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Habits That Are Normal In France That Are Rude in The U.S.
When I decided to move to France, I knew I would most likely experience culture shocks and have to readjust to my new life. Though aware of this, I don’t think I knew to what degree I would be readjusting my definitions of normalcy. What’s polite or not can vastly change in different countries. Even after living in France for years, I still discover new things daily! Here are a few habits that are normal in France, which would be considered rude in the U.S.
Debating
I had heard how much the French love to debate, but I didn’t realize how true this was until I made French friends. At the dinner table, my French boyfriend (now husband) was debating in lightning-speed French with a new French friend of mine about topics that wouldn’t be dinner-table friendly in the U.S. I remember trying to mediate the situation, trying to fill the gaps of thought with a forced chuckle and a comment of “C’est un sujet assez compliqué, n’est-ce pas?” (“It’s a pretty complicated subject, isn’t it?) After finishing our classically-Parisian gourmet meals, we got up to catch the subway home.
While saying goodbye, to my surprise, my friend and my boyfriend cheerfully said to one another how nice it was to find a good debate opponent. “C’était sympa le débat !” (“The debate was nice!”) I’m still trying to get used to this, as I usually try to keep the peace in my friend groups. But it makes me happy that the French love debating so much! It’s fascinating to see them debate with so much fierceness. No matter what they discuss, I always want to learn more about the topic.
Straightforwardness
Another thing that might seem rude to Americans is how straightforward the French can be. I have to say that, in my opinion, it can also be quite refreshing. Americans can tend to mince their words, which can sometimes lead to confusion. Meanwhile, you never have to guess what a French person thinks as they aren’t…
