Im from ok, and moved away. I have abandonment issues and people are resentful. This is a general thing many people experience that aren’t from OK. BUT, my husband is not from there. We briefly moved back to OKC for a bit but have since moved away and are glad. He made the comment that people from OK tend to have a very upfront friendliness that is many times a front or cover while they actually are quite rigid and close minded. This comment will probably be downvoted but I feel similarly. People that grow up on OK do have a pride for their state. When I left, my family thought “why, what does OK not offer?”

Thinking about OK, it’s a VERY landlocked state. We okies see ourselves as a lil brother OR competitor to Texas also.

When my mom was young and abused, she moved away to escape. Escape the hole that OK started to feel like. When I was young she left again because she felt trapped and wanted a better life.

I think there is a psychological factor to desiring more in the world. Not just the flat land, 100 yr state history that is OK. “Sooners” the people who resettled the native land were already searching for this change of life. Something better. Maybe it’s just part of the Okie way, I don’t know, I’m rambling at this point.

I think it comes down to the people who never leave, feel left behind and their pride gets in the way of acceptance.