Category Archives: French culture

What Was Special About French Women’s and Men’s Physicality?

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Many people, and anthropologists in particular, are interested in learning whether the qualities of beauty are shared by all cultures or whether they are unique to particular countries. They focus on the people’s physical constitution, bodies, and faces. They examine the shape, color, physiognomy, expression, and expressiveness of faces. Additionally, they focus on the bodies’ shape, color, and expressiveness.

Some observations revealed differences in the natural personal beauty of people in European countries. Henry Finck referred to many authors of the 19th and previous centuries to characterize Italian, French, Spanish, and other European cultures.

In other articles, I summarized Henry Finck’s portrayals of personal beauty in Italian and French cultures.

Let us continue looking in more detail at what is special about French personal beauty as it was characterized in the 19th century.

French Women’s Beauty in Graceful and Charming Manners

As Henry Finck asserts, French women often lack natural beauty. After the adolescent years, women have a general tendency to either become too lean or too stout. It seems to be more noticeable in France than in other countries in Europe. As he continues, there is no doubt that French women of supreme beauty definitely exist in France. However, such cases are as scarce as “strawberries in December.”

Nevertheless, French women strive to compensate for their lack of grace in beauty with their good manners and fashion. French women are naturally bright and quick-witted. They endear grace with their charming manners. French women typically captivate with their delicate little ways and movements.

French girls know how to use their eyes to their advantage from a young age. A witty newspaper writer once remarked that French girls

“can say more with their shoulders than most girls can with their eyes; and when they talk with eyes, hands, shoulders, and tongue at once, it takes a man of talent to keep up.”

(As cited in Henry Finck, 1887/2019, p. 507).

French Men’s Constitutional Features

Men, meanwhile, are easy to recognize by their simians’ hairiness or their diminutive stature. Henry Finck, in particular, remarked on a difference in general manliness and stature between French and German or English soldiers. The English soldiers are superior to the French in terms of vitality and attractiveness. And it is more than “skin deep.” It appears to go all the way down to the chemical composition of their tissues.

French Professor Paul Topinard commented in his Anthropologie (1885) that he articulated in the early 1860s a fact that was generally supported by others, namely,

“that the mortality after capital operations in English hospitals was less by one-half than in the French. We attributed it to a better diet, to their better sanitary arrangements, and to their superior management. There was but one serious objection offered to our statement. M. Velapeau, with his wonderful acumen, made reply, at the Academy of Medicine, that the flesh of the English and of the French differed; in other words, that the reaction after operations was not the same in both races. It is, in effect, an anthropological character.”

(As cited in Henry Finck, 1887/2019, p. 508).

French Beauty in the 19th Century

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Many people, and anthropologists especially, are curious whether the features of beauty are universal across cultures or are culturally specific to certain nations. They pay attention to faces and bodies. They look at the form, complexion, expressiveness, and physiognomy of faces. They also pay attention to the form, complexion, and expressivity of the bodies.

Many people, like Italians, tend to believe that, compared to other cultures, people of their own country are more beautiful than those in other nations. The mere exposure effect and prototypic effects may play their roles. Standards of beauty can be disputable and subjective. Other people may think differently.

Foreign visitors often have different perspectives on how prevalent beauty is in various nations. Anyway, any of these views are subjective, and some people can argue in different ways.

Therefore, only the frequency of certain opinions can provide an objective perspective. And the historical perspective of cultural evolution can be of interest as well.

How Beautiful Were French People in the 19th Century?

Let us look into the historical legacy of love scholarship (Finck, 1887/2019). Here is how Henry Finck and other authors he cited portrayed French beauty in the 19th century.

Henry Finck noted in his writings of the 19th century that for many authors, personal beauty in France is seemingly more rare than anywhere else in Europe. He wrote that people in France had less pronounced forms, complexions, and physiognomy compared to Italians.

What Did Foreign Authors Think about Personal Beauty of French People?

