Is ‘Minnesota Nice’ Still Alive? How Rude is Minnesota vs. Other States?
It appears that 'Minnesota nice' is alive and well, and so is 'Hawaii Nice' and 'Vermont Nice,' especially if you ask Minnesotans, Hawaiians, or Vermonters.
YouGov asked nearly 80,000 Americans what they thought about the rudeness or politeness of their fellow citizens in their own state, and to no surprise to any of us in the Land of 10,000 Lakes -- we think we're a pretty polite bunch.
Hawaii come in at the top of the 'polite' end of the list, while Rhode Island finished on the far 'rude' end of things. (Of course Hawaiians are happy, nice and polite -- the live in HAWAII.)
Minnesota: 6th Most Polite State
42% of Rhode Island residents surveyed said they thing that peeps from their state are ruder than the rest of the country. Massachusetts was next at a close 40%. Funny that I just saw a 'Masshole' bumper sticker two days ago (and they're proud of it).
On the other end of the spectrum, 60% of Hawaiians said they thought their residents were more polite than the rest of the country.
How about Minnesota's neighbors?
- North Dakota: 3rd Most Polite
- South Dakota: 5th Most Polite
- Iowa: 13th Most Polite
- Wisconsin: 23rd Most Polite
It feels like kindness and politeness have a much better chance to thrive in face-to-face moments. The more anonymity people seem too have, the ruder they seem to be. Behind the wheel or on social media are both perfect examples of where anger and inappropriate behavior seem to flourish.