# Red state liberals who moved to a free state: did it make you happier? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 26, 2017, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-state-liberals-who-moved-to-a-free-state-did-it-make-you-happier/792172 "2017-07-26T15:55:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2017, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-state-liberals-who-moved-to-a-free-state-did-it-make-you-happier/792172/21 "2017-07-27T12:22:09Z")
Please don’t move to Nevada. We have enough people here trying to turn this into California. I’m from here and it depressing to see what is happening to Nevada. Idaho or Wyoming will be my next move and if those don’t work, then it will be to Mexico. I left the US in 2002, came back in 2014 and it has turned into a nanny state. ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2017, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-state-liberals-who-moved-to-a-free-state-did-it-make-you-happier/792172/22 "2017-07-27T14:18:26Z")
I find the OP’s use of “free state” in reference to liberal (blue) states to be amusing and delusional. By definition, the most liberal and conservative states (cities, groups, etc.) are anything but free. A free state would be libertarian, with as few regulations and taxes as possible. I’d venture that Montana, Vermont, Nevada and maybe Alaska qualify the most. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2017, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-state-liberals-who-moved-to-a-free-state-did-it-make-you-happier/792172/23 "2017-07-27T14:31:13Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I’m not someone who has moved. I’m in a red state. When I’ve considered moving, I always realized that I’m not actually interested in living in an urban environment. I’ve enjoyed spending some time in bigger cities, but I’ve always been relieved to come back and get away from it all. > > Is there any place that’s both liberal but sparsely populated? Are there any people who regretted being around so many people and would rather be back in the rural areas? What you want is a small ultra-liberal college town like Grinnell or Oberlin. Of course those are red or at best purple states. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2017, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-state-liberals-who-moved-to-a-free-state-did-it-make-you-happier/792172/24 "2017-07-27T14:37:47Z")
> [@Orwell](#): > > I find the OP’s use of “free state” in reference to liberal (blue) states to be amusing and delusional. By definition, the most liberal and conservative states (cities, groups, etc.) are anything but free. A free state would be libertarian, with as few regulations and taxes as possible. I’d venture that Montana, Vermont, Nevada and maybe Alaska qualify the most. Yeah, ok, this isn’t the pit and that is your opinion. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2017, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-state-liberals-who-moved-to-a-free-state-did-it-make-you-happier/792172/25 "2017-07-27T14:53:34Z")
> [@Orwell](#): > > I find the OP’s use of “free state” in reference to liberal (blue) states to be amusing and delusional. By definition, the most liberal and conservative states (cities, groups, etc.) are anything but free. A free state would be libertarian, with as few regulations and taxes as possible. I’d venture that Montana, Vermont, Nevada and maybe Alaska qualify the most. you get to use the word “Free” anyway you want to but the rest of us don’t have to agree with you. in libertarian land poor people can be FREE not to have health insurance. lucky people! and a corporation can be FREE to pollute the air and water all they want. yay! ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2017, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-state-liberals-who-moved-to-a-free-state-did-it-make-you-happier/792172/26 "2017-07-27T15:11:43Z")
> [@JackieLikesVariety](#): > > you get to use the word “Free” anyway you want to but the rest of us don’t have to agree with you. Yeah, that’s pretty much the core of being a libertarian. I’m not forcing you to do anything. Not calling for a law to be passed, nor a regulation to be written, nor a tax to be paid. You can use “free” any way you wish, and I am free to point out that your use is absurd. You can even call Obamacare “Affordable”. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2017, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-state-liberals-who-moved-to-a-free-state-did-it-make-you-happier/792172/27 "2017-07-27T15:48:27Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > As a gay agnostic liberal in one of the most fanatically [and hypocritically] religious and politically conservative (and impoverished and uneducated) states in the union, I’ve often toyed with the idea of cashing in what I can and following the North Star (or the west star, or the GPS) to a free state. The problem with so doing is that I’d leave behind almost all of the people I love, and I don’t know if it’s worth that. > > For those who have done this, did changing your environs to a more tolerant and reasonable populace improve your happiness? I would say you’d be happier/better off if you moved from a more rural environment to an urban one, regardless of state. Which is to say, it’s where you move in a state that’s going to matter, not which state necessarily. You could move to liberal California and, depending on where you move you’d be in a more ‘red’ area than you left. Same goes for most states. I’ve lived in blue states where the folks around me are quite conservative and red states like Texas where folks are very liberal. ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2017, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-state-liberals-who-moved-to-a-free-state-did-it-make-you-happier/792172/28 "2017-07-27T16:00:09Z")
