Ever gone somewhere in the UK and thought people just seemed way happier there? Or left with an aftertaste of weird psychopath? It's not just you, according to the most expansive research ever done into the psychological state of different parts of Briton, aiming to help us figure out where we should immediately move to. And where we should avoid at all costs when booking that weekend away (If you're the sort of person who books weekends away).
Around 400,000 people over the course of two years answered questions about their personality, as well as inputting their postcodes, allowing researchers from Cambridge University and the BBC's Lab Project UK to collect a huge amount of data and map out where, for example, the most extroverted people live. Or the friendliest . Or the most introverted. While it was a self selecting group, and they all had access to the internet (Which limits the type of person who took part), the results showed some pretty interesting patterns.
Unsurprisingly, people in London tend to be extroverted - but also in the south and south-east England, Yorkshire, Manchester or some areas of Scotland - on the opposite end of the socialising spectrum, places like the Midlands, Wales, Humberside and areas in east Scotland generally had personalities that were more 'quiet, reserved and introverted'. If this sounds like you, maybe consider setting up shop by the Humber or just not moving to Manchester (Even though the Arndale food court is pretty sweet. This is a joke. It's not).
More residents in Scotland, as well as areas in the North, South West, and East of England, had friendly and 'agreeable' personalities, but London and various parts of eastern England had a higher than average number of people who aren't particularly friendly or agreeable.
According to the paper: 'Significantly high levels of neuroticism appeared throughout most of Wales and in a number of districts throughout the Midlands. It suggests large proportions of residents in these areas were "comparatively anxious, depressed, and temperamental'. People in Orkney are apparently really chilled out, if you're interested in hanging with some laidback, totally non-neurotic dudes (My mate's nan lives in Orkey and I can attest to the fact she's a laid back dude).
To narrow it down though, you've got to take the test. And be warned - it will make you really reconsider where you're living, and what you're doing. I, for one, will be moving to Rickmansworth for their level of conscientiousness.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.