“if someone is in yu, at the very least he is saying that he doesn’t feel uncomfortable in that environment. that is very telling, whether you consider that positive or negative.”
Forgive me for disagreeing but that’s simply not true.
I should hope that a frum person needing to work in Manhattan would feel uncomfortable walking outside to get a to a bus or subway due to the many billboards, signs, passerbys, etc. but there are plenty of bnei Torah that still work in the city. It might not be ideal or comfortable, but for whatever reason they still work there.
I think you should rather say that “at the very least he is saying that he doesn’t feel uncomfortable in that environment to the extent that he would be prepared to leave it regardless of personal circumstances, costs, and sacrifices.”