British novelist William Thackeray (1811–1863), for example, wrote that nature has

“rather stinted the bodies and limbs of the French nation.”

British anthropologist Alexander Walker (1779–1852), in his book “Beauty” (1845), commented that

“the women of France are among the ugliest in the world.”

And Sir Lepel Griffin (1838–1908), a British author, mentioned that

“National vanity, where inordinately developed, may take the form of asserting that black is white, as in France, where the average of good looks, among both men and women, is perhaps lower than elsewhere in Europe. If a pretty woman be seen in the streets of Paris, she is almost certainly English or American; yet if a foreigner were to form an estimate of French beauty from the rapturous descriptions of contemporary French novels, or from the sketches of La Vie Parisienne, he must conclude that the Frenchwoman was the purest and loveliest type in the world in face and figure. The fiction in this case disguises itself in no semblance of the truth.”

(as cited in Finck, 1887/2019, p. 507).

What Did French Authors Think of Personal Beauty in France? 

Still, some French writers also thought that people in their nation had shortcomings in personal beauty.

Louis Figuier, a 19th-century French scientist and author, characterized French men’s love as “the love of the graceful rather than the beautiful.”

Characterizing French country women, Louis Figuier also emphasized their grace and expressiveness rather than their beauty:

“There is in her face much that is most pleasing, although we can assign her physiognomy to no determinate type. Her features, frequently irregular, seem to be borrowed from different races; they do not possess that unity which springs from calm and majesty, but are in the highest degree expressive, and marvellously contrived for conveying every shade of feeling. In them we see a smile though it be shaded by tears; a caress though they threaten us; and an appeal when yet they command. Amid the irregularity of this physiognomy the soul displays its workings. As a rule the Frenchwoman is short of stature, but in every proportion of her form combines grace and delicacy. Her extremities and joints are fine and elegant, of perfect model and distinct form, without a suspicion of coarseness. With her, moreover, art is brought wonderfully to assist nature”.

(L. Figuier “The Races of Man,” as cited in Finck, 1887/2019, p. 507).

The Chivalrous Poetry of French Troubadours

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The cultural idea of chivalry describes the chivalrous code of interpersonal attitudes that medieval knights were supposed to demonstrate towards women. These chivalrous ideas and norms of gallant behavior created a new culture of love. Many people think that the culture of courtly love in the Middle Ages was the origin of romantic love (Karandashev, 2017).

The gallantry of chivalry and the gallant courtly love became important cultural phenomena in Spain, France, and Germany during those times.

Courtly love was widely popularized in the fascinating chivalry tales of the Middle Ages. The Spanish tales of Don Quixote and the German tale of Ulrich von Lichtenstein were among those. These stories show the noble chivalry and the gallantry of courtly love. Other significant cultural contributions in the history of romantic love ideas came from medieval European cultures’ poetic images and language. Among these were the Provencal troubadours’ chivalrous poetry and the German minnesingers’ chivalrous poetry. They represent significant national differences in the history and psychology of love. Here I briefly consider the chivalrous poetry of French troubadours as it is described by Henry Finck (1887/2019).

Why the French Troubadours Were So Important in Creating a New Culture of Love

In the French medieval period, troubadours were the influential moral and cultural forces disseminating new cultural ideas and norms. In terms of their public influence, they can be compared with modern magazines and social media. As the French historian Augustin Thierry wrote,

“In the twelfth century, the songs of the troubadours, circulating rapidly from castle to castle and from town to town, supplied the place of periodical gazettes in all the country between the rivers Isère and Vienne, the mountains of Auvergne, and the two seas.”

Augustin Thierry, cited in Finck (1887/2019).

These wandering minstrels were from various social classes, including nobility, artisans, and clergy. They wielded a strong poetic power.

