Occasionally, when I first meet a person the following happens: When asked about how they liked visiting a place or a country they would say that "the people there" are not nice, not friendly, or they describe people in that place in a different negative way. I'm always left stunned by this.

I was just listening to the audiobook for Vagabonding by Rolf Potts and it includes a parable that seems to explain this situation perfectly. It's been used in various cultures and in different ways. This seems to be the most common:

A wise old man sits at the gate of a city. A traveler approaches and asks: "What kind of people live in this city?"

The wise man responds with a question: "What were the people like in the place you just came from?"

The first traveler answers: "Oh, they were terrible - liars, cheats, thieves, and drunkards. That's why I left."

The wise man replies: "I'm afraid you'll find the people in this city are the same - liars, cheats, thieves, and drunkards too."

The disappointed traveler moves on. Later, a second traveler arrives and asks the same question about what kind of people live in the city.

Again, the wise man asks: "What were the people like where you came from?"

The second traveler smiles: "Oh, they were wonderful - kind, friendly, and hospitable people. I miss them already, but I wanted to see the world."

The wise man responds: "You'll find the people here are just the same - kind, friendly, and hospitable."