The French are a friendly culture; however, their humor tends to be more sarcastic than Americans are used to. Some women say that the French are almost sardonic or cutting at times. Americans in general prefer to make friends and to be liked by the people with whom they come into contact, as it paves the way for a good business relationship. The French do not. It is not important to them. Americans like to have people agree and cooperate, as that is how we gain recognition in our workplace. The French almost prefer to disagree because it is far more interesting, and perhaps that is how they get recognized. Where the Americans prefer consistency and predictability, the French do not mind contradictions. It is a challenge.

Americans are very achievement-oriented. We observe titles, look at accomplishments, and tend to tell others what we have accomplished because it is important to our society. We tend to measure each other in this way as well. The French are not so accepting of titles, achievements, etc. They look at the person in terms of the personality, integrity, character, and search for intrinsic qualities, as they view these as much deeper character traits. The French are more formal than Americans and appear to be more reserved. They are much more sensitive about their culture than we are about ours. They are obsessive about preserving their identity, whereas Americans are more accepting of differences, coming from a melting-pot society. They are particularly obsessive about preserving the French language, and if your pronunciation if not good, they may not respond. The French are far more argumentative and tenacious than Americans when deliberating a point.

Parlez-Vous France?