Quote:
Originally Posted by Nutterbug
But something is seriously lacking in us if we're always looking for praise, approval and validation from others like that. In contrast, how much do New Yorkers care about what is written about them in The Vancouver Sun?
We could also use an identity of our own, instead of looking to be compared as a miniature version of something else.
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I know what you're saying but it's just human nature. The insecure always look to others for approval and validation. In the case of cities, the insecure are those aspiring to greatness (i.e. most major cities), while cities the likes of NYC/London/Tokyo etc. are the ones that have already "made it". When you're already the trendsetter there's no reason to care what a few minor players think.
If Vancouver was a "world class" city on the scale of NYC, London, etc. we wouldn't care much about articles like these but of course Vancouver is far from a significant global city. Until it is (if ever), it can at least be useful to read outside perspectives of our city as they provide a means of determining our global relevance (which rests on the perceptions of our global peers whether we like it or not).
We don't need approval or validation from others to think Vancouver is a great city and know that we want to live here etc. but Vancouver does require outside approval and validation to some degree if it wants to attain a certain global status. You as an individual may not care if Vancouver is ever a significant global city (which is fine as the average person probably doesn't think about it all that much anyways) but growth and success is essentially the driving force behind every major city. Personally I'm interested in Vancouver's future and want it to continue growing and being a successful city and articles like these help to inform me whether it's on the right track to some measure (or not in the case of negative articles on Vancouver, of which there are plenty).
As for why people feel the need to be at the top of the heap I don't know. Guess it relates to some innate primordial competitive urge - survival of the fittest and all that.
It's not an issue of identity. I'd think most Vancouverites don't want Vancouver to be another city, they just want it to gain certain aspects of global influence/significance that some other cities possess. I don't think anybody that has been to both Vancouver and NYC would take the nickname "The Little Apple" too literally (as in little NYC not a small fruit
). It's more a reference to Vancouver's relative success in certain areas than to some sort of similarity with NYC in terms of socio-cultural identity. Vancouver already has a strong identity of its own. I think it'd be safe to say Vancouver was one of the more unique cities in NA in this regard.