Are people just plain rude?

[Gorn Captain]

The answer might be a simple yes.

Three years ago, I moved from a city to a more suburban/rural setting. To a village.
I thought people would be a bit more friendly here.
Think again.

Whenever I pass someone, I say "Hi" or give a friendly nod (with complimentary smile).
Eight out of ten people will look you straight in the face and keep walking without a hint of emotion. As if you weren't there.

What do I do?
Give up being friendly and ignore everybody?
Send my dogs after them?
Draw my 44 Magnum and say "smile or die?"

I just don't understand people anymore.
If anybody can direct me to the island of Lost, please do. I prefer killer black cloud and huge polar bears to this....

[huedell]

Offer those people money---it may help to change their disposition.

That's the first solution that comes to mind

Seriously though---some people just aren't very social.

[Mikey]

I noticed the younger generation acts that way.
Usually people under 30-ish

They were probably brought up to fear strangers and subconsciously as an adult they still avoid all contact with strangers even if it's just a friendly "hey" nod from somebody.

Today's society teach's kid to fear everything and everyone ... Eventually when these kids grow up, this is what they become, imo

[Gorn Captain]

True.
Social skills haven't improved much lately.

And "old" people are scared of the younger generations.

Or maybe I just moved to the Village of the Damned....

[Mikey]

No disrespect to you or Thomas ......
You guys are GREAT ......
But true story ......
My uncle (who fought Germans in WW2) used to say Belgians are the snottiest people on the planet -- I kid you not

[mitchedwards]

What part of the country do you live in?

In the South I have noticed folks are more polite and will smile and say hi. Even in downtown Nashville you'll get a friendly nod as you walk down the street.

[SUP-Ronin]

I live in a rural setting, and absolutely everyone waves and smiles, it's nice. My town is about 20,000 people. I have lived in places where no-one is friendly for some reason, and they all seem crappy and pathetic. Nextdoor neighbors can't even be civil. I don't understand that. AFA I am concerned they can all "Jog on". As a pessimist and a cynic I am not known for my unwavering love of Human Kind but I see no reason to be unhappy and bitter all the time either. And I certainly don't go out of my way to be openly rude to strangers.

[Gorn Captain]

No disrespect to you or Thomas ......
You guys are GREAT ......
But true story ......
My uncle (who fought Germans in WW2) used to say Belgians are the snottiest people on the planet -- I kid you not

I agree, man.
Your uncle was probably right.
Belgians are not always the most sociable bunch, they don't open up easily.

Why do you think my wife and I want to emigrate?

PS: in our own defense: being occupied by Nazis is not exactly a wonderful experience. Your uncle didn't see us at our best....

[YANOULI]

Belgians are the snottiest people on the planet

What, more than the French?

[Gorn Captain]

What, more than the French?

Close.....

[Mikey]

What, more than the French?

Strange you said that ... I asked him the exact same question many years ago before he passed away.. his reply was "YES"

[garagesale]

I say **** YOU to all of you guys!!!

Just kidding.

I think people are rude b/c their are in general fear and despair. Very often, when I am feeling distraught, I just look at the ground when I walk. Sometimes people walk, jog, or ride a bike/scooter near me and say hello. On those days I may hardly look up or not respond at all. Other days, when I'm feeling up, I may smile, wave, and even stop to talk with neighbors who are, say, working on their yards or just leaving the house or whatever. Maybe I'm bipolar or something, but I suppose those days when I'm kind of taciturn or distracted I seem rude.

I live in a very conservative, yet fairly diverse suburb of OKC that was nothing more than a small college town only 20 years ago. Most of the kids on campus do not seem to talk to one another (they walk and talk on their cell phones). People in my neighborhood barely know one other and rarely talk, but a few of us do.

The big cities I've lived in-- LA, San Francisco, OKC, and Frankfurt-- seemed to be ruled by the rude. The country towns and suburbs I've lived in seemed to be only a tiny bit better. So, whatever the reason, yeah, I think people do come off as rude.

JamesD

[Adam West]

To take it one step further, I will be passing by someone in a hallway at work and they avoid eye contact with me altogether.

I'm usually friendly and will say "hi or how's it going?" but I wait for the eye contact first.

The younger 20 somethings that work in my department plug in a iPod and remove themselves altogether. I have to stand up and walk over to their desk to speak with them even though they sit about 20 feet from me with no walls in between because they are completely zoned out.

[theantiquetiger]

What part of the country do you live in?

In the South I have noticed folks are more polite and will smile and say hi. Even in downtown Nashville you'll get a friendly nod as you walk down the street.

Exactly, the South is alot more friendlier and polite. Down here, everyone calls their elders by their first name (and Ms or Mr before it). I teach my daughters to say, "Hi Ms Sue!", etc. People up North call everyone by their last names. In the South, if you tell a complete stranger hello and smile, 99% of the time, you will get it returned.

[GreenLantern9999]

Just a quick attempt do defend us younger 20's but I smile and nod all the time. In fact just the other day I had two nice experiences now to start this story I am a bit of a goofy guy and I live in Chicago most of the time and last Sunday was "Bike the Drive" in which they close down half of Lake Shore Drive (very very busy street by the lake in the city) and so traffic is going at about 6 miles an hour and I have my windows open and I'm singing along with my iPod to the tune of "This friendly world" By REM and "Andy Kaufman" (Jim Carry) and at one point I turn and there is a guy keeping pace with my laughing his butt off and we sing a line or tow together and then he past me we waved and I think we made each others day. And then later that night I took my lady out for some ice cream and while sitting there we made friends with this very nice gay couple with the funniest little boxer dog I ever saw we sat we had ice cream and chatted for about 20 minutes it was nice. So not all of us 20 somethings are rude or unfriendly just thought I would share.... I am sorry that you are stuck in a place where no one is friendly some times you have to beat them over the head with it if you really want it to work, when I am really down in the city I go for a drive and I pretend all the people trying to get a taxi are waving at me and I yell and wave back to them, maybe they don't get it but I feel good