The Outpost Mentality

At the risk of sounding elitist, is there a city or town where this mentality doesn't exist?

I've seen it in towns and cities of various sizes, but most often in geographically isolated communities. Time and again, I have witnessed the innovation-killing, opportunity-squandering effect of the “outpost mentality” – people reflexively lashing out at individuals or organizations bringing even the hint of a new method or a new idea. Often, I've seen these new ideas attacked as if the mere mention was a slap in the face to those born and bred in the community. And the only consistent pattern I have seen is that the offended parties are “natives” to the area, and the parties bringing the offense are, well, outsiders.

At public meetings, one citizen will stand and say “I was born and raised here. I've lived here for 'XX' years . . . and I don't like this idea,” which somehow by itself trumps the substance and merit of the idea in question.

Is being a resident of a community by chance more substantial than being the resident of a community by choice? What is the source of the antipathy? Is it a fear of losing one's identity? Is it a fear of endangerment to the “purity” of the community? Why the suspicion?


Banding together, shoulder to shoulder with your neighbor to defend yourself against the “horde of strangers” and their supposed defilement of your way of life was probably a great mode of survival -- in the 19th Century. In contemporary times, I see the outpost mentality as slow suicide by communities that would otherwise be blossoming with new potential and opportunity.

A portrait of the author?