I am not an expert on the US geography.
I would guess that New York would not qualify because of the skyscrapers in New York City; California has Hollywood and Arnold Schwarzenegger; Florida has alligators. But the other 47 states?
“Lukas, the most boring state in the US is clearly Ohio,” my friend from Colorado told me while we were on a hike in the Estas park.
All clear then, Ohio!
“Remember that everyone has opinions – and they are often bad.“ – Ray Dalio, Principle 5.1B
For the sake of curiosity: I asked the same question (which is the most boring state?) at a table with 3 fellow American Toastmasters (names changed to protect their identity):
- Jennifer: South Dakota, maybe Idaho
- Jeanne: Nebraska, potentially Alabama
- Jack: Rhode Island, Mississippi
Suddenly, not clear at all!
I’m forced to ask more questions: “Why is South Dakota more boring than Nebraska”, “Isn’t Rhode Island too small to be boring”, “What’s wrong with Idaho?”
The bottom line
When you get one person’s opinion, you have clarity. But what if that one person is wrong?
Better to ask for the 2nd, the 3rd: And then come to conclusions yourself.
Note (added after original post published): This blog post is not meant to pass judgment on any single US state (and its boringness / not boringness), just to illustrate a discussion about a topic that is purely opinion based. Personally, I’d be curious to visit each of these states mentioned above.
Lukas Liebich 