East vs. West

Why is it that when people on the east coast talk about the west coast, they say “out west” but when people on the west coast talk about the east coast, they say “back east” even if they’ve never been east?

This is particularly true when talking about moving or family, as in, “I have an uncle out west” or “Yea, I’m moving back east.”

And why is Texas considered the west when it’s really smack dab in the middle of the country? Do people in California consider it the west?
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