As the First World devolves, we will see a steady increase in people seeking asylum in countries other than their birth country. Those doing the seeking may be looking at criteria such as job opportunities, low taxation, minimal governmental interference, minimal corruption, high degree of personal safety, and a whole host of other considerations.

Interestingly, many people who are making their first major move overseas overlook one of the most critical criteria – the attitude and mindset of the local people.

Ultimately, one of the real make-it-or-break-it factors in any country is whether you are able to get along well with the locals. You may get by for a while if you simply seek out the local expats, but, ultimately, you will interact with the broad population. If you are to be happy in your new home, it will be important to not only be able to tolerate them, but to actually like them.

On a trip to the US some years ago, I visited a friend who owned a farm in Maine. I enjoyed the down-to-earth values of Mainers very much. At one point, I was in the village gas station. A middle-aged woman was also there for gas, talking to the attendant and his sidekick. She asked the attendant how his wife was getting on and promised to come by with a pie on Sunday. I was enjoying how close these "country folks" were to one another. When she left, the sidekick said, "Don't think I know her. She's the Miller woman, isn't she?" The attendant said, "Yep, real fine woman. Her family moved here in the late fifties. Them Millers are fine folks… for new people."