A friend of mine from grad school (we have actual degrees in Southern Studies! So cool, so interesting, so region-fantastic!) shared this link from Time Magazine. It’s a study of U.S. citizens’ personalities, how we rate ourselves on openness, agreeableness (didn’t know that was a word?!) and such.
The researcher found three distinct regions or personality zones. I hail from the “friendly and conventional” South and Midwest. And I like that description, I would agree. I like to think of myself as friendly and courteous, and I’m certainly conventional, all about responsibility, hierarchy and just doing the right thing.
I live in the “relaxed and creative” West, and while I can’t say I agree that what I’ve seen in California is more creative, it is more “come as you are.” At first, that kind of drove me a little bit nuts (in clothing, in planning for what to do the next weekend) but I’m adjusting. I’m becoming Southern-Pacific!
So take the test, and see where the researchers think you’ll best fit in.
The test’s validity seemed right by its selection for me, and my friend’s result was where she grew up and where she now lives: Georgia. My result was North Carolina: a blend of Southern convention and hospitality with creative calm. I think North Carolina is an almost perfect result for me– just a hundred and fifty miles or so west of their state line is my home sweet home!
southernpacificstyle 