Do you hate the small town mentality?

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

My grandparents lived in a small VERY religious town and I am not. Of course when I'd spend summers there, I'd be forced to go to church sometimes 3x a week with my grandparents. There was constant judgement because I didn't know bible quotes, and listened to secular music, didn't dress with clothes up to my neck, and of course that I didn't go to church. It was infuriating and the place has never changed. People dress the same, act the same, vote the same, go to the same church all their lives, and there is no outside of the box thinking. There is A LOT of judgement if you aren't what they consider to be a good moral decent lord loving person, good luck getting anything done there because everyone knows everyone and everyone's business. If you are however one of their people or can conform, they are very friendly and will help you out in a pinch, and really look after their own.

[AndrésC64]

But none of that has anything to do with it being a small town. It's because you were living with an around a bunch of religious fanatics.

[Opinion Owner]

@AndrésC64 It absolutely has to do with a small town! If you all grow up together, and in this case, all tend to share the same religion, and there are rarely outsiders that come in and out, or rarely do people in the town marry outside of the thought bubble or leave, they develop a hive mentality where they think, act alike, and outsiders/ideas/other realms of thought become less and less acceptable. This is the literal definition of small town mentality and why it can be so toxic. Religion can be one aspect of that. This doesn't tend to happen in bigger cities because not only do people leave home for college/work/travel, but they meet people who did not grow up as they did and tend to try or do develop a respect for people who don't necessarily share their culture/religion/POV on life. I live in a huge city and my friends have all different cultural backgrounds and religions and we can talk and debate and disagree without the reliance on the community thought about how things ought to be.

[AndrésC64]

I've lived in a small town for most of my life and have never run across this.

[Opinion Owner]

@AndrésC64 The world is bigger than just your own personal experience or mine for that matter.A lot people have experienced toxic behavior from small town mentality which is why there is literally a phrase to describe it having either lived in a small town or visited. I am in no way claiming all small towns are bad nor am I saying all big cities are good...but yes, for this particular situation, this is what it is.

[SweetFyter]

I guess that would depend on what the "small town mentality" means! We live way outside of town and it's a very small town but I'm not sure what our "mentality" is out here. Conservative? Like a hundred percent. Old fashioned? Mostly, yeah (especially my mom). But, all I can say is I'm a lot more comfortable (safer feeling, I guess) when we're in our small town than when we go down to the city. That's fun and exciting because it's so big and noisy and different. But, I def do NOT have that feeling of safety there that I do back home.

[Cuminginside]

Amen little sister

[MCheetah]

It depends on what a "small town mentality" is. The smallest place I've ever lived in, in South Korea where I'm at right now, is Suwon. Which although feels like a small town due to its irrelevancy and being directly in the shadow of Seoul, still technically has a population of 1.2 million people in it. This is the smallest city I've ever lived in, in Korea. And the smallest city I've ever lived in, in the US, Virginia Beach, still had half a million people in it.

So what exactly is a "small town mentality?" And I assume you mean "small town USA," right?

[Asker]

Referring to the small towns in Scotland where there is only 3,000 to 7,000 people in it

[MuddyMole]

Not really. People are more friendly and massively more "capable" - they have far more common sense and practical skills.
The problems around here are usually caused by people from "up country" moving in, and starting to complain about things that have been going on for generations.
eg.

If you can't stand the smell, don't move to the country!

[Cuminginside]

the guy gave away his age it will be easier to track them

[SinceYouAsked]

Hate is kind of strong but, yes. Everybody knows everyone else's business and they're judgmental. Plus, once you get pigeon-holed into a certain niche, you don't get out unless you just leave. Plus, I like my privacy and there is no such thing in a small town.

[Oigit]

In some ways I don't. Because you tend to avoid the superiority complex people can have when you live around a city. I have lived near Aspen and Boulder, Colorado. So I had to deal with far too many people who thought they are better then everyone else due to where they lived and owned. I got into many fights and even pissed in a cars gas tank due to people with a superiority complex. So I do prefer small town mentality due to the lack of people with a superiority complex.

