French Poodles Say, "Wooah, Wooah!"

The French. Unfortunately they are not favored too highly by some Americans; especially since the country decided not to support America's war with Iraq. (I might have to agree with the French on that one, but that's an entirely different blog topic to be made on an entirely different blog...) There are many disheartening stereotypes out there about the French. Let's explore a few.

French people are rude. Now, looking at this from a certain perspective (the American one) the French people may come off as rude to a tourist in their country. First of all, Americans speak English. There's nothing wrong with that, but some Americans seem to believe that because they speak English, the rest of the world should have a basic knowledge of English for their benefit. So in visiting France, many American tourists don't bother to learn simple French terms. Therefore, approaching a French person, in France, and speaking in English to them, expecting them to be fluent in English is a little rude on the tourist's part, don't you think? Imagine someone who speaks a foreign tongue stopping you in the street in your home country and asking for directions, expecting you to be able to understand their request and respond in their native tongue. It would be strange and unsettling, wouldn't it? So of course the French are going to come off as rude! I think they are pushed to "being rude" by the attitudes they are having to deal with, not because they are generally a rude people.

French people smell bad. In actuality, French people are just as conscious of personal hygiene as any other country in the world. Not every country necessarily values the scent of soap or the act of washing their hair once, sometimes twice, daily. It's all a matter of perspective. America is a country of excess and some of its personal hygiene rituals are just that: excessive.

French people smoke. Smoking used to be quite prevalent in France. Yes, you read that right, it used to be. A smoking ban was placed on bars and cafes in 2007, and cigarette sales dropped dramatically after the ban was instigated. "BAT France said 54.4 billion cigarettes were sold last year in France, down 2.3 percent from 2007. In 1998, almost 85 billion cigarettes were sold in France." ( Source.)So right there is bonafide statistical proof that France no longer smokes like it used to! Again, its all about perspective and knowledge.

The lesson today is not about French hygiene or smoking habits or attitudes. Its really about perspective. Try putting yourself in someone else's shoes before you judge them... You think someone is rude? You have no idea what they've gone through in their day, or what's in their mind. You may have approached them with something that may seem important to you but is humdrum to them and you're demanding an answer... You may find someone's personal habits as disgusting or unhygienic. But you have to approach their matter with a consciousness of what is acceptable in their culture.

America is not the standard rule for the whole world and it shouldn't be. Try to consider perspective when looking at the world beyond America's shores. Realize that you are looking at things as an American would, and the whole world can not be understood that way.