Final Post

I found Phillip’s post in response to Southern hospitality very interesting. I was previously very unsure about what Southern hospitality really meant and his post helped me gain some insight. What I found particularly interesting is that a few of the specific examples of Southern hospitality he mentioned are things that I always do and not because I’m being Southern or hospitable. Phillip mentioned tone and voice when meeting someone. I believe that many people feign interest when conversing with others. Perhaps Southerners are supposedly genuinely interested, but I think it would be difficult to tell because many people, myself included, are very animated when talking to strangers even though we are not necessarily interested. Another point Phillip mentioned was the tendency to always say “please” and “thank you.” This is another thing I often say when talking to strangers. I feel it’s polite, but I do not believe I am being particularly hospitable. Finally, Phillip mentioned Southerners tendency to always remember and refer to you by name. This is one I cannot do because I can never remember a name. I therefore find it unfair to say that referring to strangers by name is evidence of Southern hospitality because people like me are just unable to do it even if we wanted to. The insight I gained from reading Phillip’s post therefore led me to question whether we just notice Southerners feigning interest more because they are supposedly more interested or if they are genuinely more interested.