Dating: The French System vs the American System
When it comes to dating, much like the metric system, there
is a big difference between how America does it and the rest of the
world. In
this article, it highlights the contrast between how drastically opposite
American dating and French dating are. In fact, there is not even a word
or concept for "dating" in French.
I've never dated a French person myself, but I found the article to be quite interesting, nonetheless. I highly recommend you read it, but for those that are too lazy, I've broken it down into some Cliff Notes.
1) American women are too goal-oriented. Most women in America view dating in terms of a 10-year plan. They date because they are looking for someone to marry, eventually. Even if a guy can make her happy, he needs to fit within the parameters of proper husband material as-is. The French just hook up because they follow their feelings, and whatever happens, happens. In a nutshell, American women think too much.
2) Americans are too formal when it comes to dating. We are always concerned with the "right way" and "wrong way"of "playing the game" and following arbitrary guidelines and rules and rituals. Again, the French are more casual and don't freak out as much over trivial things like the "3 Day Rule" or not putting out on the first date.
3) Americans are too Black and White about things. The French tend to think in shades of grey. When Americans pick flower petals, we think in terms of "he loves me/he loves me not." But a French woman will think in terms of "he loves me a little, a lot, madly, passionately, or not at all."
4) French women don't need marriage. In France, the marriage rates are declining while the rates of "cohabitation" are on the rise. Americans still put a lot of emphasis on the pageantry of big, bankruptcy-inducing weddings, expensive rings, and making big social events out of their relationships. The French frown on those types of gimmicky theatrics and prefer a more natural and low-key approach to the person they love.
5) The French divorce and cheat as much as Americans do. So if you think their more liberal views on relationships are a recipe for disaster, their statistics are pretty much the same as ours, except they are less hypocritical about it.
I've never dated a French person myself, but I found the article to be quite interesting, nonetheless. I highly recommend you read it, but for those that are too lazy, I've broken it down into some Cliff Notes.
1) American women are too goal-oriented. Most women in America view dating in terms of a 10-year plan. They date because they are looking for someone to marry, eventually. Even if a guy can make her happy, he needs to fit within the parameters of proper husband material as-is. The French just hook up because they follow their feelings, and whatever happens, happens. In a nutshell, American women think too much.
2) Americans are too formal when it comes to dating. We are always concerned with the "right way" and "wrong way"of "playing the game" and following arbitrary guidelines and rules and rituals. Again, the French are more casual and don't freak out as much over trivial things like the "3 Day Rule" or not putting out on the first date.
3) Americans are too Black and White about things. The French tend to think in shades of grey. When Americans pick flower petals, we think in terms of "he loves me/he loves me not." But a French woman will think in terms of "he loves me a little, a lot, madly, passionately, or not at all."
4) French women don't need marriage. In France, the marriage rates are declining while the rates of "cohabitation" are on the rise. Americans still put a lot of emphasis on the pageantry of big, bankruptcy-inducing weddings, expensive rings, and making big social events out of their relationships. The French frown on those types of gimmicky theatrics and prefer a more natural and low-key approach to the person they love.
5) The French divorce and cheat as much as Americans do. So if you think their more liberal views on relationships are a recipe for disaster, their statistics are pretty much the same as ours, except they are less hypocritical about it.
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