One of my best friends is from Chicago and I never realized how evident "Minnesota Nice" was until she began pointing out the degree of hilarious passiveness normalized in my everyday life.

It was a revelation to begin to notice the small things that people in Minnesota regularly do to keep up their famous passive kindness. These are the ten things that truly nice Minnesotans always do.

1. Holds open every single door

*Oh, that man is half a mile away…I should probably still stand here and hold the door open for him...* And then that one time you didn’t see the person behind you, so you neglect to hold the door and you feel guilty about it for the next three days.

2. Cars have horns?

In Minnesota, honking is associated with an absurd amount of aggression because, while in other states honking is a casual occurrence, it means business in Minnesota.

3. Passive driving in general

Okay, so it's not just honking, but really just driving in general. Only a true Minnesota Nice person will let eight cars go in front of them in a traffic jam.

4. Always apologizing

*Bumps someone in the hallway.* “Sorry!” *Steps on someone’s toe at a concert.* “I’m so sorry!” *Accidently runs into a mannequin.* “Sorry, are you okay!?” And when someone tells you to stop apologizing, your immediate response, “I’m sorry…wait…shoot, ugh; sorry!”

5. Vulgar implements

Mother of all tractors! What in the 10,000 lakes! You little fawn! Donut hole! Ya barbecue!

6. Continuous small talk

“Nice weather we are having!” *Is currently -12˚F but feels like -32˚F with the windchill.*

7. Frozen smile

You smile at every single person, literally. The woman screaming that everyone is going to hell if they don’t accept Christ, the person taking your wallet and the child flipping you off. Minnesotans have perfected the “kill them with kindness” tactic.

8. Getting offended when your smile is not reciprocated

Because there is nothing ridiculous about expecting a complete stranger to smile back at you while walking through a blizzard.

9. Your internal thoughts are not "Minnesota Nice"

Internally: “Well that was just rude, you’re a little turd!” Externally: “Ha ha…”

10. And, of course, you avoid confrontation like the plague

*Somebody says something controversial* "Sorry, my hot dish is in the oven at home. Got to go. Bye!"