[Cuminginside]

So that was my gas tank now I know who to send the bill to

[LaFemmeFatale_1]

I live in a capital city and don’t get affected by a small town mentality but I have a village where my grandparents lived and I love that place.

That’s my heaven, with its people, nature, everything even if I’m in the center of attention from gossipers.

[blissinanarchy1]

I'm from Philly, in an innercity bad neighborhood. I moved to the suburbs that's more on the rural side. They try to act so hood around here when a lot of these houses are a quarter million dollars up, the kids drive nice cars and they don't got to worry about shootings being very common.

[Cuminginside]

Take the Suburban idiot otherwise known as a townie to the Badlands Kensington SEPTA train station let's see how tough they are then have them walk around the block see what happens

[blissinanarchy1]

@Cuminginside Im from Jasper street in kensington lmao where you from cannon? You a kenzo too?

[Cuminginside]

Are you down the block from McPherson Park that was that famous moving fighting back

[Cuminginside]

https://youtu.be/Ero9QoPKXnI

To see not much has changed that is sad that tragic. No I'm not for Philadelphia I studied crime and Detroit and New York and Philly

[Cuminginside]

I go to school in West Virginia it's a city with a small-town feel if they could be more aggressive it could be a better City but for now they hold themselves back it has a lot of potential but small town mentality I prefer the anonymity of a big city

[Anonymous]

I've lived in huge metropolitan cities, midsized cities, small cities and small towns. I'll take a small town anytime. People are more friendly, more helpful, more caring. Big city people have a stereotype of people living in rural areas. I'm happy to say with the internet a lot of highly educated people work remotely in small towns. I have a masters degree and work remotely for a international high tech company.

[wheresmrcunnunglis]

YES! As a black woman it gets irritating having to hear, " wow, ya know since talking to you its changed my perception of black people" that ish is not cute and should be embarrassing for one to say out loud without shame.

[yofuknutz]

So instead of being a whack out feminist being Goodwill Ambassador for your people

[Cathy7734]

It seems to me people can be more friendly in small towns. However, there sure is a lot of gossip in them. I've known people who had to leave the small town because the gossip about them was too much for them.

[Cuminginside]

Yeah it's not cool having a Target on your back because somebody decide to run their mouth hatred for the small-town never goes away

[TrueConfection]

I love living in a s small town. I never have to lock my doors, (most) people are welcome to stop by without notice, and my kids have grown up knowing the people in their community. I just stay out of the politics.

[Flower7]

Yes, they seem to have a very low level of intelligence.

[Asker]

Also that victim mentality

[AndrésC64]

Oh please. Do you have anything to back that up?

[Flower7]

@AndrésC64 Yeah the small town that I lived in for awhile. The people were like Children of the Corn.

[Flower7]

I had to explain very simple things to them several times. And they still wouldn’t get it.

[Cuminginside]

Was this locate in Appalachia by any chance?

[Flower7]

@Cuminginside No, it was in the Deep South.

[Kelly6]

I live in small town 😝

[Cuminginside]

Let me guess Arkansas what a crappy rotten

[jahaims]

Depends what you are referring to. That is a pretty vague statement. To me a small town mentality is a community that looks out for their neighbors. I grew up in the country but was technically a citizen of a town of 300 people.

[HighValue]

From my experience, people in small towns tend to be friendlier to each other, are more family oriented, and are more willing to help each other out.

[AndrésC64]

I don't know what you are referring to. But I like living in a small town. Get to know people they tend to be more friendly because you have to see them more often been in a big city.

[IndieDays]

As an older person, I love living in a small town. I would not care for it if I was younger. Heard of too much bullying when a friend’s teen daughter ended relations with a local boy. The rumours and harassment were in overload.

[Anonymous]

all i think of is children of the corn when i hear small town.

[Genie23]

What do you mean by sma time mentality? Could you please elaborate?

[Dargil]

I lived in a small town for decades. What's to hate about it?

[Msputiton]

Probably.
I grew up in a town with 10,000 people.

[douride2]

It's not the small town There are crazy people everywhere.

[genericname85]

i actually prefer small towns over big towns mentality. but with villages you either got the best or the very worst xD it's a gamble.