Thanks again.

Let’s get two things straight. I pointed out that I wasn’t there with my last reply (should I need to?) – while hinting that if you’d left things out that are pertinent then that was down to you (obviously).

Secondly, I was also clear from the start that I understand his perspective. I just don’t agree with it. To understand someone’s perspective is not that same as agreeing with it. That’s the fundamental bit of logic you missed. 

Now either he lied to you immediately when you’d just asked for wifi, or he didn’t and you were stern to him. In the first situation he’s being an arsehole. In the second you are. If there’s more information you need to pass on do it, but reading your responses it looks like it was you that was the arsehole.

The real world isn’t as simple as you are making it out to be.

Understanding that you have a perspective, that everyone has a perspective, and that this world is built on perspectives is a really useful thing but it doesn’t mean you should skew your own perspective from a negative one to a positive one just because you consider it to be “positive” or because it gives you relief/pleasure. Understanding that negative can be seen as positive from a different perspective is helpful, but it doesn’t stop something or someone being negative within a certain context.

It got you your emails and it relieved some tension in your mind so in that way it was a good thing for you, but the premise is too weak for me. The overall desire to get along is good, but it would be easier without people acting like arseholes. I’ve been round the world and there are many different forms of consideration/manners/rudeness, but understanding them doesn’t magically make inconsiderate into considerate.

It’s just my view and even though I don’t agree with you I still think it was worth you posting, and hope that my comments don’t seem too harsh. It’s difficult to say what you think in print and not sound harsh, so apologies if it does.

For me, I learned a little about the culture in France when I was in Paris in 2005.  I actually spent Thanksgiving with an American couple living in Paris.  They told me the same things you did about the rights of workers, how it’s nearly impossible to fire someone there (it’s why the students were rioting back then – they couldn’t get a job because none ever opened up), and how the French are proud yet sometimes lonely.  It was an eye-opening look inside a culture I probably wouldn’t have experienced on my own.

I think the lesson in this is to try and understand.  I am going to be passionate and opinionated but maybe I can learn to listen and understand first.  Until then, I’ll keep all my close-minded thoughts to myself.