People Who Secretly Hate Their Town Almost Always Bring Up These 11 Complaints
It can be hard to hide your feelings when you secretly hate your town.
Anton Dios / Shutterstock It can be difficult to find a place to live that you truly love. This can be especially true if you never leave your hometown. For some, it is easy to form an attachment to the place they live. For others, however, this task can feel impossible.
When someone secretly hates their hometown, it can present itself in many ways. Sometimes, they’ll be open and honest about their feelings. They might find it hard to keep their feelings of anger or unhappiness to themselves. Others may subtly bring it up by mentioning these complaints in everyday conversation.
People who secretly hate their town almost always bring up these 11 complaints
1. Everyone knows each other
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For people who have lived in the same area for most of their lives, it can be hard to escape people they don't know. Those who secretly hate their town can have a hard time navigating this.
Sure, it's nice to see a friendly face when out and about. However, for some, the inability to escape a town where everyone knows everyone can be overwhelming. Some may experience social anxiety, a study found, or they may just want to run errands without being interrupted by unwanted conversation.
2. There’s nothing to do
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Boredom is a common complaint from people who secretly hate their town. While boredom may seem like a trivial feeling, it can actually have a profound impact on mental health.
“Boredom can also have negative consequences, such as decreased productivity, poor mental health, and even physical health problems,” the authors of a 2023 research article wrote. “In one study, a significant percentage of participants — 67% of men and 25% of women — preferred to administer electric shocks to themselves rather than experience boredom while sitting alone with their thoughts.”
When someone hates their small town because of boredom, it can make a huge impact on their mental health.
3. The town feels too small
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Have you ever felt like a space was closing in on you? For those who dislike their town, this is a common complaint.
When a town feels too small, it can stifle productivity and make every day feel the same. People who secretly hate their town can’t stand this routine.
4. It holds bad memories
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Did you know there is a specific place in the brain that holds memories of places? It can help you navigate a city, but it can also host bad memories. This is a prominent complaint from people who secretly hate their town.
“A new study from the University of Pennsylvania has discovered how our memories are ‘geotagged' based on location using a GPS-like brain system,” Christopher Bergland penned for Psychology Today. “These ‘geotags' bring back a flood of memories associated with specific places from your past. The nostalgia of being home for the holidays is a perfect example of this type of memory encoding.”
These ‘geotags’ are not always positive, however. This can make people secretly hate their town.
5. They feel trapped there
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Moving out of a town you hate can be difficult. Whether it’s for financial or work reasons, you can feel trapped there.
For those who secretly hate their town, this is a major complaint. If they feel like they can’t escape, it can make the town they hate feel even more overwhelming.
6. There’s too much drama
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Living in a town for a long time, you’re sure to have your fair share of strained relationships.
Those who secretly hate their town can deal with too much drama associated with knowing the same people for too long. Too much drama is a major complaint they have.
7. They don’t feel they belong
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A recent study conducted by the Surgeon General found that those who feel like they don’t fit in deal with severe loneliness. This can be a common complaint from those who hate their town.
“When we see a lack of belonging, or even on the extreme end exclusion, that often correlates with things like poor health (the surgeon general’s report equated loneliness to smoking 15 cigarettes per day), greater pain, and we actually see that correlates with things like lower social trust,” said Kim Serrano, Director of the Center for Inclusion and Belonging.
8. It’s too expensive
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When someone secretly hates their town, it’s easy for others to question why they simply don’t move away from the place that’s causing them trouble.
For many, the cost of living and moving can impact their ability to leave a town they secretly dislike. It’s not always the cost of living in the town itself, but paired with low-paying jobs, the cost of groceries, and the high payout you have to make to move, people may hate their town but are stuck there.
9. They can't find a job they want
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It’s no secret that the job market is difficult to navigate, no matter where you live. For those who feel stuck in the town they’re in, they’ll often complain about the lack of job opportunities.
Work and career are important for everyone’s mental health. There is social currency (and real currency, of course) in the job you hold. If they can’t find a job they love, they will secretly hate their town.
10. They have trouble with the infrastructure
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If a town has too much traffic, bumpy roads, or struggling bridges, people who hate their town will complain about these things.
If they feel like their tax dollars aren’t going to work for things that matter to them, like an easy and safe driving experience, they will secretly hate their town.
11. It lacks diversity
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Diversity enriches a community. If a town is lacking in that, it can feel stagnant.
Those who secretly hate their town may be wishing there were more diversity among the people who live there and the culture that comes with it. This can widen your worldview, and if they don’t feel fulfilled in this way, they’ll complain about it.
Haley Van Horn is a freelance writer with a master’s degree in Humanities, living in Los Angeles. Her focus includes entertainment and lifestyle stories.
