Diaphanous.Transparent. Revealing. Finely wrought. Three things that describe France and its people very well.When traveling in France or talking with one of my French friends, one of the things I appreciate most is never having to guess what they think or how they feel. They're the most transparent people I know. They are what they are, they think what they think, and they're a lot like... well, Chenonceau in the fog (pictured).
France and its people are wonderful to behold, but woe to anyone who underestimates their strength and substance.
The French are probably emotionally healthier than many other cultures because they don't let things fester. If they're mad at you, they'll tell you. They just come right out with it -- in conversation, in politics, in traffic -- and
they don't play mind games. There's something great about that. By not reining in their personal opinions (by not "going easy" on you), they're in fact paying you a compliment. They're assuming that you can take it... that you can engage them as an equal... that you can hang onto your convictions and defend them like a bulldog. (Better make that a French bulldog, though...)
How to apply all this to our culture? We think of ourselves as outspoken, but I think we still tend to beat around the bush a little too much.
Transparency is a good thing. It wins respect.
And respect wins friends.