> [@XT](#): > > I would say you’d be happier/better off if you moved from a more rural environment to an urban one, regardless of state. Which is to say, it’s where you move in a state that’s going to matter, not which state necessarily. You could move to liberal California and, depending on where you move you’d be in a more ‘red’ area than you left. Same goes for most states. I’ve lived in blue states where the folks around me are quite conservative and red states like Texas where folks are very liberal. I think this is true, but part of it depends on how politically focused one is, and where their concerns lie. There are certain parts of state government and politics that are frustrating for someone who disagrees with the state norm. Gun laws in NY, NJ, MD, CA, etc. are an example for someone who believes in the second amendment and enjoys owning and shooting guns, even if you live in a rural/conservative part of one of those states. It is frustrating, for example, to be an upstate New Yorker or resident of western Maryland, due to state politics. I’m sure the same applies to urban liberal residents of conservative southern states. But there is more to life than politics, for sure, such as friends, family, weather, hobbies, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2017, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-state-liberals-who-moved-to-a-free-state-did-it-make-you-happier/792172/29 "2017-07-27T16:37:41Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Boston has a history of racism as virulent as Alabama. Boston has a history of racism, that’s for sure. But do you really want to conduct a racism-off between Boston and Alabama, winner take all? ---
**Author:** ![chaika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chaika/32/405_2.png) [@chaika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaika)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2017, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-state-liberals-who-moved-to-a-free-state-did-it-make-you-happier/792172/30 "2017-07-27T16:49:53Z")
I have lived all over the US, on both coasts and in the middle. I am much happier in a more liberal state, even if I am in a more conservative part of the state. Nowhere has been ideal, of course (e.g., gun laws in the US are frankly insane IMO, no matter which part of the country you happen to be in). My husband and I have been discussing making another move out of the US. Unfortunately, the only country that is realistic for us to move to at this point is Russia. Though we spend a lot of time there, I am not prepared to move back permanently in the current political climate. And yes, from my perspective Putin’s Russia is without question worse than Trump’s America. So we’ll stay in our blue state bubble. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2017, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-state-liberals-who-moved-to-a-free-state-did-it-make-you-happier/792172/31 "2017-07-27T18:25:58Z")
We lived in a liberal area of a conservative state for a while. Yes, it was preferable being in the blue island to being out of it. The state as a whole, however, still approved laws and policies that I would prefer not to be a part of. We moved back to California and never regretted it. **Sampiro** - I think moving to a city would definitely help, but moving to a blue state is much more likely to be closer to welcoming. Red states are going to lag behind on issues that are important to you, if they get to them at all (like religious freedom and LGTBQ rights). I think it’s worth moving. If you don’t like it, you can leave. Your family and friends will still be around, and you can always visit. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2017, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-state-liberals-who-moved-to-a-free-state-did-it-make-you-happier/792172/32 "2017-07-27T19:49:06Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > I went from purple (Ohio) to blue (Cali) to blue (Maryland). Yep, it’s better. Did you move BECAUSE of politics, though? Unless you did, it’s polluted data. Most people who move prefer their new circumstances because, well, that’s why they moved. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2017, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-state-liberals-who-moved-to-a-free-state-did-it-make-you-happier/792172/33 "2017-07-27T19:50:37Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Did you move BECAUSE of politics, though? > > Unless you did, it’s polluted data. Most people who move prefer their new circumstances because, well, that’s why they moved. We chose Maryland over Virginia because of politics, but we moved to the DC area because of a job. