Comments on: Southern Hospitality

By: help friend quit smoking

help friend quit smoking — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 21:11:50 +0000

I would have to say if that were my situation I would also agree, but it is not my current situation. The last post leading up to this one would be the same answer in my humble opinion. Great site and keep the nice content coming

By: Zoloft

Zoloft — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 03:18:25 +0000

Are you allowed to kiss a nun?
Yes. But don’t get into the habbit.

By: kristen

kristen — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Southern hospitality is not insincere. It’s very warm and comfortable…

By: Amber

Amber — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

insincere? So you’re saying that people in the North have been into Southern people’s homes and found their hosts to be insincere? Sorry, I’m just having trouble following that… How could anyone ever be insincere after having invited someone into their home? If we invite guests, we do it out of genuine interest in that particular person or family, even if we don’t necessarily share a lot of common interests with them. No matter what the background of the visitor, their comfort is my priority….

By: Nathan

Nathan — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Once again, leave it to Amber and Kristen to put things so well. It goes without saying that there are bad apples in every cultural barrel, everyone’s a sinner. It think as a broad brush stroke though….that generalisation entirely misses the canvas.

By: jon sutton

jon sutton — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

It depends on the attitude of whoever’s being hospitable. I’ve only seen it once or twice in my lifetime though, and it’s REAL obvious when it is insincere.

By: phil

phil — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I think I could come across as giving insincere hospitality, because I don’t seem to socialize well; so if I’m playing the role of host, I think I stumble through my performance. But overall, I think our Southern culture is generally hospitable and genuinely so. That’s one of the influences of the Lord’s people in their society. Now, I wish we could lead the nation in leaving color discrimination behind us. (I write that, even though the most racist influence in my life presently is a man from Pittsburgh.)

By: Jeff

Jeff — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

So those from the Lilith-like Northwest are saying that those hospitable Southerners that regularly invite you over are “insincere”? Does that make the inhospitable Northwesterners sincere in their coldness?

By: scott cunningham

scott cunningham — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Our best friends are from Sweden, and they wondered the same thing. I think what they meant by it, though, wasn’t being invited into someone’s home, but just little things like, being asked “How are you doing?” when they saw someone on the street. The husband would always respond with a long story about how he was doing, and then soon realize that the person was just being polite, but did not really mean “how are you doing,” just “hello.”

Still, I think Southern hospitality is sincere on the whole.

By: The Native Tourist

The Native Tourist — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

If you say to someone in Brooklyn, “How are you?”, a common response is “Don’t Ask”. Which really means, “I’ve been waiting all day for someone to ask me so I can Kvetch about my life.” Be prepared for a short novel at least.

In many regions of the country (perhaps the South), giving such a candid response to “How are you” would be impertinant and impolite. The “How are you” phrase is part of a social ritual, not a real question looking for a “sincere” answer.