The Noble French Troubadours

As the German-English music critic of the 19th century, Francis Hueffer, remarked on Provençal life and poetry,

“By far the largest number of the Troubadours known to us—fifty-seven in number—belong to the nobility, not to the highest nobility in most cases, it is true. In several instances, poverty is distinctly mentioned as the cause for adopting the profession of a troubadour. It almost appears, indeed, as if this profession, like that of the churchman, and sometimes in connection with it, had been regarded by Provençal families as a convenient mode of providing for their younger sons.”

Francis Hueffer, cited in Finck (1887/2019).

During that time, social class distinctions were strictly observed. So, it is worthwhile to note that the majority of these singers were of noble descent. The medieval aristocracy was hesitant to welcome commoners into their castles. They were reluctant to allow their wives the privilege of adoration in verse and deed.

The Troubadours Were Welcome in the Castles Despite Jealousy

Women, however, showed a preference for bards and tenors regardless of such social characteristics. Their husbands as the heads of households displayed remarkable leniency towards their poetic guests. Undoubtedly, having a well-known poet sing about their spouse in person was flattering to their ego. The troubadours’ appearances at all social circles of society gave them the influence in social relations. So, for the hosts of the castles it was wise not to lose their favor.

The Intriguing Romantic Jealousies of Chivalry Love

Occasionally, however, men’s jealousy appeared in relationships and held its high price. It was illustrated, for instance, in the case of Guillem, the protagonist of Hueffer and Mackenzie’s opera “The Troubadour.” He was murdered by the injured husband and the unfaithful wife who was forced to drink the wine dubbed “the poet’s blood,” which had been horribly realistically adulterated.

The women were also prone to jealousy. However, they often were jealous not for their husbands, but for the troubadours. They desired a monopoly over their art and adoration.

Women, however, showed a preference for bards and tenors regardless of such social characteristics. Their husbands, as the heads of households, displayed remarkable leniency towards their poetic guests. Undoubtedly, having a well-known poet sing about their spouse in person was flattering to their ego. The troubadours’ appearances in all social circles of society gave them influence in social relations. So, for the hosts of the castles, it was wise not to lose their favor.

Occasionally, however, men’s jealousy appeared in relationships and held its high price. It was illustrated, for instance, in the case of Guillem, the protagonist of Hueffer and Mackenzie’s opera “The Troubadour.” He was murdered by the injured husband and the unfaithful wife, who was forced to drink the wine dubbed “the poet’s blood,” which had been horribly realistically adulterated. The women were also prone to jealousy. However, they were often jealous not for their husbands, but for the troubadours. They desired a monopoly over their art and adoration.

Inconsistencies of Favors and Affections of Troubadours

However, the troubadours tended to transfer their affections to other women.

Their fickleness, however, was not the greatest flaw of these bards. Their major moral failing was that they ignored the distinction between conjugal and romantic love. There were many love stories about the troubadours’ love, but none of them involved a woman who wasn’t married. Francis Hueffer noted that an odd point of similarity between these troubadours’ love stories and the French novels of the 19th century. In this regard, he highlighted the interest in this feature of French national psychology.

The Troubadour’s Pastorals of Love

Hueffer analyzed the pastoral of Guirant (1260) as a case in point:

“The idea is simple enough: an amorous knight, whose importunate offers to an unprotected girl are kept in check by mere dint of graceful, witty, sometimes tart reply.” These offers of love are repeated at intervals of two, three, seven, and six years, and finally transferred to the woman’s daughter, always with the same bad luck. His own wife, meanwhile, is never considered a proper object for his poetic effusions. Concerning the German imitator of foreign customs—Ulrich von Lichtenstein, mentioned a few pages back—we have likewise seen that his wife never entered his mind except when he came home “tired and dilapidated, to be restored by her nursing.”

Francis Hueffer, cited in Finck (1887/2019).

The Other Types of Troubadours’ Love Songs

In addition to pastorals of the type just mentioned above, the troubadours had a variety of songs of other kinds, including tensons and contentions, which were “metrical dialogues of lively repartee on some disputed points of gallantry.”

