A while back, we read a story about how people in Montana have a “winning attitude.” In a survey, people in Montana scored highest in the categories of confidence, optimism, motivation, and courage.
What if the people of Montana are like that because of Montana itself?
Numerous studies show that different aspects of an environment influence people. What if the way we talk about Montana improves our attitudes?
That is a question for a social scientist.
But I started thinking about it because I recently noticed that there are several place names in Montana that celebrate or highlight the size or extent of a place. There are also place names that signal high quality, like this one:
The name is everything, right? Check out these Montana place names that emphasize the vastness of the state and see if they might help instill a “winning mentality.”
Montana is the fourth largest state and driving across the entire state takes hours, so it seems fitting that we have a place name with the word “Broad” in it. As for Montana’s winning mentality, this could be motivating.
The size of Montana is easily described by the cities that start with “Big.” Another city name that could be motivating.
READ MORE: Montana’s hardest city to pronounce, says national publication
It doesn’t get much bigger than the sun.
The first thing that might come to mind is email, but Outlook is a place name that’s all about perspective and being on top of things. A place name that might inspire optimism.
This is a classic example of using language to honor a place. It’s a name that can convey confidence.
Restaurants in Montana with great views
11 restaurants in Montana with great views
Gallery credit: Tammie Toren
