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 t ...

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 Passive-aggressive behavior is characterized by a pattern of passive hostility and an avoidance of direct communication. Inaction where some action is socially customary is a typical passive-aggressive strategy (showing up late for functions, st ...

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, 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 ...

, and more generally,

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and S ...

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 Radi ...

'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 ...

'' 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 f ...

shortage of late 2004 did not strike the state as hard as elsewhere since many people willingly gave up injections 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 ...

state in the nation, traits associated with "nice". The tradition of social progressivism 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 indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, ...

. 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 ...

in Minneapolis. One theory suggests that the concept is a marketing myth.

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 ...

Personality traits Pleasure Virtue Kindness Stereotypes

Social norms

Examples

Criticism

See also

References