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The Mentality of a City.
zombiegirl
beating the drum of the lifelessin a dry wasteland Veteran
Can a city have a general mentality? Are actions and opinions infectious?
I've been thinking about this a lot in regards to the city I live in, Detroit. I've lived here for a few years now, but I grew up in a small country town a half an hour outside the second largest city in Michigan. Sometimes I think that the mentality IS different in Detroit, and it's a mentality I'm not used to.
People don't seem to trust each other in this city. Everyone is so fearful all of the time. If I had to sum it all up, I would say it's almost as if everyone is saying, "I get mine, I don't care about you." I notice this as well in how genuinely thankful people are by simple acts of kindness. A man dropped a fifty dollar bill in front of me the other day and was so shocked and flabbergasted when I tapped him on the shoulder and gave it back to him that he offered me money as a thank you. To me, it's common sense that I would return it to him. A cashier who may have been the epitome of rude to the customer before me (who also, was quite rude) becomes the epitome of nice when I treat her with respect and kindness. I'm typically unaffected by it, but I am shocked sometimes at how people treat each other.
Sometimes I just think that Detroit is a very angry city. There's a lot of racial tension (still) and a whole lot of segregation based on property lines. Our poverty rates are one of the highest in the country and our last mayor stole who KNOWS how much money from the city. But don't get me wrong, I actually really love this city.
It's not everyone, of course, and it's not all the time either. It's just an observation that I feel sometimes in comparison to what I used to be accustomed to. I'm referring more to the larger city I grew up outside of (and lived in for a while, as well). I'm well aware that I cannot compare Detroit to the small town I grew up in where everyone knew everyone's families and probably even what house you lived in, lol.
Maybe it's a natural attitude for big cities where people start to feel less close to each other, I'm not sure. What do you guys think? Are all big cities the same? Can you describe the mentality of your city?
I've been thinking about this a lot in regards to the city I live in, Detroit. I've lived here for a few years now, but I grew up in a small country town a half an hour outside the second largest city in Michigan. Sometimes I think that the mentality IS different in Detroit, and it's a mentality I'm not used to.
People don't seem to trust each other in this city. Everyone is so fearful all of the time. If I had to sum it all up, I would say it's almost as if everyone is saying, "I get mine, I don't care about you." I notice this as well in how genuinely thankful people are by simple acts of kindness. A man dropped a fifty dollar bill in front of me the other day and was so shocked and flabbergasted when I tapped him on the shoulder and gave it back to him that he offered me money as a thank you. To me, it's common sense that I would return it to him. A cashier who may have been the epitome of rude to the customer before me (who also, was quite rude) becomes the epitome of nice when I treat her with respect and kindness. I'm typically unaffected by it, but I am shocked sometimes at how people treat each other.
Sometimes I just think that Detroit is a very angry city. There's a lot of racial tension (still) and a whole lot of segregation based on property lines. Our poverty rates are one of the highest in the country and our last mayor stole who KNOWS how much money from the city. But don't get me wrong, I actually really love this city.
It's not everyone, of course, and it's not all the time either. It's just an observation that I feel sometimes in comparison to what I used to be accustomed to. I'm referring more to the larger city I grew up outside of (and lived in for a while, as well). I'm well aware that I cannot compare Detroit to the small town I grew up in where everyone knew everyone's families and probably even what house you lived in, lol.
Maybe it's a natural attitude for big cities where people start to feel less close to each other, I'm not sure. What do you guys think? Are all big cities the same? Can you describe the mentality of your city?
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Comments
Of course everyone has to put on their tough front; many natural creatures have their own armour or camouflage so that they are not exploited. In some cases it's useful to avoid eye contact- with the alpha gorillas- for example. but this tendency was more prevalant before the wave of E-culture struck back in the 1980's. They all mostly blissed out and got older, although that didn't stop them from robbing me.
If you can't beat them join them, but there's still no honour among thieves. LOl, those rascals.
i'm a pretty nice person in general, plus i've had a lot of service experience, so i'm mostly removed from this. it's interesting to watch the way people react with others versus the way people react to just a little bit of kindness. i think it's more surprising, as well as sad, when people act so stunned by random acts of kindness.
I too have noticed the same sort of "animal" mentality in the DFW, Austin, and Houston areas here in Texas. I have always found myself kind of sympathetic to such people as I always thought it to be a survival instinct they were merely acting on somewhat mindlessly.
Like you though, I too have been somewhat surprised by the inherent kindness in return that flows when one does a compassionate act. Though, too often, I find myself watching them after the fact just to see if it was a genuine response or just an act put on for my benefit.