He was eager to discuss the different energies he finds in the United States and Texas vs. France. They really are opposites. Austin is not without its enclaves of intensity, if not downright craziness. I don't think the slacker thing is incompatible with a certain kind of intensity. Slacker doesn't mean weak and milquetoast.
Folks here are just as relaxed about their intensity as they are about everything else.
The good thing about the slacker ethos is that it's very tolerant and noncombative. That's a good point. Though the attitude is different, they share a common nihilistic base. I witnessed an interview once of Michel Foucault by Noam Chomsky , during which Foucault openly smoked marijuana. In the course of it, he let fly with a disgusting nihilistic rant.