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The City vs the Rural Mentality

T

TimmyBoy

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The relatives on my dad's side of my family live way out in the country. They are not the best educated people in the world like some people in the city are. However, one of the things I have noticed about them and the rural mentality is that generally they are genuine people. Not rich money wise, but they are genuine, very happy, truly honest, peaceful and would go out of their way to help you. They also have the strongest morals I have seen in people. They are full of life and goodness and happiness. Upon my return to my hometown in the city in which I live in; I saw how empty the people are. How they preyed upon one another, never really tried to help each other out. Everybody seems superficial and fake and everybody was out for themselves. People so cynical and not trusting of one another. Full of sadness and unhappiness. What is your take on these two mentalities?
 
I've spent far too much of my life in the cities. I find I don't care for them

these days. Country life may not be all it's cracked up to be, but I'll take it

any day of the week.
 

I have no doubt that your dad's family are everything you say they are, but I think you may have a somewhat idealized perception of rural communities as a whole. People are people everywhere. I lived in a rural community in Louisiana for two years, and while I met some really good people there, I was appalled at the racism and at the biogotry against anyone who dared to be "different." Which is why so many young people leave small towns to go to larger cities where they can live without being so harshly judged. In a small town, it's great that you can drive from one side of town to the other in five minutes flat, but I much prefer living in a larger city where people are more accustomed to living without worrying what the neighbors might think.
 

I have seen the racism and bigotry as well in rural communities. But I have also seen alot of goodness and genuiness and honesty and fullness in these communities whereas in the big city, though their is alot of different ideas and different people and the racism is not as bad, but their is an emptiness, superficiality, everybody out for #1 and nobody caring for one another sort of mentality. Empty, sad people. Of course, I never thought the country was perfect, I just didn't see the emptiness and double dealing that I see in the city.
 
Although I am mostly conservative, I am a city boy. I have never lived in the country or in a small town. I've lived in small suburbs outside of big cities but never actual small, rural communities. I prefer the city very much over rural areas. I just like all of the excitement, the places to go shop and eat, and the things to do.
 

Well, you know, I don't live in a truly big city. But I have traveled some and met people from all over including big cities and small towns and I don't see a real disparity along the lines of population size. Sure there may be a lot of superficiality in the cities, but there is in the country, too. And, truthfully, I've found this home-y, I'm a laid back country person image to be superficial often, too - sometimes it is masking a much less friendly and personable character. I don't know, just my opinion. People is people. The good, the bad and the ugly. Regardless of where they're living.
 


Well, it depends on how you define country. Most people's definition of country isn't exactly mine. Like I met some people in what would be considered "country" by most people's standards but it wasn't country by the standards of my relatives or myself. I think if you saw where my relatives lived, you would say they were the only people that existed within 50 miles. Good people who haven't been corrupted by society or civilization.
 

Their is plenty to do where my relatives live. It's not the same activities of the city though. Their is never a dull moment. All you have is wilderness and mother nature provides happiness, entertainment and a sense of purpose and happiness.
 
My town is about a mile wide, and has about 792 people in it (which is the usual number for this area). The only city I've ever been to is St. Louis, and I've never spent an increasingly long time there. My mother has though, she was raised in the city. According to her, the people are more freindly up there.

I wouldn't generalize any group of people, but I think the difference between a large or small community can have an effect on how people react to each other. In a small town such as this, you ussually know everyone you see when you go anywhere in town. People are more comfortable with the other people in a place like this. Waving and greeting people here is customary. If you tried to wave to everyone you met walking down the street in a city, your hand would get really tired.

You have to go to the next town over to do anything at all, but im pretty content of rural life, and im proud of my upbringing.
 
new coup for you said:
i think rural life keeps people very narrow

i also dislike it for material reasons

i hate cars and driving, i like nightlife, etc.
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It depends on how you would define narrow. Last time I was in your hometown of Philly, one had to worry about getting shot up and the graduation rate of the some schools was very bad. Like, over 50% of the people dropped out and the crime was terrible. South Philly, looked like a nuclear bomb hit it. People seemed to be preying on one another and you always had to watch your back. The poverty was also bad. This was not the feeling I got from the part of the country my relatives live in.
 

I'm not sure what part of the country you are talking about, but the small town I was living in also had a very high drop-out rate and very little occupational opportunity to fall back on for the kids who dropped out other than the oil refineries. Teenage pregnancy was way more prevalent than any place I had ever seen it. And the place was poverty-stricken. And the further out into the country you went, the worse it got.
 

The area I was at, you couldn't find a single house for a long long long ways. My father grew up in these parts and he was poverty striken as well. Yet, unlike the poverty striken South Philly or the superficial and fake rich folks in the city, the people who he lived and grew up with out in the country were not superficial and fake; they were genuine and their was a willingness to help one another out, a solidarity and they lived off the land. Mother Nature has much to offer that the city cannot offer. Not only that, but my experience with country living, in my dad's part was though they had little as far as material wealth, they were very rich people when it came to friends and enjoying life to the fullest. I didn't see that in my hometown and I certainly didn't see it in South Philly or the more richer part of the city.
 
Why do people in big cities feel that they are more superior in thinking, than someone who lives in the county? Isn't that called Prejudice?
 
stsburns said:
Why do people in big cities feel that they are more superior in thinking, than someone who lives in the county? Isn't that called Prejudice?
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Who has said that?
 
It happens on this website alot, even in everyday life it happens. Someone lets say New York, feels they are "Smarter" than from lets say someone from Kentucy.
 
Most country folk are stereotyped on TV to be nothing more than ignorant bumpkins. I don't know how wide-spread it is, but the mentality against us so-called rednecks is there.
 
Well, I've lived in the city and the country and I have found a lot of people in both places who look at you funny if you use a word with more than three syllables. People aren't any better if they are more knowledgeable about things, but it certainly doesn't hurt. And, in fact, people who bother to read and learn very often experience prejudice from those who think the only reason they do it is because they want to better than them.
 
I agree. I live in the Twin Cities suburbs. And my grandmother, and few uncles live up in Detriot Lakes, the most rural area of Minnesota probably. And I love it up there. It's so peaceful, and the people are so nice and hard working. My Uncle is probably the most honest, genuine man I know, and he'd give you the shirt off his back. I definitely want to live in a place like that at one point.
 
stsburns said:
It happens on this website alot, even in everyday life it happens. Someone lets say New York, feels they are "Smarter" than from lets say someone from Kentucy.
Click to expand...
Because they equate a southern accent with stupidity, when in fact the mere thought shows how stupid one is. Prime example: NASCAR has its annual awards banquet in New York City. It's the fastest growing sport in the country, been around forever. But New Yorkers are clueless. They don't cover it on the radio or tv stations and the day of NASCAR's top 10 drivers' parade through Manhattan, people asked by reporters if they knew any of the names replied, 'who???'
Smart, my ass....
Snobbery is ignorance with fancy clothes....
 


Maybe you could consider the fact that New Yorkers don't give $hit about people driving around circles?

Maybe they have better ways to use their time?

Now I bet if the top 10 basketball players go to hicksville and the reporters ask the people do they know the names they will say the exact same thing as the New Yorkers do about the Nascar stars
 
Hmm sports doesn't prove anything. Last time I checked, no one cares about NASCAR in the north, but that doesn't make them all stupid.
 
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