This could be the reason why the fable said that aristocratic women of the time “instituted courts of love,” in which questions of gallantry were gravely discussed and determined by their suffrages.

The question remained, for example, whether a husband could really love his wife. Scholars have continued to argue whether such debating clubs for discussing the ethics and etiquette of love existed. The evidence, however, appears to be negative.

What Are the Main World Cultures?

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What are the main cultures of the world? How global are they? And how diverse are they? These are among the key questions that cross-cultural researchers may ask.

The West-East dichotomy has been a classification of the world cultures well-known by scholars during recent centuries. Western and Eastern cultures should be construed as global cultures, presumably. However, Western culture has been exemplified by the United States, Canada, and a few western European nations, such as England, the Netherlands, Germany, and France. In contrast, Eastern cultures have been typified by China and Japan. These two global cultural regions differed in a number of general cultural dimensions.

Probably the most well-known cultural distinction between the West and the East is the contrast between individualistic Western societies and collectivistic Eastern ones. At the very least, this is the framework that researchers most often use to study different cultures.

How Do Global World Cultures Form?

Regional and global cultures like Western and Eastern ones are usually formed by historical cultural influences of neighboring societies, cultural regional domination of some societies or by expansive migration. The countries of China and Japan, for example, are culturally similar in some respects. In the same way, the cultures of the Netherlands and Germany are more culturally similar to each other than to France, while France is more similar to Spain.

Thus, due to geographical and historical traditions and religious and political influences, national cultures share similarities with those of other adjacent countries. Certain geographical locations may differ greatly in a variety of cultural elements. One source of these cultural distinctions is the transmission of ancient philosophical concepts to new generations. In recent years, many researchers have studied and thought about the differences between Western and Eastern cultures, whose mental and cultural perspectives are very different in many ways.

West-East Scholarly Comparison

Cultural and cross-cultural studies have actively investigated these worldwide distinctions empirically. By comparing the United States, the Netherlands, and occasionally other European nations as representatives of Western culture to Japan and China as representatives of Eastern culture, researchers have discovered a number of fascinating cultural differences between these two global cultures.

As a cultural framework for explanation, they typically referred to individuality and collectivism, or related social concepts.

The questions in this regard, however, have remained unresolved. Is the USA or England sufficiently exemplary of all so-called Western countries? Is Japan or China sufficiently prototypical of other so-called Eastern countries?

What does the West mean? What does the East mean? There are many differences between the cultures of East Asia and South Asia, as well as between the cultures of the United States and Western Europe. For example, many West European countries have very different ways of life in many ways.

A Cultural Variety of the World Regions

In the last few decades, scholars have started to look into the different cultures of the world in more depth. For example, Shalom Schwartz (2014) found eight transnational cultural regions based on the values the countries share. They are English-speaking, West European, East Central and Baltic European, Orthodox East European, Latin American, South Asian, Confucian-influenced, and African and Middle Eastern.

Each of these transnational zones is distinguished by a distinct cultural value pattern. However, eight cultural regions do not fit within the expected locations.

Is Western Culture Really Individualistic?

Studies of the last decades have revealed that the West-East division of culture is not quite accurate in several regards (Karandashev, 2021a). There is a great cultural difference between different “Western cultures” and between different “Eastern cultures.”

As Schwartz (2014) noted, it is not entirely valid to describe Western civilization as individualistic. The complex analysis of cultural orientations has shown that people in the West have a lot of differences.

For example, the cultural samples from the USA and Western Europe showed significant variations in six of the cultural value orientations. Mastery, embeddedness, and hierarchy are more prevalent in the US. Intellectual autonomy, equality, and harmony, on the other hand, are more prevalent in Western European countries (Schwartz & Ros, 1995).

The Transnational Cultural Regions Based on their Geographical Proximity

According to the recent comprehensive analysis of cultural orientations, the transnational cultural regions are based on geographical proximity (Schwartz, 2014). Their cultural similarities can be explained by the transmission of values, norms, and practices across international borders. Additionally, language, history, religion, and other cultural variables also had an impact.

