I've just settled in by now. I've exited the phase where I tried to act Minnesota Nice (with a grudge) and I've passed into a phase or existence in which I just am. I think less about how I act, and less about how Minnesotans sometimes act, and I just exist. It's better.
I have this friend from school who grew up in the country of Georgia. She's bold, blunt, often crabby. And fabulously, refreshingly honest. She loves honesty in return. I always feel more like myself after I've been around her.
She's doing an assignment about diversity in which she's pushing the envelope of the criteria and choosing to document evidence of the Minnesota Nice phenomenon and how niceness can increase a sense of societal oppression. I know what she means! I love this idea.
I'm curious to know what comes to mind for you? What could she document/photograph? What is Minnesota Nice, specifically, literally? How does it play out?
p.s. I'm back on the blog! I intend to post some notes about pre-emptive measures I'm taking to brace myself for the winter, which the Farmer's Almanac is predicting to be a doozy again. Until then!
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2 comments:
Minnesota Nice feels like an exertion of power sometimes. I've noticed that Minnesotan's can be reluctant to let you into a group and they'll assert the Niceness to your face, but silently watch you struggle to build a network if you are new here.
There is also the phenomenon of grinning and bearing it. If I was unknowingly doing something to make someone's life more difficult, the Minnesota Nice response would be to smile as I made them uncomfortable or work harder instead of confronting me about my behavior.
That sounds like a really interesting study. I'd be interested in reading more about that.
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