Bad vibes in small town Western WA (neighborhood, living)

[PollyGlott]

Originally Posted by TravelingAndSettling

Great posts. And you are right, you just have to accept it, or move. I am certainly not going to change the culture here.
Washington is a broken culture. It's a culture of individuals doing whatever they want. If there is ever a national emergency or a disaster, I think Washingtonians will be shooting each other left and right, because they hate each other.
I guess I should just become a rugged individualist myself to handle this vibe.

I call total B.S. on this.
Just look at the reaction to the Oso landslide.

[TravelingAndSettling]

Originally Posted by PollyGlott

I call total B.S. on this.
Just look at the reaction to the Oso landslide.

That was an isolated incident in one town. Of course everything remained peaceful there.

I am talking about a widespread catastrophe in which law and order breaks down. In such a case, Washington will get pretty ugly. I definitely can't see these people coming together as a community in such circumstances. It'll just be each family defending themselves.

I actually read a book a while back about this. It described the best places to live in the USA if law and order broke down. And when it came to Western WA, the author said that most people would probably turn against each other, form little clans, there would be people hunkering down in their houses shooting anything that moves.

There is just not enough social cohesion or unity in Washington. Too many sub-cultures of people who absolutely hate each other.

[PS90]

Everything that you posted is opinion with a dash of pessimism thrown in. You don't get along with the people around here, and you found this forum as a place to vent.

I could just as easily make the exact same post, but in opposite, about rural Alabama - "I am so sick of those people! They are always showing up at my door, trying to force me to go to church..."

I have a very close German friend, who has lived here (here being the USA) for about 20 years. She has lived in Colorado, Texas, and Washington, and she actually loves it here, saying that Colorado is easily the LEAST-friendly place that she has ever lived, while Washington and Germany have much more friendly people.

Granted, people in the Northwest can be very aloof - that has been established for a while - but aloofness and "hatred" of each other are two very different things.

[TrueTimbers]

Originally Posted by TravelingAndSettling

That was an isolated incident in one town. Of course everything remained peaceful there.

I am talking about a widespread catastrophe in which law and order breaks down. In such a case, Washington will get pretty ugly. I definitely can't see these people coming together as a community in such circumstances. It'll just be each family defending themselves.

I actually read a book a while back about this. It described the best places to live in the USA if law and order broke down. And when it came to Western WA, the author said that most people would probably turn against each other, form little clans, there would be people hunkering down in their houses shooting anything that moves.

There is just not enough social cohesion or unity in Washington. Too many sub-cultures of people who absolutely hate each other.

Human nature is a funny thing.... Sometimes when we are "hurt" we grasp at excuses to put fault on what "hurt" us, instead of looking at our own shortcomings.

Besides, if you gave off the "vibe" you have been giving off in this thread, it is really not surprising people would give you the cold shoulder in an actual community.

I mean us rural people may not be that educated, but geez what do you expect? Your plane to land and all the villagers to gather around ohhing and ahhing because your plane landed in their village, and they have never seen someone from outside their village, like in some third world country?

So now because they did not worship your presence, you think the entirety of Washington state will cannibalize each other at the first opportunity they get????


wow......

[TravelingAndSettling]

Originally Posted by PS90

Everything that you posted is opinion with a dash of pessimism thrown in. You don't get along with the people around here, and you found this forum as a place to vent.

I could just as easily make the exact same post, but in opposite, about rural Alabama - "I am so sick of those people! They are always showing up at my door, trying to force me to go to church..."

I have a very close German friend, who has lived here (here being the USA) for about 20 years. She has lived in Colorado, Texas, and Washington, and she actually loves it here, saying that Colorado is easily the LEAST-friendly place that she has ever lived, while Washington and Germany have much more friendly people.

Granted, people in the Northwest can be very aloof - that has been established for a while - but aloofness and "hatred" of each other are two very different things.

Very good and fair post there. I must admit that I have been venting on here. But this is nothing, believe me I have really been holding back a lot

The maddening thing to me about Western WA is that the people either will not admit, or they really are unaware of it. I feel like the people act rude, and they also just don't know they are acting like that. And there is a lot of outright rudeness here, there's no way to deny that.

When I was living in SoCal It used to drive me insane how materialistic, shallow and arrogant many people were. But down there they at least know that it is like that, and they will usually admit it. You can have open conversations with them about the vibe around there.

In WA. Forget it. You just have to conform to it and shut up.

A long time ago a forestry professor said to the class "In Washington they don't argue with you, they just shoot you." Now I know what he meant.

Maybe the legal ganja coming soon will make this place a little more groovy

[windrunner4484]

Hmm, if you are really that unhappy there, you might consider moving. I'm moving because I don't like the attitudes where I live..in the east, but in a small town that is stuck in the last century. Tho some of the people come together when needed, you must be a "Church-goer" if you really want to blend in. Not happenin. I liked the people I met out there but we'll see how it is when I live there.

[pw72]

Wow. Just wow.

Washington State residents are among the most friendly in the U.S. What you see as "cold" or "rude" is just a scandinavian trait that many there have called, "private". Yes, it takes a while to gain real friendships, but the combination of this "private" trait, with many newcomers (WA is one of the fastest growing states in the U.S.), results in what I think you are perceiving.

WA residents are not rude overall, and instead are a mix of scandinavian polite, combined with newcomers who are not sure how to act. Step back and see the positives, because they DO exist.

Written by a native Washingtonian, born and raised.

[North Beach Person]

Doesn't look like this thread is turning out any better for you than this one:

https://www.city-data.com/forum/rural...ignorance.html

[TravelingAndSettling]

Originally Posted by pw72

Wow. Just wow.

Washington State residents are among the most friendly in the U.S. What you see as "cold" or "rude" is just a scandinavian trait that many there have called, "private". Yes, it takes a while to gain real friendships, but the combination of this "private" trait, with many newcomers (WA is one of the fastest growing states in the U.S.), results in what I think you are perceiving.

WA residents are not rude overall, and instead are a mix of scandinavian polite, combined with newcomers who are not sure how to act. Step back and see the positives, because they DO exist.

Written by a native Washingtonian, born and raised.

In Washington I have been exposed to more crime and misbehavior than any other place. That's just the honest truth. It's not that the people are "private" it is that there is tons of CRIME everywhere and lots of outright rudeness.

Step outside the Puget Sound area and go to the small towns way out there. You'll see what i'm saying.

Over and out

[pw72]

No, it really isn't "over and out". Check crime stats for any WA small town compared to other similar small towns across the country. Then get back to me. You seem to have some perceptions that are not based on any factual evidence. While rudeness is more subjective, even there I would beg to differ. BTW, your two years, while somewhat substantial, pales in my comparison to 36 years of big and small town living in WA State. But that doesn't mean you are not entitled to your opinion, however off base it seems to me.