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2017, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-state-liberals-who-moved-to-a-free-state-did-it-make-you-happier/792172/34 "2017-07-27T19:55:55Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > As a gay agnostic liberal in one of the most fanatically [and hypocritically] religious and politically conservative (and impoverished and uneducated) states in the union, I’ve often toyed with the idea of cashing in what I can and following the North Star (or the west star, or the GPS) to a free state. The problem with so doing is that I’d leave behind almost all of the people I love, and I don’t know if it’s worth that. > > For those who have done this, did changing your environs to a more tolerant and reasonable populace improve your happiness? Has it become that bad? I remember when _Borat_ came out, you wrote a very pissed off (and informative) post about how the film misrepresented Alabama. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2017, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-state-liberals-who-moved-to-a-free-state-did-it-make-you-happier/792172/35 "2017-07-27T20:10:56Z")
If you are thinking of making a big change, you probably should and have already delayed longer than necessary. All else being equal, humans have huge status quo bias. So I’d say give it a shot. Move back if you aren’t happier. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2017, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-state-liberals-who-moved-to-a-free-state-did-it-make-you-happier/792172/36 "2017-07-27T20:33:31Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Imagine living the Research Triangle area of North Carolina, for example. They still prescribe what bathrooms you may use. The new governor, who was formerly the AG, said he would not be enforcing that legislation. It was really much ado over nothing. Don’t worry, there are no restroom gestapos. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2017, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-state-liberals-who-moved-to-a-free-state-did-it-make-you-happier/792172/37 "2017-07-27T20:43:13Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > IMHO, it is still better to live in a red area of a blue state than vice versa. The reason is that in a red state, you still have to put up with the personal control laws dictated by a troglodyte legislature and governor. Imagine living the Research Triangle area of North Carolina, for example. They still prescribe what bathrooms you may use. > > Hijack: What conservatives (including most libertarians) really seem to want is that government regulate personal life closely and leave businesses unregulated. Liberals mostly want the opposite. And in a blue state, you have to put up with pie-in-the-sky laws about gun control, passed by people who are inexplicably convinced that the best way to prevent gun violence is to make it illegal to protect one’s person and property. And then there are all the laws from liberals regulating how people are allowed to live their personal lives – seat belt laws; helmet laws; restrictions on what people can do with their own property; putting the welfare of some mouse/bird/fish above the welfare of humans; etc, etc. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2017, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-state-liberals-who-moved-to-a-free-state-did-it-make-you-happier/792172/38 "2017-07-27T20:48:32Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > The new governor, who was formerly the AG, said he would not be enforcing that legislation. It was really much ado over nothing. Don’t worry, there are no restroom gestapos. It’s not the official enforcement that’s the issue. The empowered citizens who think they have the right now to check and enforce bathroom laws. ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2017, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-state-liberals-who-moved-to-a-free-state-did-it-make-you-happier/792172/39 "2017-07-27T20:56:25Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Hijack: What conservatives **(including most libertarians)** really seem to want is that government regulate personal life closely and leave businesses unregulated. Liberals mostly want the opposite. Libertarians are not conservatives. And libertarians certainly do not want to closely regulate either personal life or businesses. Libertarians think both conservatives and liberals are too nosy and intrusive. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2017, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-state-liberals-who-moved-to-a-free-state-did-it-make-you-happier/792172/40 "2017-07-28T00:44:00Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > And in a blue state, you have to put up with pie-in-the-sky laws about gun control, passed by people who are inexplicably convinced that the best way to prevent gun violence is to make it illegal to protect one’s person and property. > > And then there are all the laws from liberals regulating how people are allowed to live their personal lives – seat belt laws; helmet laws; restrictions on what people can do with their own property; putting the welfare of some mouse/bird/fish above the welfare of humans; etc, etc. You left out the part where all of this leads to a higher quality of life, red state America is pretty much the third world. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-state-liberals-who-moved-to-a-free-state-did-it-make-you-happier/792172.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-state-liberals-who-moved-to-a-free-state-did-it-make-you-happier/792172.md?page=3)