Why French people are rude & arrogant ?
Is this cliché real ? How to deal with French people coldness ?
Bonjour, it’s Théo !
It’s been a long time this stereotype is living in our minds.
“French people are arrogant. They can be cold, rude and unsympathetic. The people in Paris are too sophisticated, they think they are smarter and more cultured than everybody else…”
Of course, all of this is just a cliché…
But for a lot of tourists who came to Paris for just a few days, their experience with French people wasn’t all rosy.
Are French people really that rude ?
No, don’t worry.
French are not terrible people trying to ruin your trip to the city of love, you will still spend a great moment visiting Paris.
By the way, this stereotype belongs more to Parisian people than to all the French ones. Even in the other parts of our country, people criticize the arrogance and rudeness of the Paris population.
But, as usual, the cliché hides a little bit of truth.
Why French people seem so cold ?
In France, the “default mode” is skepticism.
When we hear about the news, when we meet someone for the first time, or when a stranger wants to sell us something, we tell ourselves : “Huuum, it could be a scam”.
French people are far more prudent and skeptical than Americans for example. We don’t go to speak to a stranger or trust someone we don’t know pretty well.
The perfect example is in the streets of Paris. When someone comes to talk to you from nowhere, it’s usually to ask you some money or to scam you. Parisians are a bit scared of strangers and they prefer to look cold to not be bothered by someone in the metro.
As Paris is France’s biggest city, with a lot of tourists and strangers coming there everyday, the Paris inhabitants tend to be prudent with the crowd.
French people’s coldness is purely a defense mechanism. But when you take the time to know us, we are far more friendly and sympathetic than you could imagine.
But why the waiter is so rude with me ?
There is this cliché about French waiters, especially Parisian ones.
In the old days, they were exuberant, speaking loud and sometimes rude to bad customers. It was part of this idea of the French restaurant owner who isn’t scared to be himself, to tells his truth and to do what he wants with his restaurant.
In France, the client is NOT the King.
When you enter a restaurant, it’s like going to someone else’s home for dinner. You respect the place, the chef’s work, the food experience.
As the waiters are not only paid with tips, and tips are not mandatory in France, they don’t have to do a fake smile to a bad customer or a “Karen” 😅 to get their wages.
Anyway, 99% of the time, waiters are kind and welcoming, and restaurants love when you come to discover their food.
It’s just that it can be overwhelming for tourists to understand everything in a country they don’t speak the language, and that's totally normal ! But this small time of adaptation can bother the waiters who are in a rush.
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If you are coming to Paris, and want to take a little advantage on the other tourists when you order a meal, I’ve created a Food guide with all the culture you need about French dishes, our traditions during a meal, how to choose your wine, and some of the best places to try in Paris !
You can discover all my guides by clicking this button :
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Before ending this letter, I just want to say : Don’t worry 😉
French people are kinder than you think. You will find cold and angry people everywhere else in the world. Don’t let the few hateful ones ruin your trip to this beautiful city.
See you in Paris,
À bientôt 👋
Love the French. Treat others with respect and they will treat you the same.
I live in the U.S. and am currently visiting Paris for the first time. The people here have been very kind and polite. No one has been rude, especially not the waiters. 😀 I love this amazing city!