What Makes American, French, and German Communication Styles Unique?

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People from the Western cultures of the United States, France, and Germany have many common values, yet they are different in their communication styles, interpersonal interaction, and emotionality.

Western and Eastern Cultures

Scholars who study cultures and compare them have spent a long time looking at Western and Eastern societies as two very different types of cultures. This kind of cultural difference was easy to understand and explain in terms of philosophical, social, and psychological aspects of culture. These differences really make sense.

The concepts of Western and Eastern cultures are largely exemplified by European and North American countries as “western”, and Japan, China, and India as examples of Eastern cultures. The Western cultures are mostly defined as individualistic, while the Eastern cultures are characterized as collectivistic. All other countries presumably belong to one of these global cultural groups.

Diversity of Western and Eastern Cultures

In recent years, researchers have looked more closely at the cultural differences between societies around the world, going beyond the traditional East-West divide. Researchers have been able to make a more diverse cultural classification of world societies because they looked at many different cultural factors and dimensions (Karandashev, 2021a).

Studies have shown that Eastern and Western societies are more diverse than they were originally deemed. Researchers have found that dividing the world into East and West is too simple and doesn’t show how different the countries are.

Cross-cultural research has revealed a diversity in how people in different “Western” and “Eastern” cultures experience and express their emotions (Karandashev, 2021a).

Western Cultural Diversity of Interpersonal Communication and Emotional Styles

Many cultural and cross-cultural studies have found that the “Western” cultures of interpersonal communication and emotionality are quite different in such countries as Canada, the United States of America, France, Germany, Ireland, and the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland.

The North American Culture of Communication in the United States

Several Western European cultures are very different from North American cultures in the United States. Even though they are all presumably Western cultures, their communication styles differ in several ways.

People in North America, as a low-contact culture, tend to keep a spatial distance, maintain slightly indirect body orientations, and avoid frequent touching during interpersonal conversation. In this regard, they are significantly different from people in high-contact cultures,

Americans are known around the world for being loud, talkative, direct, and assertive. When interacting, they prefer to maintain social distance. Nevertheless, they are chatty, polite, and expressive both verbally and nonverbally.

North Americans are self-expressive. Social standards encourage emotional openness. Unrestrained emotional self-expression is believed to improve understanding and exhibit empathy in interaction. People feel self-expression is good and improves relationships. This explains why Americans are so outspoken and expressive.

Many Americans appreciate happy things and struggle with unpleasant emotions. They’re friendly. They strive to be positive and discourage their communicators from experiencing and expressing negative emotions. Their favorite sayings are “Take it easy” and “It’ll be okay.”

Americans prefer “small talk” to meaningful dialogue or serious conversation. They enjoy jokes and humor when talking with each other. They strive to ease tensions in interactions and challenging situations. Americans tend to be overly expressive in both positive and negative emotions. They like to brag and appreciate the feeling of pride in many things.

The French Culture of Communication

French people express their emotions openly and intensely. They may express their displeasure and anger, as well as their affection and love, in public at times. They enjoy vigorously defending their points of view in conversations.

The French have an emotional culture that tends to act on impulse. The French do things in a very emotional way. They can be very happy and interesting. Still, the French get angry sometimes. The French communication style can be described as straightforward, indirect, and eloquent. Every meeting starts with a general conversation. The French people don’t worry about phony friendliness and insincere sociability. They enjoy small talks and dialogues.

The German Culture of Communication

Germans frequently behave and communicate more conventionally. They are direct, serious, and grounded. They favor adopting traditional attire, manners, and fashion.

The Germans are serious in their verbal expressions. Germans do not like small talk and idle conversations. They are generally introverted and reserved. They don’t like talking to strangers or people at social gatherings. Germans are usually polite and don’t raise their voices when they talk.

