Maybe I'm biased because I'm a born and raised Minnesotan, but I really do believe in Minnesota nice. I don't know what it is about Minnesota, but people here really are nice and generally friendly. I don't know if they are more so than other states, but I think it's true for the most part. I say for the most part because I think Minnesota nice goes out the window when people get into their cars. If there is Minnesota nice, I also think there is Minnesota driver stupidity or driving-related Minnesota rudeness. Overall though, I think Minnesota nice really does exist. Maybe it's they way people here are raised, with that extra emphasis on being polite and saying please and thank-you and even just saying "hello, how are you" when you pass someone. I'm not saying everybody is always polite and friendly, just that it's more the rule than the exception. It might sometimes be superficial, but I think it is also sometimes true friendliness or comraderie between people. It's the nice-ness that leads to true friendships or even just support in a difficult situation or help when you see a stranger or neighbor in need.
Who knows, maybe it's the Minnesota weather that does it--let's face it, in Minnesota, the weather is more than small talk, it's real, honest-to-goodness important conversation that all Minnesotans can take part in and have something to say about it honestly and passionately and it can turn awkwardness into a real conversation. Maybe that really is part of Minnesota nice. All I know is, I've definitely experienced this phenomenon multiple times in my life. It's not always or even frequently a major event, just the day-to-day friendliness and encouragement from people I've come across. Like yesterday, when I went to the bank and ended up chatting with 2 of the tellers about the weather and what I was doing with my day. It may have been a little superficial at first but it ended up being a short but friendly conversation that then made me feel a little happier. I hope that I come across as friendly, inviting, and "nice" to people, strangers or not. Not because I live in Minnesota, but because I want to be the kind of person who I would want to be around and meet in my day to day life. And I think those are the kind of people I typically meet in my life here in Minnesota.
I believe in Minnesota nice. Do you?
I totally believe in Minnesota nice. Even when talking about drivers. Yes, drivers can be annoying here, but not downright rude and mean like I have observed in cities such as New York.
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