I can't speak for this other person but there's some interesting research which shows that some people do much, much more poorly when surrounded by other happy people who're experiencing success. For example, high suicide rates in seemingly happy places: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110421082641.h...

People can have very different responses to their environment. It doesn't mean an area is universally terrible if it makes certain kinds of people depressed. Conversely, it doesn't mean an area is universally desirable if it makes certain kinds of people happy.

People are different.

I think it's common for young men to attach their self image and overall worth to how much better they're doing vs. other young men their age. They're basically Pirsig's "ego climbers" and would certainly do well for themselves to get the hell out of the valley at least until such time as they could return as selfless climbers.

They could of course stick around and perhaps achieve a positive self image by out competing or out maneuvering their peers. Obviously a huge amount of them do.

I think that describes much of the startup scene altogether. A lot of people seem willing to forgo a surer path to wealth by taking options instead of salary (as worked out here many times). Is it because they want to be really, really rich? I think it's more that they want the hero narrative that VCs and The Social Network have sold them. As the reality of being cheap labor while you read about the latest lottery winners reasserts itself, it's natural to get depressed.

A culture of jockeying egos isn't a healthy conducive environment to those who are collaborative-focused and decidedly anti-competitive.

I'm sorry but this is a personal health thing and I don't want it to erupt as a fiery debate where people gang up on me like it's the Lord of the flies.

I'm so deeply uninterested in that

I had something similar to me when living up in the area. Everything got better after moving to Santa Monica along the beach.

Ok, my apologies for that.

Sounds like you're still in shell shock!

Where someone lives is as personal a decision as who they marry or what career they pursuit.

Throwaway because personal blah blah, and haven't left the Bay Area yet, but... if you have mental health issues that need to be resolved (depression/anxiety/suicidal thoughts) or that you have disorders impairing you when you don't have someone who is experienced in helping because there's not that many (in the area) in general, dense areas are pretty bad.

HBO's Silicon Valley is all anecdote. Watch it.