Preconceived ideas are funny!

lol, yes it is funny. So often people think that in Canada we all live in igloos and watch hockey..lol.and how in the world would that be posible, do people who live in igloos have electricity and cable..lol.too funny.

Stereotypes are signs of ignorance, but we probably all unintentionally have them stored somewhere in our mindsets. Although I admit, I live in New York City myself, and I have long had the preconceived notion that all Texans are Southern-accented cowboys living amongst Tornadoes and going to the rodeo every week. Part of the blame goes to my sister; when she went to business meetings in Texas, she told me stories about how the businessmen there wore cowboy boots and cowboy hats with their suits -__-;

It is interesting how we have these pre-conceived ideas of what a certain place should look like. I have to admit though that I did know that New York and New York State were 2 different things but that is only because we know some people who live in NEw York State and our son visited them last year. However, it is very much like Australia, where people seem to think that we all live near the beach or else in the dry outback. There are lots of places in between of course, just as there are in many countries but somehow this mis-conception seems to stick. Also people think that we have this huge land mass and a small population, which is true, but that doesn't mean we can increase the population at will. Put simply, there is a big land mass in the middle of Australia which is not good for much at all. There is no water, or so little that it doesn't matter, no development, no work and so on plus it is extremely hot there too. It is not a place where a lot of people want to live really, and who can blame them. That means that any more people who choose to live in Australia are joining the millions who live in the already overcrowded cities or coastal towns. Oh, I am sure that you do wish you had a oil well and a large herd of cattle estherlou. Wouldn't it be just very nice for you to be able to live like that.

I always though that New York meant "big" city life and fast moving traffic. UNTIL I went to Ithaca, New York a few years back. We went for a college graduation. The countryside was beautiful! The waterfalls, hills, and greenery were breathtaking. Of course I found that in Texas also, when I lived in Houston a good 25 years back. They have everything in Texas! What a wonderful state. Forests, lakes, desert, mountains, the Gulf of Mexico... the varieties are outstanding!

Well I guess you son was in my neck of the woods! That's where I live in upsate (but in the east side) NY and it's way out in the boondocks! LOL! It is beautiful though and I don't think I would trade where I live for anything. Yes alot of people do associate NY with the big apple.

yes,when you don,t visit a place before you will think it have a beautify landscape,but you are disappointment what you see when you go to there,the same as your hometown with lots of peole,and the environment also pollution.in my childhood i hadn't even goen to a big city,in my mind,the big city has so large with more people and tall building,but now i was living in big city,everything has the same way.

I think everyone does it. You use what you are familiar with as a frame of reference. When you hear California, you think Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Disney Land. Alaska you think of ice. Florida makes you think of Gators, the other Disney and retirees. All of Illinois is windy like Chicago, right?

Excellent subject. I was amazed when I first went to NY state. Sure, the was NYC and all the concrete and steel, but upstate NY was heavenly. I have found this to be true with many areas of the country. You form a general idea based on what you have heard or seen and then come to the realization that your notions are based on false ideas. Yes, as far as Texas goes, cattle and oil wells and mesquite trees are everywhere...they are Texas. And although I haven't been there yet, I know that idea is not true. It is very true that in many areas of life, preconceived thoughts keep us from taking risks and discovering new people, places and ideas. So, are you hiring any city cowboys for your next cattle drive?...lol.

We have the same problem here in New Jersey. People associate us with the Mafia because of the Sopranos. Sometimes we are look at as the dirty little state next to New York. Here are some facts about New Jersey that many people aren't aware of. New Jersey has a diverse landscape that offers an ecosystem of breathtaking beauty. The spectacular 70,000-acre Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area beckons you to enjoy the 40 miles of Delaware River landscape, waterfalls, rugged mountain scenery and unlimited outdoor activities. You can explore over one million acres of farms, forests and wetlands as you canoe, kayak and swim in New Jersey’s Pinelands, the country’s first National Reserve. I wonder how many people in New Jersey even know about these facts. Lloyd

I live in New Jersey and even so I sometimes forget about NY state. I usually mean NY City if I say NY. If I want to talk about the state I will say upstate NY. That's kinda funny of me to differentiate like that.

Or a ranch & a thousand head of cattle. Don't you know we still ride horses, have cattle drives & fight "Indians" (not from India of course) & "Mexicans." That the Alamo is out in the middle of nowhere (not downtown San Antonio.) We all wear ten gallon hats & cowboy boots with spurs! At best we all drive pickups, but everything else is still the same.

thank you for posting this... NYS is my homestate - it is the second leading dairy state in this great nation and very much agricultural. I lived in the central leatherstocking region (although I was born in the southern tier, a lot closer to the City) also known as the Mohawk Valley - foothill to the Adirondack Mtn Range. The most aesthetic, lush, beautiful sceneries - rolling hills and farms. Much of my family were/are farmers. Dairy farms mostly. I miss NY.

You mean "New York City" and "New York" are two differnet things? I don't know either so you are not alone :P I don't think there is anything wrong with innocent preconceived ideas. It makes life more fun. However, if ideas are preconceived for the wrong reasons, it is not funny. It is intentional malice.

I think Ireland suffers that fate as well. People have their notions,a nd then there is the real Ireland. I think people can even go home with their notions intact, especially if they stick to the sort of circuit tourists are herded through across the country. It's funny, and at the same time a bit sad, to watch it happen all summer long.

Hahaha well that is how I see Texas lol Sorry but that is how it shown on the TV so I always assumed that was it

I think most people think I am from the city when I say I am from New York. I have lived here all my life, almost 43 years and I have never even been close to NYC. I do want to go there someday but I am worried about all the traffic. I come from a very small town with lots of farmland. Its nothing like people think.But I will admit, when I think of Texas, I think of cows and oil fields.lol. In case you get bored, I am including a link that will take you to some pictures from around my kneck of the woods. On the left side there are links to other pictures from previuos months. http://www.fingerlakes1.com/photos.php

The first time i went to my friends home town in Arcade/Delavin I was amazed at how country and hilly it was. I had no idea what the upstate areas held! We went to Ledgeworth park and saw so many beautiful scenery. I hold no preconcieved notions about areas of the US. I only know what I have seen. Texas DOES have more cowboys that a lot of other places, and you will most likely see a few cowboy hats and boots, but the people there are as diverse as any where else! Here in Tennessee, we DO NOT all live in shanties in the woods, we don't all marry our first cousins and we don't all have hound dogs sleeping on the porch!LOL

Are you trying to tell me that New York isn't all like that? I guess I'm guilty of that thought too. It is kind of funny though when you think about it.

LOL before I moved to Texas I pictured everyone in big cowboy hats - I found way more baseball caps than cowboy hats... I think I picture New York state the same as you even though I know there is more to the state than the city...

You are so right! I remember when I was younger, my mom was asked if we were still fighting the Indians. What?? We live on a farm in IOWA... No where near a reservation. Why would WE be fighting them anyway? That ended years ago, didn't it? LOL! Why don't you have a oil rig in the middle of your cattle yard? I grow potatoes in my corn field. HA HA HA!!