Seattle Freeze

The Seattle Freeze refers to a belief that it is especially difficult to make new friends (particularly for immigrants from other cities) in the city of Seattle, Washington. According to KUOW radio, the term may have been coined in a 2005 Seattle Times article.[1]

Newcomers to the area have described Seattleites as being standoffish, cold, distant, and not trusting.[2] While in settings such as bars and parties, people from Seattle tend to mainly interact with their particular clique.[3] One author described the aversion to strangers as: "people are very polite but not particularly friendly."[4] A 2008 study published in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science found that Washingtonians were some of the most introverted in the nation.[5][6] Some residents dispute the existence of the Seattle Freeze.[7][8]

It has been speculated that the origin of the phenomenon stems from the reserved personalities of the city's early Nordic[9] and Japanese immigrants.[10] Other reasons might include the emotional effects of the climate, the increasing number of socially disinclined workers in the technology industries, or the region's history of independent-minded pioneers.[11][12][13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Jim Gates (March 17, 2014), Is The Seattle Freeze A Real Thing?, KUOW
  2. ↑ Lacitis, Erik (January 17, 2009). "Friendless in Seattle: A popular Web site is used for relief from our chilly social scene". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  3. ↑ Madison, Amber (2011). Are All Guys Assholes?. Penguin. ISBN 978-1-101-54755-7.
  4. ↑ Maria, Christensen (2007). Newcomer's handbook for moving to and living in Seattle (3 ed.). Portland, Oregon: First Books. p. 6. ISBN 978-0-912301-73-0.
  5. ↑ "New Study Supports Existence Of 'Seattle Freeze'". KIRO. September 28, 2008. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
  6. ↑ Sorbo, Cathy (September 26, 2008). "Seattle Freeze is not just the temperature". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
  7. ↑ Thomas, Linda (March 28, 2011). "The Seattle Freeze". KIRO. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
  8. ↑ Judd, Ron (January 9, 2015). "If you weren’t born in Seattle or the Northwest, you’ll never be one of us". Seattle Times - Pacific NW Magazine. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
  9. ↑ Wing, Jennifer. "Why is the 'Seattle Freeze' so hard to melt?". KPLU. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  10. ↑ http://seattletimes.com/pacificnw/2005/0213/cover.html
  11. ↑ Rolph, Amy (January 6, 2012). "The Seattle Freeze: Real or all in your head?". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  12. ↑ Sommerfeld, Julia (February 13, 2005). "Our Social Dis-ease: Beyond the smiles, the Seattle Freeze is on". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
  13. ↑ Balk, Gene (December 4, 2012). "Seattle Freeze: Can we blame it on the Norwegians?". The Seattle Times. Retrieved Dec 4, 2012.