Why do many French people come across as rude and arrogant?

  • Initiateur de la discussion Initiateur de la discussion Sword
  • Date de début Date de début
Sword

Sword

So on of my colleagues won a trip to France. She recently got back and said, that the French attitude really put her off of ever moving to that part of the world, as she is under the impression, that even xenophobic South Africans are better than the French.
I have family in France and ended up in France..... and I couldn't understand why the French's attitude sucked so much..... I mean, it is not like they have so much to be proud of: their power is lost, they make a terrible cars, they smoke like maniacs.... and yet they think the world revolves around them.

So, is this a common perception out there? or are they just assholes to people from other countries?

Educate me. Please.
 
Hi Sword,

We could not judge the whole french people. But there is a kind of common mindset, composed by a definite number of properties.

My job allows me to deal with English, German, Spanish, Italian, East European and Asian customers and colleagues. Every individual has his proper way to act or to express his ideas and opinions.

IMHO, the french guys I dealed with are sometimes irrationaly demanding. They are more problem oriented than solution oriented. Compared to the German way to think, I think the "French Method" has a long learning way to achieve...

I would also add something, the French mind is not straightforward (This is the case of the Mediterranean civilisations). I mean that the amount of the non spoken messages you have to decipher is huge.

I tried to be as short as possible. There are many other points that might also be discussed: Negativity, Overselling, Over-reacting....

My 2 cents.
 
Hi guys and thank you for your comments.... Sadly around here, the idea the French people are an arrogant people is persistent..... Although, I do not like to generalize. I have to say that I met some pretty nasty French people in France. I am sorry to believe that there is probably some truth in the accusation.
I live is US and moving soon to Morocco.
 
if you permit, they're not nasty people, they're demanding and idealists. Americans are different, i heard that they were very sociable unlike the french.
When you get to know the french, they're pretty nice actualy but they don't reveal that easily.
however we musn't forget that people are different and there are good and bad people in each country.
 
Hajar,

Your points are well taken. However, and again I do not want to generalize. Rather I am talking about commonly perceived overall behaviors and attitudes, whether falsly translated or not.
 
Sword a dit:
So on of my colleagues won a trip to France. She recently got back and said, that the French attitude really put her off of ever moving to that part of the world, as she is under the impression, that even xenophobic South Africans are better than the French.
I have family in France and ended up in France..... and I couldn't understand why the French's attitude sucked so much..... I mean, it is not like they have so much to be proud of: their power is lost, they make a terrible cars, they smoke like maniacs.... and yet they think the world revolves around them.

So, is this a common perception out there? or are they just assholes to people from other countries?

Educate me. Please.
Cliquez pour agrandir...
I spent 7 years in France and I confirm : their attitude sucks !
 
Sword a dit:
So on of my colleagues won a trip to France. She recently got back and said, that the French attitude really put her off of ever moving to that part of the world, as she is under the impression, that even xenophobic South Africans are better than the French.
I have family in France and ended up in France..... and I couldn't understand why the French's attitude sucked so much..... I mean, it is not like they have so much to be proud of: their power is lost, they make a terrible cars, they smoke like maniacs.... and yet they think the world revolves around them.

So, is this a common perception out there? or are they just assholes to people from other countries?

Educate me. Please.
Cliquez pour agrandir...

Vas y parle français, ou tais toi. Ca te va comme (ré-)éducation ?

:D
 
Mais non, c'est juste que vous avez un fort sentiment d'infériorité, voila tout : vous ne devriez avoir nul besoin de vous lamenter dans la langue de la perfide Albion pour l'admettre...quand à le reconnaitre...la FRANChise étant lucidité et prévoyance, cet effort n'est point attendu.


What a great french diplomat I do :D
 
Sword a dit:
Your comment is utterly presumptuous and laughable and is worthy of giving the middle finger.
Cliquez pour agrandir...

Well you know what to do whith that finger, how do we say ?
Sit on it.

Just read my second comment on this thread, it seems that you haven't noticed that i'm ironic.
So, the way we use english right here, to talk about french, while most of you do certainly speak french(my french sentenses where understood indeed), do proove what i was saying, someway.
 
IbnouCid a dit:
Just read my second comment on this thread, it seems that you haven't noticed that i'm ironic.
So, the way we use english right here, to talk about french, while most of you do certainly speak french(my french sentenses where understood indeed), do proove what i was saying, someway.
Cliquez pour agrandir...


Quite frankly, what you're trying to say here escapes me....., and yes some people do adapt to certain environment by pretense.
 
Saheli a dit:
Why does everybody hates the french so much ?

