gchristie wrote:I'm reading a book that takes place shortly after the Civil War in Kansas. One of the characters, a genteel Georgian dryly observes that the difference between a Yankee and a southerner is that upon meeting a Yankee he will tell you where he is going. The southerner will tell you where he is from. Being one who should know better about broad generalizations, but trips over them all the time, I was curious what my southern friends would have to say about this. [...]
I believe that your character's observation is much more true of the antebellum South than the contemporary one, with the possible exception of the upper classes. At the risk of oversimplification and sweeping generalization, I would characterize one of the most fundamental (and consequently, defining) cultural differences between North and South today, thusly: a Northerner will tell you what he
intends to do, while a Southern gentleman will readily tell you of what he has
already done.
I
do believe that there are cultural antebellum roots in these propensities, though. Yankee culture is rightfully renowned for its pragmatic orientation, while Southern culture tends to be somewhat more idealistic, and less oriented toward industry and accomplishment. For Yankees, it is the goal that is sought; for Southerners, its more about the journey: the people and experiences that you encounter, along the way.
For example, consider planning a vacation road trip. A northern gentleman might tend to be focused upon arriving at the destination by such-and-such a time, and be willing to sacrifice the indulgences of stopping for dinner or souvenirs en route, in order to conform with his timetable. A southern gentleman, on the other hand, will plan on stopping for souvenirs, a relaxed dinner, and just about
anything except directions.
The Southerner arrives a day late and a dollar short, but he has a bunch of cool souvenirs, a picture of himself standing beside the very bed where a cousin of Benjamin Franklin's daughter slept, and so forth.
The Yankee, on the other hand, arrives a day early, with a dollar saved. He has a well-deserved sense of satisfaction at having made the trip with time to spare
and having saved a lot of money, too!
Another difference that I've noticed between Northern and Southern culture involves respect. Northern friends tend to only give respect, after it has been earned. Southern friends, on the other hand, tend to extend respect to strangers until it is
lost.
There are many other differences, too; but I don't think that here is the place to start my Doctoral Dissertation on the cultural anthropology of post-bellum regionalism in the United States.
Affectionately,
Havely