Can someone explain to me the value of "state pride?"

[Orrex]

Last edited Sun Apr 23, 2017, 01:38 PM - Edit history (1)

That is, when someone says "I'm a proud Pennsylvanian" or "I'm proud to be from Utah," what exactly do they mean?

I was just unfriended on FB for questioning someone's pride in their Confederate history, proudly waving the lately popular version of the Confederate flag and insisting that I'm wrong to associate the flag with racism or with slavery.

Since she had literally nothing to do with the state's history and has vanishingly little to do with the state's current events, what kind of pride might she take in it? And how?


I'd ask her, but she's not responding to my messages...

[ret5hd]

1. I ask the same question about sports pride, nation pride, etc.

[Orrex]

2. Right?

I can understand taking pride in one's own achievements or achievements in which one has taken part (a proud parent, for example, who has supported a child's efforts leading to success), but why should I be proud of the place where I happened to be born? Or the place to which I relocated?

Makes no sense to me.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

3. The closer in the community, the more identity you have with it.

It gets even deeper with civic pride and then family pride.

It's not as odd as you think. People associate with the places they live or have lived. It's familiar and people like familiar.

[Orrex]

4. "Odd" is in the eye of the beholder, I suppose

I mean, it seems odd to me that someone would take pride in someone else's accomplishments, especially (as in the current example) when those accomplishments include secession and slavery.

If you're part of a civic group that does good work for the community, then I can see taking pride in your part in that effort. If you participate in a family tradition, business or activity, then I can see taking pride in that.

But if my cousin wins the state tiddly-wink championship with no help from me, what business do I have being proud of her? I can commend her effort and applaud her success, but for me to take pride in it feels like trying to take vicarious credit for her accomplishment.

Or if my illiterate uncle learns to read with substantial help from me, then I can take pride in that achievement. But if he builds an amazing sculpture of the Statue of Liberty out of toothpicks, then why should I be proud of him? Proud for him, maybe, but of him? I just don't get it.

Locally, "Pittsburgh Pride" is a big thing, in no small part due to the town's sports legacy. I'm an import to the area, and I'm not a sports guy in any case, so this kind of pride is utterly baffling to me.

[emulatorloo]

6. Are you able to separate state pride and confederate pride in your mind?

Sounds like your internet friend is proud of the confederacy. "State pride" might just be an excuse for him.

[Orrex]

8. That's a good question

However, even after separating them, "state pride" still makes no sense to me.

Incidentally, I went to high school with this woman. She was born and raised in Pennsylvania and lives there now, so her pride in the Confederacy is especially nonsensical to me.

[emulatorloo]

13. That does indeed sound weird and nonsensical.

My guess is she's not being honest with herself.

[crazycatlady]

5. I live in a state with a lot of pride

THe thing here that most people (especially women) are the most proud of is not pumping gas (illegal).

Many people are also proud of being assholes.

[Orrex]

10. LOL. Sadly true!

[northoftheborder]

7. I'm not proud of my town, state, or country at this point.

If I were to travel overseas, I would wear a Democratic pin or a Hillary button to show that I had nothing to do with the current political people in power. We are the laughing stock of the world.

[Horse with no Name]

9. I live in Texas

so I have no idea what you are talking about....

[Orrex]

11. Ok, you win.

[Horse with no Name]

14. Haha...but, I don't get it either. n/t

[wasupaloopa]

12. I am proud of my state of California. We are more progressive than most states. We have great

weather. We are very diversified. We have beautiful sea shores and mountains. We feed most of the nation. We are a trend setter.


There isn't a place in the country that I would rather live than were I do on the Central Coast of CA. Yesterday we had a large march for science in San Luis Obispo and the marchers were seniors and college students and families all progressive and a great growd to be a part of.

[Orrex]

15. Is that pride, though?

In my experience, even people in less prosperous, progressive, or trend-setting states are also proud of their states and wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

Equally, some would rather live anywhere else (a sentiment I've heard even from residents of northern California).

In general practice (i.e., not in your particular case), state pride strikes me as a willingness or eagerness to be associated with a state's achievements, whereas you might hear "I'm embarrassed to be from my state" when one is reluctant to be so associated...

I've personally declared my embarrassment at Pennsylvania voting for Herr Trump, though I meant it more as a statement of disgust than as shame at something of which I'd had any part.

If "state pride" is meant as shorthand for "I am gratified that my state has done X," then I guess it's understandable. But actual pride seems inaccurate.

[wasupaloopa]

17. I have no hesitation to tell folks that I live in CA. I am proud of where we are at at this place

and time.

I think we lost the election because of the lack of people on the path to enlightenment. That is there is a whole lot of greed, hatred and ignorance in the country. That won the election in my eyes.

I would say we have more generosity, empathy and wisdom then most of the country. That means we have more people on the path to enlightenment. I am proud of them and proud to be associated with them. So I am proud of my state.

[ileus]

16. Proud Mountaineer...even though I now live in Virginia.

[hunter]

18. Prideful "isms" and religions are overwhelmingly awful.

In my mind, the most absurd isms are the sports hooliganisms. You riot because "your" sports team won or lost? That's mad.

But mostly sports isms are relatively harmless compared to religion and nationalism. (Patriotism is a flavor of nationalism...) Vast numbers of people die in those tribal disputes.

I was raised Jehovah's Witness and then Quaker, thanks to my mom's rebellion against the various Catholic vs. Protestant vs. every other "Judeo-Christian" religion disputes that plagued my ancestors. (I'm PTSD about Christmas because when I was a child it was a time of religious warfare within my family.)

I didn't say the Pledge of Allegiance in school, I didn't even stand up for it. I was already one of the weird kids and that just cemented it.

Okay, I'm a little proud of my Wild West heritage. My great grandmas were all fierce Wild West matriarchs skilled with knives, guns, and horses; the sort who could kill a bad man and call their friend the county sheriff-coroner to clean up the mess and file the proper paperwork.

My U.S.A. Civil War heritage is interesting. My ancestors were all living in U.S. territory at the time, but none partook of it.

"Bob?" Bob's not here.

One of my grandfathers was a Conscientious Objector in World War II, the other an Army Air Force officer.

My pacifist grandpa was offered a choice of prison or building and repairing ships for the Merchant Marine as a welder. He built and repaired ships. Both my grandpas were metal wizards. My Army Air Force grandpa mysteriously acquired a knack for titanium and other exotic metals during the war and was later an engineer for the Apollo project.

Everyone is searching for the thing that makes them "special." My formal training as an evolutionary biologist convinced me that everything we humans are will be nothing more than a peculiar layer of trash in the geologic record someday. Ball Point Pen Balls.

Does that make me special?