(particularly anglophones)
Cliquez pour agrandir...

its a cultural thing.
French people have this aristocratic way of viewing things/people. They have standards (and of course they are above them) by which they judge everyone else.

and i wouldnt say that anglophones hate them..thats not true. french canadians dont like them that much (the general public, not the media). Americans in general think they have a superiority syndrom and that they need to get off their high horses. (im not sure how they are perceived in europe)

I think they are often racist, judgmental in a very hurtful way, and are soo self centered.

ps: by french people i mean, the white french. i may be wrong, but thats my opinion
 
IbnouCid a dit:
Well you know what to do whith that finger, how do we say ?
Sit on it.

Just read my second comment on this thread, it seems that you haven't noticed that i'm ironic.
So, the way we use english right here, to talk about french, while most of you do certainly speak french(my french sentenses where understood indeed), do proove what i was saying, someway.
Cliquez pour agrandir...

Il me semble qu'il est Américain, pas Marocain (?)
Ceci expliquant cela pour la langue
 
Sword a dit:
I am not sorry. But your comment is nothing but an ad hominem attacks.
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And you know what ?
I'm not even french. Moroccan only.

Don't have to speak some other foreign langage to estimate that i could be better than them.

Well, all this was an exercise for me, in order to practice my albion tongue.
 
Sword a dit:
So on of my colleagues won a trip to France. She recently got back and said, that the French attitude really put her off of ever moving to that part of the world, as she is under the impression, that even xenophobic South Africans are better than the French.
I have family in France and ended up in France..... and I couldn't understand why the French's attitude sucked so much..... I mean, it is not like they have so much to be proud of: their power is lost, they make a terrible cars, they smoke like maniacs.... and yet they think the world revolves around them.

So, is this a common perception out there? or are they just assholes to people from other countries?

Educate me. Please.
Cliquez pour agrandir...


no need to visit France to notice the french attitude , just a dinner in a french restaurant gives it away,
the french waiter is arrogant , snob and thinks of himself god s gift to humanity ;)
 
Sword a dit:
So on of my colleagues won a trip to France. She recently got back and said, that the French attitude really put her off of ever moving to that part of the world, as she is under the impression, that even xenophobic South Africans are better than the French.
I have family in France and ended up in France..... and I couldn't understand why the French's attitude sucked so much..... I mean, it is not like they have so much to be proud of: their power is lost, they make a terrible cars, they smoke like maniacs.... and yet they think the world revolves around them.

So, is this a common perception out there? or are they just assholes to people from other countries?

Educate me. Please.
Cliquez pour agrandir...

In a way, I do agree with you!
I've noticed this french arrogant behavior only when I travelled and lived in other countries (after comparing). I studied intercultural communication in Lugano and from what I saw, France is one the most chauvinist country.
They try to hide it and they may smile at you and show how open they are while they bite you in your back!
I would also add italians!
I used to love this country and its culture but when I travelled there I was so dissapointed from their attitude at the airport!
 
PinkyLife a dit:
In a way, I do agree with you!
I've noticed this french arrogant behavior only when I travelled and lived in other countries (after comparing). I studied intercultural communication in Lugano and from what I saw, France is one the most chauvinist country.
They try to hide it and they may smile at you and show how open they are while they bite you in your back!
I would also add italians!
I used to love this country and its culture but when I travelled there I was so dissapointed from their attitude at the airport!
Cliquez pour agrandir...

Lugano? In Switzerland? They all speak italian there, isnt'it?
 
Thank you all for your comments. They were all very interesting to read. However, my topic isn't meant to offend or insult the French or French culture. But to inform and educate.
 
Yep it’s totaly true !
French people are unfriendly and rude.... that’s too bad...
I dare telling that because i spent my entiere life in this country, i was born there and still live there.
There was a time when i had to lead some survey about how foreign people perceive french people. And tourists were unanimous... we are unfriendly, rude sometimes, too proud, very elegant and romantic (that was precisely the result).
BUT cause there’s a but... this unfriendly and rude thing was the first impression. Yep french people seems to be cold hearted. Foreign people have to dig a little bit more you know scratch this wall and I am telling you, most of the time you will find nice and deep person.
So keep faith in french people and.... keep digging :-D
Tc
 
Sword a dit:
So on of my colleagues won a trip to France. She recently got back and said, that the French attitude really put her off of ever moving to that part of the world, as she is under the impression, that even xenophobic South Africans are better than the French.
I have family in France and ended up in France..... and I couldn't understand why the French's attitude sucked so much..... I mean, it is not like they have so much to be proud of: their power is lost, they make a terrible cars, they smoke like maniacs.... and yet they think the world revolves around them.

So, is this a common perception out there? or are they just assholes to people from other countries?

Educate me. Please.
Cliquez pour agrandir...

Hi, i'm a native french woman and i can tell you that i feel this impression, particulary since i'm wearing hijeb (islamic headscarf). My people is so arogant because they take a rest on there national way of life. The most of french people is uncultivated, racists and narrow minded but doesn't feel bad because of it. Nicolas Sarkozy found a great sentence: "La France, tu l'aimes ou tu la quittes" = "France, love it or leave it", that's a great thinker our president, isn't it? :love: ;)
 
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