Minnesota nice is a cultural stereotype applied to the behavior of people from
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
and Wisconsin implying residents are unusually
courteous
Etiquette () is the set of norms of personal behaviour in polite society, usually occurring in the form of an ethical code of the expected and accepted social behaviours that accord with the conventions and norms observed and practised by a ...
, reserved, mild-mannered and
passive-aggressive against people who are not like them. The phrase also implies polite friendliness, an aversion to open confrontation, a tendency toward
understatement
Understatement is an expression of lesser strength than what the speaker or writer actually means or than what is normally expected. It is the opposite of embellishment or exaggeration, and is used for emphasis, irony, hedging, or humor. A partic ...
, a disinclination to make a direct fuss or stand out, apparent emotional restraint, and
self-deprecation
Self-deprecation is the act of reprimanding oneself by belittling, undervaluing, disparaging oneself, or being excessively modest. It can be used as a way to make complaints, express modesty, invoke optimal reactions or add humour. It may also be u ...
.
Social norms
Playwright
A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays.
Etymology
The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...
and corporate communications consultant Syl Jones suggested that ''Minnesota nice'' is not so much about being "nice" but is more about keeping up appearances, maintaining the
social order
The term social order can be used in two senses: In the first sense, it refers to a particular system of social structures and institutions. Examples are the ancient, the feudal, and the capitalist social order. In the second sense, social order ...
, and keeping people (including non-natives of the state) in their place. He relates these
social norms
Social norms are shared standards of acceptable behavior by groups. Social norms can both be informal understandings that govern the behavior of members of a society, as well as be codified into rules and laws. Social normative influences or soci ...
to the literary work of Danish-Norwegian novelist
Aksel Sandemose
Aksel Sandemose (né Axel Nielsen; 19 March 1899 – 6 August 1965) was a Danish-Norwegian writer whose works frequently elucidate the theme that the repressions of society lead to violence.
Biography
Axel Nielsen was born at Nykøbing Mors on t ...
, the fictional
Law of Jante
The Law of Jante (, da, Janteloven )Norwegian nb, Janteloven , nn, Jantelova; is, Jantelögin; fo, Jantelógin; sv, Jantelagen ; fi, Janten laki . is a code of conduct created in fiction by the Danish-Norwegian author Aksel Sandemose and h ...
, and more generally,
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...
n culture.
Garrison Keillor
Gary Edward "Garrison" Keillor (; born August 7, 1942) is an American author, singer, humorist, voice actor, and radio personality. He created the Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) show ''A Prairie Home Companion'' (called ''Garrison Keillor's Radio ...
's ''
A Prairie Home Companion
''A Prairie Home Companion'' is a weekly radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor that aired live from 1974 to 2016. In 2016, musician Chris Thile took over as host, and the successor show was eventually renamed ''Live from He ...
'' discusses "Wobegonics", the supposed language of Minnesotans, which includes "no confrontational verbs or statements of strong personal preference".
Examples
The generosity of state citizens has been commented on; the heavily-reported
influenza vaccine
Influenza vaccines, also known as flu shots, are vaccines that protect against infection by influenza viruses. New versions of the vaccines are developed twice a year, as the influenza virus rapidly changes. While their effectiveness varies fr ...
shortage of late 2004 did not strike the state as hard as elsewhere since many people willingly gave up
injection
Injection or injected may refer to:
Science and technology
* Injective function, a mathematical function mapping distinct arguments to distinct values
* Injection (medicine), insertion of liquid into the body with a syringe
* Injection, in broadca ...
s for others. The concept has also received some support from the academic community; a national study by Peter Rentfrow,
Samuel D. Gosling, and Jeff Potter done in 2008 found that Minnesota was the second most
agreeable and fifth most
extraverted
The traits of extraversion (also spelled extroversion Retrieved 2018-02-21.) and introversion are a central dimension in some human personality theories. The terms ''introversion'' and ''extraversion'' were introduced into psychology by Carl J ...
state in the nation, traits associated with "nice".
The tradition of
social progressivism
Progressivism holds that it is possible to improve human societies through political action. As a political movement, progressivism seeks to advance the human condition through social reform based on purported advancements in science, techno ...
in
Minnesota politics has been linked to the Minnesota Nice culture.
Minnesota nice was an influence on the
Coen brothers
Joel Daniel Coen (born November 29, 1954) and Ethan Jesse Coen (born September 21, 1957),State of Minnesota. ''Minnesota Birth Index, 1935–2002''. Minnesota Department of Health. collectively known as the Coen brothers (), are American film ...
movie ''
Fargo'', set in both Minnesota and neighboring
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...
. A 2003 documentary about the making of the movie was entitled ''Minnesota Nice''.
Criticism
Journalist and Minnesota native
Michele Norris
Michele L. Norris ( ; born September 7, 1961) is an American journalist who has worked as an opinion columnist with ''The Washington Post'' since 2019.
From 2002 until 2011, she was co-host of the National Public Radio (NPR) evening news progra ...
argued the phrase has "undertones of irony and despair" following the 2020
murder of George Floyd
On , George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was murdered in the U.S. city of Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old white police officer. Floyd had been arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill. Chauvin knelt on Floyd's n ...
in Minneapolis.
One theory suggests that the concept is a marketing myth.
See also
*
Agreeableness
Agreeableness is a personality trait manifesting itself in individual behavioral characteristics that are perceived as kind, sympathetic, cooperative, warm, and considerate. In contemporary personality psychology, agreeableness is one of the five ...
*
Beverly Hills 90210
''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (often referred to by its short title, ''90210'') is an American teen drama television series created by Darren Star and produced by Aaron Spelling under his production company Spelling Television. The series ran fo ...
(TV show with Minnesota Nice tropes)
*
Emotional trust
*
Iowa nice
Iowa nice (adaptation of “Minnesota nice”) is a cultural label used to describe the stereotypical attitudes and behaviors of residents within the U.S. state of Iowa, particularly in terms of the friendly agreeableness and emotional trust show ...
*
Seattle Freeze
The Seattle Freeze is, according to widely held belief, a difficulty with making new friends in the U.S. city of Seattle, Washington, particularly for transplants from other areas. A 2005 article in ''The Seattle Times'' appears to be the first k ...
*
Southern hospitality
Southern hospitality is a phrase used in American English to describe cultural stereotype of the Southern United States, with residents perceived to show kindness, warmth, and welcoming of visitors to their homes, or to the South in general.
Orig ...
References
{{Reflist
Nice
Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative c ...
Personality traits
Pleasure
Virtue
Kindness
Stereotypes