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France
Culture & Identity
France's Personality
France is, well France. Love them or hate them, they are
who they are and they aren't going to change on your account so either embrace
who they are or don't bother going. They have always been powerful, particularly
under Napoleon, but when it comes down to it, France is a country of thinkers who
focus more on their lifestyle than on power, politics, or prestige... well maybe
not that last one as they are quite proud of who they are
Some point to World War II and claim France is a country
of weaklings and whiners who can't even stand up and defend themselves. It's
an interesting theory, but if you were French, why would you go through the hassle
of a war you have no chance at winning when you know it would destroy your cities,
kill your people, and eliminate your way of life. These same people call the French
lazy, but working a maximum of 36 hours a week may not be lazy as much as it is
a difference in priorities.
Identity
The French are, however very proud and this stems from
their identity of being French, but how one defines being French (other than their
pride in the French language) is constantly changing with immigrants arriving daily
and diversity growing. Amongst themselves they claim their identity as the region
they're from, but abroad they are all French, but this doesn't get you any
closer to defining what that is; perhaps it's defined based upon the lifestyle.
This page was last updated: February, 2012