Every aspect of our lives and decision we make come together to create the unique individual within. Discover the surprising links that exist between your geographical location and your personality.
Unsplash by Ashley Satanosky
With the advancement of technology over the last hundred years, making it easier to travel wherever we wish, people are no longer confined to live within the same 25-mile radius to which they were born. Being given the freedom and ease of travel, it’s no wonder that each individual would set out to find their ideal home. For some, their perfect home is somewhere they can walk in the open, like a sandy beach or wide-open fields, while for others, a soothing stroll through a deep wood might be more to their liking. With the freedom of choice and the ability to move around more efficiently, it shouldn’t be surprising that over time similar people would travel and settle into similar locations.
More than a century ago, Mark Twain distilled the distinct cultures of three American cities into three simple sentences; “In Boston, they ask how much does he know? In New York, they ask how much is he worth. In Philadelphia, they ask who were his parents?” While we will often joke about the broad stereotypes we attach to specific locations and the people who choose to live there, the reality is that those stereotypes hold some truth. Boston has always been known as a city where some of the smartest minds in the U.S. gather, New Yorkers are well known for their financial and career aspirations, and Philadelphia has long been a city filled with historical bloodlines. So what does the location you call home say about you? Read below to find out.
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Northwest
Despite being known for a relatively consistent amount of rain and grey skies, the northwest holds some of the most openminded and least neurotic people you will ever meet. Well known for their love of coffee and nature, the northwest is filled with the intellectual and explorative type who is out to change the world for the better. Always looking to make a positive change in whatever they do, those who live in the northwest are proactive and vocal in their ambitions, nearly always reaching the goals that they set for themselves. While they are goal-oriented, they are willing to take their time to get there in what they deem the “right way.” A true intellectual at heart, those who call the northwest home admire nothing more than a good book in a comfy chair while admiring the great outdoors from the comfort of their own home. Such a soothing environment is the perfect backdrop to the northwestern analytical mind.
Unsplash by Carlos Alfonso
Southwest
Ambitious, smart, and trustworthy, those who live in the southwest are some of the most amazing friends, colleagues, and partners you will ever meet. Southwesterners value straightforward honesty above everything else and tend to pride themselves on living drama-free. As strong-willed as they are, those who live in the southern states are also physically strong. Never afraid to roll up their sleeves, they are eager to get to work on a good project and won’t bat an eye at pulling an all-nighter if it means getting the job done right. Sometimes these sun-loving southerners can be seen as overly stubborn, but it’s not that they’re stuck in their ways. Instead, while they are more than willing to examine and hear out an opposing viewpoint, they aren’t about to simply flip-flop on an opinion to make someone else happy. The true southwesterner will only change their opinion if they’ve had a genuine change of heart on the matter.
Unsplash by Michael Descharles@michael_exploring
Rocky Mountain Region
Many choose to live in the U.S. rocky mountain region because, as Walt Whitman so elegantly put it once, you can “let your soul stand cool and composed before a million universes.” Those who enjoy the silence and serenity of nature find themselves drawn to this part of the world. In a place where nothing can compare to the quiet, you experience between four and five in the morning when not even the birds have woken, and the wind has lost its energy to blow between the trees. Filled with those who are more of the glass half full mentality, the rocky mountain region holds some of the most relaxed and optimistic individuals you will ever come across. Energetic and quick-witted as well, they never dwell in the past or contemplate too much on what might have been. They prefer to look on the bright side of life and tend to land on their feet no matter which situation they find themselves in.
Unsplash by Phil Coffman@philcoffman
Mid-West Region
True lovers of harmony and peace, those who live in the mid-west tend to be intelligent, kind, and always willing to put others before themselves. No matter what kind of situation they find themselves in, mid-westerners are diplomatic peacekeepers at their core learning to craft compromises from a young age. Considering that they are also very social and love to be a part of a crowd, this was probably a necessary development of their culture. With towns and cities filled with large families and tight-knit communities, this is the place for someone who wants to feel as though they truly belong somewhere. Where the barista will always remember your coffee order and your dog’s birthday, every stranger will wave as they pass you by, and the friendly lady next door will come a-knockin if you haven’t left the house in a few days this is the place to feel loved.
Unsplash by Yaoqi LAI@yaoqiqiqilai
Northeast
From cosmopolitan New York to the rugged shores of Main, the northeast has some of the densest cities and some of the most diverse communities. It can be challenging to think that any single definition would hold true for them all, and in fairness, there might not be one. But what we have found is that those who choose to call the northeast home are unfailingly passionate in both their professional and personal lives, independent almost to a fault, and genuinely unafraid to blaze their own trail no matter the cost. Their intense emotions strengthen and drive them to succeed at the expense of consistent conflict with those they would mark as outsiders. While these traits can make them intimidating and somewhat closed off once they open up, you’ll never be alone in a fight again.
Unsplash by Richard Cordones@richardcordones
Southeast
Home of southern hospitality in the southeast, everyone is family. Gracious with their time and attention, those who live in the southeast are rarely cliquey and tend to show everyone a measure of friendliness and politeness. Truly hypnotizing those who grow up in the south have addictive personalities that draw people to them and their ambitions. Natural leaders, they are born ready to blaze a trail, vanquish their foes, and leave a strong legacy in their wake. But it’s not all work, thriving on personal interaction these social butterflies can consistently be found with something to do. That being said, just because they love to party don’t expect them to always agree to come to a gathering, true to their own sense of fun, they are more than willing to turn down a plan if it doesn’t fit with their idea of ‘fun.’
