Eight ways the French are different to Parisians
The popular image of the French in the eyes of foreigners is the Parisian: that elusive, slim, stylish, rather snobby creature that somehow never gets fat. Writer Katie Warren asks are the Parisians really representative of French people?
If you’ve spent much time in France you’ll agree that they’re definitely not.
In fact, Parisians are their own breed, utterly different from the provinciaux, the rather condescending term Parisians use to refer to non-Parisians.
Most provinciaux can agree that Parisians, even if there are major differences between those from the chic 16th arrondissement to those from the gritty 20th arrondissement, are not your typical French.
Parisians won’t argue with that, but they’re more likely to think (or even say out loud) it’s because they’re far superior to their compatriots.
And that leads us to the first major difference between the Parisians and the rest of the French.
Arrogance
But when foreigners complain of the French acting superior to others, they are more than likely thinking of Parisians, and oftentimes that's what those living outside Paris in the rest of France are thinking too.
Paris is home to the country's elite and it's in these circles where being arrogant is a necessity and a respected social value. Elsewhere in the country it's not so important, hence those outside the capital are usually a bit more down to earth and less likely to act superior.
Most French people tend to be fiercely proud of where they come from. But Parisians take that pride to a whole new level with a rather simplistic point of view on those who live outside the capital. According to Parisians, they live in the best city in the world. Period. To be fair to Parisians, their home city is one of the most visited places in the world.
Parisians look at the rest of the French in the way that New Yorkers regard Americans in the Midwest. They're baffled as to why on earth they’d want to live anywhere other than Paris. In the minds of some Parisians, the northerners are poor and depressed and the southerners are liars. As for the center of France, do people actually even live there?
READ MORE: Is there any truth behind France's regional stereotypes?
Rudeness
As well as arrogance, another age-old derogatory cliché surrounding the French is that they are rude. But once again this is far more a trait you will witness in Paris than elsewhere in France.
The fact the Paris tourism board even had to come up with a manual on how locals should be nicer to tourists and the city's transport chiefs also published a campaign on how commuters need to be more polite to each other, suggests there is truth behind the cliché.
The fact is those from the Province are just as likely to complain about the rudeness of Parisians as foreigners are. While we complain about people who push on the Metro, jump queues, barge past you in the street, don't smile, beep their horns, don't smile when they take your order, these are all acts of low level rudeness that are far more likely to happen in Paris than elsewhere.
READ MORE: 8 of the most common complaints about France - and the solutions
Dress sense
There's a dress code in Paris and if you don’t know about it, you’re not following it. Whereas outside of the capital you’ll see a wider variety of styles ranging from the well-dressed to the really terribly dated fashions, in Paris you’ll much more often see men in sleek suits and women effortlessly strutting the latest high fashions, perfectly tailored and in neutral colors.
Weight
You’ve all heard tales of the miraculous “French paradox”: their diets are filled with bread, cheese, butter, and wine, but they never get fat. Well, that’s not quite true. In fact, obesity is on the rise in France.
It may seem that Parisians are bucking that trend and staying slimmer than their compatriots outside the capital, but this could be due to lifestyle differences - namely the walkability of the city (or getting lost for hours through the endless underground maze of Châtelet – Les Halles).
Speed
One reason Parisians don’t have time for casual chats is because they’re so fast. They all have somewhere to be right now, so they drive quickly, they walk quickly, they cycle quickly. The only thing they don’t do quickly is get to work in the morning. (Expect an empty office in Paris until the first arrivals start to trickle in at 9:30 am).
Once you get outside of the city, life tends to be a bit more slower-paced and relaxed.
Political views
Despite France’s traditional Catholic conservatism and the rise of the extreme right in some areas, Parisians have a tendency to be more liberal than the rest of the country.
READ MORE: MAPS: How France voted in the second round of the Presidential elections
Non-Parisians often accuse some of the city folk of being bobos (bourgeois-bohemians), a rather pejorative term for a someone who is affluent and rather removed from the working class, yet declares themselves to be politically left-leaning and free-spirited.
In English you might know these kinds of people as “hipsters”.
Working habits
Although France has a reputation for its leisurely lunches and light working week, the manic working lives of New Yorkers and Londoners are starting to spread to Paris.
The rest of France is doing its best to preserve that work-life balance, but in Paris you’ll find more people working long hours, taking shorter lunch breaks, and even working on Sundays as many shops in the capital are starting to stay open on this day.
Cheerfulness
One of the most pervasive stereotypes of the French is that they’re moody. Totally not true… unless you’re talking about the Parisians, many of whom seem to avoid smiling at all costs (unless it’s patronizingly at a lost tourist or a quaint provincial).
It's true that it’s easier to make friends or have a friendly chat with a stranger outside of Paris, but like any big city, its people are often simply in a hurry with no time for pleasantries with people they don't know. Thanks to their overall less stressful lives and the fact Parisians tend to take themselves more seriously, those outside of Paris are much more likely to give off a cheerful demeanor.
So, while Parisians seem to get a hard time in France, many of these clichés apply to certain parts of the city more than others.
