The True History of the “Seattle Freeze” | Mossback's Northwest

Knute Berger strolls around town, observing while trying to find historical origins to the most frequently-used phrase about Seattle's culture.

[pierrefontecha]

I think the confluence of Scandinavian and Asian culture (more reserved cultures) here in the PNW contributes greatly to the general scene we experience. We ain't gonna get into anyone's business out in the street, just leave them be.

[matthewm]

This the video I've been looking for. Moved from SF to Seattle for college/work about 5 years ago. Huge personality difference. Been looking for a humerus history lesson. Thank you!

[bodyzoasispersonaltraining]

It seems its an extension of Northern European norms.

[mandyinseattle]

I love this video. I grew up in Southern Cal and moved to Seattle in 1990 and raised my son there and then left after 27 years and the Seattle Freeze is real, folks. And it's lonely. If you're not from Seattle, satellites can be pretty frosty. I did find it passive aggressive and the men were timid.

Is that just me? 😆

No place is prettier and it has the best hiking.

[knucklehoagies]

The Seattle Freeze is more of a PNW thing. Coming from the urban northeast, the culture is very very different even from California. West Coasters in general are "gentler" and more PC in the way they speak but people in the PNW take it to a whole new level. Friendships are easy to make so as long as you listen to the same music, have the same hobbies, have the same belief systems. It's a very hive-mentality kinda place. Friendships aren't formed organically but rather through shared activity. It's also very easy to offend people out there. Any little thing you do, you'd be called rude for it. It's really strange. Almost like walking on eggshells all the time. Very hard to know where you stand with people because nobody really speaks their mind. Just constant passive aggressiveness.

[NikGaggero]

posting about the Seattle freeze, during a Seattle heat wave... classic Knute

[saraha]

Interesting video! I always thought it was kind of a cultural confusion when tech moved into Seattle a decade ish ago, but it seems the Freeze has been going on longer than that.

[Moolevalent]

I once saw a polite southern kid cry from how he was treated by seattleites. His crime? He said "good morning"

[frankievalentine]

Omg it's so much worse than I thought. It's a historical freaking phenomenon.

[birgitmitchell]

That explains the lack of RSVP's to all my dinner/potluck invitation
🤔😉

[casper]

It grew up in Seattle in the 60s and 70s. It's always been this way. Uptight and white to the extreme. LOL

[marshalldunlap]

The Seattle Freeze is a feature, not a bug.

[dallassurfersclub]

I speak my mind when I'm in the area, give zero cares, if people are offended, then that's their problem, not mine. I've been flicked off by drivers trying to change lanes, NOBODY wanted to let me in, I thought it was pretty funny.

[SeanNewhouse-mvez]

Not rooted in various national cultural and otherwise typical, regional aspects has to be a good part of it

[damk]

I moved from ‘Minnesota nice’ to Seattle 30 years ago and it was a good fit. By Midwest standards I was a raging a$$hole, they were glad to get rid of me.

[WedgeOfSpite]

Yes yes, it's true. Don't come here. We're terrible. Don't come here.

[Bicyclechris]

People here range from ambivalent to downright jerkish. I was shouted and sworn at by a portly lady in colorful tights as she walked her dog in downtown Bellevue, because I had the audacity to ride my bike on the sidewalk due to the absence of any bike lanes at all. This is a typical western Washington encounter for me. During the summer I get honked at by cars, shouted at by walkers in the trail. This, on top of the fact that we suffer from bad political leadership, high taxes, and the fact that it rains all the darn time is why I’m moving far away from this place.

[DaneDuPlessis]

Sounds like a perfectly horrible place to live, but I'm sure some folks are nicer, once you break all the ice off.