Germans are typically straightforward and direct in their verbal expression. They usually include detailed information and explanations in their messages. They prefer to present their messages with well-organized and logical information supported by facts, examples, and figures. They like to summarize all of the major points at the end of their communication messages.

6 Distinctive Features of the German Style of Communication

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Western European societies have some similarities in cultural characteristics. This is why they belong to so-called Western cultures. However, they differ from the North American Western culture of the United States. For example, their cultural values of individualism are fairly different (Karandashev, 2021a). The communication styles of interpersonal relationships also vary among Western societies.

In another article, I described and summarized some features of the American communication style. In particular, Americans are direct in their messages, assertive, talkative, verbally and nonverbally expressive. As individualists, they prefer to keep social distance in interpersonal relations but are chatty, friendly, and polite.

In another article, I described the 9 main features of the French style of interpersonal communication in comparison with American and German communication styles. People of different western European cultures also differ from each other in the way they interact and communicate in their relationships.

The neighboring countries of western Europe develop their own cultures of communication, interpersonal relationships, and expressive styles (Karandashev, 2021a).

Let us talk about the German expressive style of communication.

Germans Are Conformists in Communication

Germans tend to be more conformist in their behavior and communication compared, for example, with North American and French people. The Germans are frank, serious, and realistic. They prefer a conservative approach in dress, fashion, and manners.

Germans Are Persistent and Serious in their Communication

The Germans are persistent and stubborn in pursuing their goals. They are serious in their verbal expressions. In this regard, they are drastically different from Americans in their expressive style. The Germans dislike small talk and social chit-chat. They are reserved and not open to casual acquaintances or strangers. They do not “make conversation” at social gatherings. Well-mannered Germans do not raise their voices in conversation (Hall and Hall, 1990).

Germans Are Straight, Direct, Detailed, and Well-Organized in their Messages

Germans, in their verbal expressions, are typically straightforward in what they are saying. They are direct and detailed in their messages.

Germans have a low-context culture of communication in the same way as North Americans and some other western European cultures. In this regard, they are quite different from high-context cultures, such as southern and eastern Europeans, Arabs, and Latin Americans.

The people of the German low-context culture usually provide in their messages much more information and explanations than people in high-context cultures. They like to present information logically. The orderly outlining of facts, examples, and figures ensures the credibility of their messages. At the end of their communicative messages, they like to summarize all the major points. They believe it is very important in addition to everything else that has already been explained earlier (Hall and Hall, 1990).

Linguistic Features of German Verbal Communication

The German language is straight and literal in several aspects of semantics and grammar. German is more literal than English. Many English words bear various meanings depending on the context of communication. German words are usually precise and have exact meanings.

The German culture of verbal communication reflects certain grammatical and lexical features of the German language. For example, the verb frequently comes at the end of a German sentence. Therefore, it takes a while for a listener to fully understand what a German speaker is going to say until the end of the speech (Hall and Hall, 1990).

German Values of Respect and Understanding

In interpersonal interaction, Germans may look serious and arrogant. Sometimes, they may have an unapproachable appearance. However, they have a deep need to be understood and respected.

They appreciate respect more than admiration, even though they still have a need to be liked. The emotions that people experience can be intense. But they prefer not to show many emotions in their facial and bodily expressions. Their experience of mood is frequently pessimistic and melancholic.

German Friendship

German people tend to develop deep relationships and friendships in pursuit of true understanding. In such relationships, they like to talk about their private feelings and problems.

Germans believe that most American friendships are superficial in their relationships and conversations.

In private conversations with close friends, they appreciate discussing the philosophical issues and meanings of life.

9 Features of the French Style of Communication

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Several western European cultures are quite different from the North American culture of the USA. Even though they are all presumably Western cultures, they differ in several respects in communication styles.

Americans are known internationally as loud, talkative, direct, and assertive communicators. They are chatty, polite, and verbally and nonverbally expressive people. They prefer to maintain social distance when interacting.

