North Dakota nice - So says the research

[pmp6nl]

North Dakota nice
John Lamb,
Published Thursday, September 11, 2008

You can’t spell “friendly” without “N.D.”

That’s not just a clever phonetic device, or a possible marketing campaign. There’s new research to back up “North Dakota nice.”

Forget Southern hospitality. The University of Cambridge in England released a study suggesting the Peace Garden State is pleasantly platonic.

A release titled “North Dakota: America’s ‘friendliest’ state” offers a “personality map” of America.

The study surveyed thousands of people in each state and the District of Columbia. A total of 619,397 people took part over six years.

Respondents read 44 statements and marked their level of agreement from one to five. Researchers used a five-factor model and split different personality groups into sections: extraversion (defined as “sociable, energetic and enthusiastic”); agreeableness (“warm, friendly, compassionate”); conscientiousness (“dutiful, responsible and self-disciplined”); neuroticism (“anxious, stressful and impulsive”); and openness (“curious, intellectual, creative”).

North Dakota ranked at the top in the extraversion, which I am totally thrilled about. The state also topped the list in agreeableness.

Read on at http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=214319

Being as I am not originally from ND, I always thought people were pretty nice up here, compared to other places.

[Admiral Ackbar]

Depends on whetehr you agree with them or not.  Most people aren't so nice when you disagree.

[red hibiscus]

I thought ND was pretty friendly when I first moved here...but over the past year or so I've changed my mind. Some people here are ridiculous.

[pmp6nl]

That is true, but there are ridiculous people everywhere.

[red hibiscus]

Undoubtedly... they are everywhere.

[Sal Atticum]

Maybe it's up to us* to keep up a "nice" trend.  It follows from the golden rule philosophy that one would want to be polite and respectful to other people as a default, rather than as an exception to the rule.  It just doesn't seem like that is the case anymore though.





*Those who know me are spitting coffee onto their computers right now.  I'm not saying that it will be easy for me to be absolutely nice to people all the time, but I should be allowed to dream, shouldn't I?

[pmp6nl]

You should always dream!

I have noticed that some people have a hard problem noticing sarcasm or not getting jokes (of course the jokes might not be that good), maybe those are part of the problem?

[Admiral Ackbar]

Undoubtedly... they are everywhere.