And let's not forget, even if you're from abroad or from another part of France, we all become Parisian after a certain amount of time here.
By Katie Warren
This article was first published in 2016.
Comments
See Also
If you’ve spent much time in France you’ll agree that they’re definitely not.
In fact, Parisians are their own breed, utterly different from the provinciaux, the rather condescending term Parisians use to refer to non-Parisians.
Most provinciaux can agree that Parisians, even if there are major differences between those from the chic 16th arrondissement to those from the gritty 20th arrondissement, are not your typical French.
Parisians won’t argue with that, but they’re more likely to think (or even say out loud) it’s because they’re far superior to their compatriots.
And that leads us to the first major difference between the Parisians and the rest of the French.
Arrogance
But when foreigners complain of the French acting superior to others, they are more than likely thinking of Parisians, and oftentimes that's what those living outside Paris in the rest of France are thinking too.
Paris is home to the country's elite and it's in these circles where being arrogant is a necessity and a respected social value. Elsewhere in the country it's not so important, hence those outside the capital are usually a bit more down to earth and less likely to act superior.
Most French people tend to be fiercely proud of where they come from. But Parisians take that pride to a whole new level with a rather simplistic point of view on those who live outside the capital. According to Parisians, they live in the best city in the world. Period. To be fair to Parisians, their home city is one of the most visited places in the world.
Parisians look at the rest of the French in the way that New Yorkers regard Americans in the Midwest. They're baffled as to why on earth they’d want to live anywhere other than Paris. In the minds of some Parisians, the northerners are poor and depressed and the southerners are liars. As for the center of France, do people actually even live there?
READ MORE: Is there any truth behind France's regional stereotypes?
Rudeness
As well as arrogance, another age-old derogatory cliché surrounding the French is that they are rude. But once again this is far more a trait you will witness in Paris than elsewhere in France.
The fact the Paris tourism board even had to come up with a manual on how locals should be nicer to tourists and the city's transport chiefs also published a campaign on how commuters need to be more polite to each other, suggests there is truth behind the cliché.
The fact is those from the Province are just as likely to complain about the rudeness of Parisians as foreigners are. While we complain about people who push on the Metro, jump queues, barge past you in the street, don't smile, beep their horns, don't smile when they take your order, these are all acts of low level rudeness that are far more likely to happen in Paris than elsewhere.
READ MORE: 8 of the most common complaints about France - and the solutions
Dress sense
There's a dress code in Paris and if you don’t know about it, you’re not following it. Whereas outside of the capital you’ll see a wider variety of styles ranging from the well-dressed to the really terribly dated fashions, in Paris you’ll much more often see men in sleek suits and women effortlessly strutting the latest high fashions, perfectly tailored and in neutral colors.
Weight
You’ve all heard tales of the miraculous “French paradox”: their diets are filled with bread, cheese, butter, and wine, but they never get fat. Well, that’s not quite true. In fact, obesity is on the rise in France.
It may seem that Parisians are bucking that trend and staying slimmer than their compatriots outside the capital, but this could be due to lifestyle differences - namely the walkability of the city (or getting lost for hours through the endless underground maze of Châtelet – Les Halles).
Speed
One reason Parisians don’t have time for casual chats is because they’re so fast. They all have somewhere to be right now, so they drive quickly, they walk quickly, they cycle quickly. The only thing they don’t do quickly is get to work in the morning. (Expect an empty office in Paris until the first arrivals start to trickle in at 9:30 am).
Once you get outside of the city, life tends to be a bit more slower-paced and relaxed.
Political views
Despite France’s traditional Catholic conservatism and the rise of the extreme right in some areas, Parisians have a tendency to be more liberal than the rest of the country.
READ MORE: MAPS: How France voted in the second round of the Presidential elections
Non-Parisians often accuse some of the city folk of being bobos (bourgeois-bohemians), a rather pejorative term for a someone who is affluent and rather removed from the working class, yet declares themselves to be politically left-leaning and free-spirited.
In English you might know these kinds of people as “hipsters”.
Working habits
Although France has a reputation for its leisurely lunches and light working week, the manic working lives of New Yorkers and Londoners are starting to spread to Paris.
The rest of France is doing its best to preserve that work-life balance, but in Paris you’ll find more people working long hours, taking shorter lunch breaks, and even working on Sundays as many shops in the capital are starting to stay open on this day.
Cheerfulness
One of the most pervasive stereotypes of the French is that they’re moody. Totally not true… unless you’re talking about the Parisians, many of whom seem to avoid smiling at all costs (unless it’s patronizingly at a lost tourist or a quaint provincial).
It's true that it’s easier to make friends or have a friendly chat with a stranger outside of Paris, but like any big city, its people are often simply in a hurry with no time for pleasantries with people they don't know. Thanks to their overall less stressful lives and the fact Parisians tend to take themselves more seriously, those outside of Paris are much more likely to give off a cheerful demeanor.
So, while Parisians seem to get a hard time in France, many of these clichés apply to certain parts of the city more than others.
And let's not forget, even if you're from abroad or from another part of France, we all become Parisian after a certain amount of time here.
By Katie Warren
This article was first published in 2016.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.