I find it interesting that people here in Missouri accuse others being better than other people . (California: middle-class)

[William S]

I been accused of it because I am a very shy and private person who likes my privacy.I lived in Greenfield and Lockwood in Dade County.I had a job at Pennington seed Penn Pak 2 that produces birdseed.I had fellow employees accuse me of being better than others .Also some in Lockwood and Greenfield.If I was better I would have had a job doing security work or Call centers .Not some low paying low class seed company.

[James Bond 007]

Just because a few of your co-workers say that about you does not mean it's some statewide cultural trait.

The birds at my bird feeders thank you for your tireless work helping to keep my bird feeders well stocked!

[TRex2]

Originally Posted by William S

I been accused of it because I am a very shy and private person who likes my privacy.I lived in Greenfield and Lockwood in Dade County.I had a job at Pennington seed Penn Pak 2 that produces birdseed.I had fellow employees accuse me of being better than others .Also some in Lockwood and Greenfield.If I was better I would have had a job doing security work or Call centers .Not some low paying low class seed company.

Maybe they were hoping you would get up the nerve to go and get a better job.
Maybe they thought you deserve more than you are getting.

[Nu2Lou]

When I relocated to the Midwest (from California), I met and interacted with a significant number of people who were raised in small, unpretentious communities and would occasionally comment on or sneer at my diction in casual conversation because they perceived it as erudite or highfalutin, when in reality, my vernacular simply reflected that of a suburban, upper-middle-class Californian. Unfortunately, I later learned that some of those folks assumed I thought I was “better” than them, when that could not be further from the truth. The Midwestern states are uniformly unpretentious (across all social strata) and, as a result, people tend to avoid doing or saying certain things, so they do not draw unwarranted attention to themselves, whether positive or negative. Any departure from that status quo is often perceived as threatening, and people will act/respond accordingly.