No one in the Deep South ever saw me as sounding or behaving "Southern." My father was career military and originally from Indiana. My mother is a German immigrant. I never really fit in anywhere while growing up.
When I hit Utah, people began identifying me as Southern. My Southern accent is more apparent to the ear of people west of the Rockies than anywhere else and they are happy to talk about me as having "Southern charm and manners."
It's easier to say nice things about a person if you chalk it up to their culture. There's less danger of it going weird and problematic places than if you attribute it to them as an individual.
It doesn't put pressure on them to be perfect and always live up to your high expectations of them. They get to still be a person with good days and bad who can't always get it right while being given credit for generally being more of something than is typical for most people around these parts.
When I hit Utah, people began identifying me as Southern. My Southern accent is more apparent to the ear of people west of the Rockies than anywhere else and they are happy to talk about me as having "Southern charm and manners."
It's easier to say nice things about a person if you chalk it up to their culture. There's less danger of it going weird and problematic places than if you attribute it to them as an individual.
It doesn't put pressure on them to be perfect and always live up to your high expectations of them. They get to still be a person with good days and bad who can't always get it right while being given credit for generally being more of something than is typical for most people around these parts.