Although the French and other western Europeans differ from Americans in their ways of emotional experience and expression, they are also quite different within western European societies. Each of western Europe’s neighboring countries has their own culturally distinct expressive styles in interpersonal communication (Karandashev, 2021a).

For example, in another article, I described the 9 main features of the German style of interpersonal communication in comparison with American communication and French communication styles.

Emotional French People

French people experience emotions intensely and openly. Sometimes, they demonstratively express their displeasure and anger or affection and love. They like to defend their opinions in discussions actively and energetically.

The French Have an Impulsive Orientation toward Emotion

French society is a culture with an impulsive orientation toward emotion. The French people have a very emotional way of doing things; they can be very joyous and engaging. Yet sometimes the French temper lashes out (Hallowell, Bowen, & Knoop, 2002, p. 14). This feature is different from the American culture of communication.

The French Are Eloquent, Frank, and Indirect in the Communication

The French do not worry about “phony chumminess” or false informalities (Hall & Hall, 1990, p. 117). “Service with a smile” is present in the US not only in the business and service spheres but in other areas of life as well, while the French do not care about this.

The French communication style can also be characterized as frank, indirect, and eloquent. That is in some contrast not only with American culture, but also with neighboring German culture, where a direct approach to communication is quite normative (Hall & Hall, 1990, p. 102).

The French Enjoy Small Talks and Chats

French people relish small talk and conversations. Every engagement begins with general conversation. They are usually informed about current events and willingly discuss them. French society is characterized as a high-context culture. In their dialogues, the French prefer to leave a room for imagination, not spell out some details. In verbal communication, they admire mystery, sophistication, and nuances of expression.

The French Are Similar to the Japanese in their Preference for High-context Communication

The French communication style is similar to the Japanese style since both are high-context cultures. Nevertheless, the French style is different from the Japanese one. The French frequently talk about something without explicit expression. They assume that a listener intuitively understands the hidden message. In this regard, their communication style is similar to the Japanese culture. Yet, the French style is different because they enjoy spirited discussion with logical rhetoric. They mentally engage in highly detailed problems of great complexity and do not give up until they are solved.

The Mediterranean Origins of French Culture

As for emotions and actions, modern French culture is substantially influenced by the early Mediterranean cultures. Therefore, people’s communication and behavior more resemble the cultures of Southern Europe, such as Spain and Italy, than the cultures of other northern European countries. The French are traditionalists; they respect formalities, status, and have a good sense of humor.

Why Are the French Inconsistent and Impatient Sometimes?

The French may exhibit seemingly contradictory expressions and behaviors. This inconsistency might be due to the internal conflicts between logic, emotion, and pragmatism. This is why the French can be impatient. They just experience an internal conflict between emotions and logic, between emotions and pragmatism.

Patience is not among the top French values, partially because of their temperament. People act at a fast tempo and move rapidly. They think quickly, expecting a simple yes or no, not a lengthy discussion, seeking to make a decision (Hall & Hall, 1990).

The French Culture of Self-Discipline, Obedience, and Forgiveness

The Catholic faith teaches the French people forgiveness as a high cultural value. Therefore, the French tend to experience and express forgiveness in various kinds of interpersonal relationships. Parents teach them self-discipline, obedience, and good manners. In adult life, they expect obedience from subordinates.

The French are conservative traditionalists and resistant to change. Nevertheless, throughout recent decades, they have become more open to new experiences.

French Individualism Is Different from American Individualism

The French are very individualistic people, not always responsive to other people’s needs. They are also not responsive to public pressure or pressure from others. Unlike Germans, they are nonconformists.

The French are meticulous about social norms, being strongly perfectionist in style, behavior, dress, and manners. They are polite and expect precision in language, using the proper approach in social interactions. The stance and posture of a person during interaction convey correctness and formality. They do not favor the informal and casual styles of Americans.