To ask how you make the most of rural life ..

[Nannanoodle]

We live inna beautiful rural costal village.
We really love it here

There is something I am stuggling with and wanted advice as I cannot ask irl!

I am finding that a side effect of the quiet and the traditional has started to effect me cognitively ! in part It is to do with giving up stressful career where I had to evidence competence. Combined with the fact that most people stick to very surface conversations . I miss the stimulus of different conversations and depth( it is like this because people are quite private as the village tends to get to know ones business. , therefore people dont indulge in personal stuff etc
We come from a city where politics, gender, parenting, econissues, alternative issues, etc were talked about a lot as where many subjects as it was a unversity city with a great deal going on .

The main culture here is the pub and having a laugh .. its very much a pub village.

Most things are traditional such as the art group or book group.

Given that the conversation is mainly superficial chat I can feel
that i am not getting any cognitive sparing for want of a better word!
.. never had to seek it before, and i wonder if anyone can advise of any ways of addressing this aspect of living in this particular type of rural location ( no cinema , no theatre) . beautiful as it is I feel a little lost ! And am v unmotivated . ( we are not new here , but it is the first time I have admitted it to myself )

If you're interested in politics, why not join the party that fits best with your beliefs?

You'll meet like-minded people and have stuff in common with them.

Kissingfrogs25- all that you say makes sense! I didnt live in London - but did live a very pc city .. the echo chamber really rings a bell! It was very prescribed tastes , opinions and politics.. and those subjects / opinions were quite virtue signally / tribal. Lots of independant shops and a general frown on using chains etc . .. is one Small example.
I think we hail from similar sort of places !

I do have a good group of mates .. and we have a real laugh and are also supportive to each other.

It s the adaptation to a differnet way of being and understanding the differences I guess.
I get what you mean about local issues !

Thank you for understanding what Inwas seeking to understand!

I don't miss the virtually signally kind of stuff at all actually now, I find I can be a free thinker here. It allows me to explore my actual values, thoughts and feelings on subjects. I have changed and become more independent in some ways with the freedom of not having to talk about it quite as much or at all. People are very private sometimes here.

I also found it became a relief not to worry about pitch battles over brexit before the main course had even arrived! It was nice to go out and hear about the sheep and get away from the rolling issues of the day.

There is consideration and gentility in rural spaces that is really quite rare and special, it doesn't exist everywhere. The kindness and automatic respect shown to everyone is really quite appealing once you have your needs met elsewhere for debate and discussion.

KIssingfrog25
you have really helped me understand and appreciate. You write o well !
One of the reasons we tired of the city a bit was the virtue signalling.. and prescribed behaviour .

thank you for your insights !

So glad it helped op, and you sound like the kind of enthusiastic open minded person that will be an asset to any village.
The intensity of city life is interesting, it can also be draining, and prescriptive is the perfect word. Always being ‘on message’ but people do change, evolve as they age in mu experience.

People are allowed to be different here, and still be valued, listened to. I like the civility of offering everyone a place at the table. I hope you will be very happy in your new home.

Well I have to apologise because @Kissingfrogs25 explained the “cultural differences” so beautifully - and OP, you’ll be grand. Have fun!