble in accepting his northern heritage despite the fact he is one... He is a friendly but cold father, scientist, calm and introvert in many ways

    ReplyDelete
  38. Northern people are same as Southern, anyone who thinks they are better is ignorant

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Agreed, I see the north and south as equal. I like being in the south a bit more, because I am very rooted, my family is here and it's warmer. But in no way do I think it's better.

      Delete
  39. I think these comments are quite hilarious. Maybe the Northerners haven't seen Southern hospitality because they are simply "Northerners" and so Southerns aren't going to be courteous and kind to them based on their biasis or bad experience of dealing with Northerners. I grew up in the South but live in the North. There is no doubt I was viewed at times as slow or dumb because of my accent but as the accent has changed so has the way some people have treated me. I do believe in a thing called Southern hospitality because I have experienced the differences. People being courteous and saying bless you when sneezing, asking you if you need something to drink, smiling at you when you are a stranger, being less brash or aggressive at times. However, I have met very kind and considerate Northerners. My dad still calls Northerners Yankees and says he would never ever live in a place cold and unwelcoming. I do think there are differences between the two but I think some of it depends on whether you are just an asshole or a nice person.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you!
      I just try to be nice and welcoming, but people are always accusing me of faking my kindness and trying to get secrets out of them or something. I'm just behaving how I was raised and trying to make friends.

      Delete
  40. I am from the north and had moved down south in the mid northern part of the West Coast, with my wife and children.

    I was told not only by men but by women as well that the only thing they like about New Yorkers is there f---ing money. That I was welcome there to spend my money and then go the F home. Even by the service people who came to my home we're rude except for a guy I met from Mississippi who invited me out on his boat to do red fishing. I went to an area that I was told you don't come down here northerner unless you're invited, we will hunt you down New Yorker. Even at gas stations I was told the same thing and my family was afraid for their life.


    I was told on a weekly basis several times at points that I was going to be hunted down New Yorker.

    My experience is that the majority of Southerners from that part we're rude uncivilized and hated New Yorkers, all they can do with spread their hate to other people....

    I was getting flat tires at least once a week with nails through my tires.

    Never ever have I ever seen southern hospitality.

    I was told that I can come and retire there because they like our money but don't ever come and take their jobs.

    They criticize the words that came out of my mouth and how I said them.

    They left me with hate in my heart and an image of how Southern Hospitality really works.

    My windows on my vehicles with smashed-in on my driveway at night.

    My family was terrorized also in school.

    I've never seen so much hate in someone's heart and I have grown up in the north and lived here all my life. By my experience Northerners are Angels, compared to the people I met from that part of Florida.

    After putting up with that for 5 years we were forced to come back to New York cuz my wife felt so afraid from these people that she left and took the kids and went back home so I would be forced to leave and come back, cuz I didn't want to, despite how they were treating us, mostly because financially I would have been destroyed which I have been.

    That destroyed my life and my retirement all because of uncivilized ungrateful rude selfish self-centered people in the part of Florida where I lived... I couldn't even get a job because I was from the new york unless I drove 40 or 50 miles away from my house to get a job....

    I don't believe that all Southerners are bad but what does my experience say about southern hospitality...

    All they do is spread their hate from where I lived.

    Only my experience that's all I could share. I am not concentrating on my spelling so disregard spelling or grammar.

    All I have to offer is my own experience with my family. Beware

    ReplyDelete
  41. I was not in the mid part of Florida but in the mid northern part close to the Water by the Gulf side

    ReplyDelete