I know my friends very wellβincluding their sexual preferences. I know how my friend V. I know that R. We talk about almost everything. They were very careful not to talk about it so that nobody would steal it. They needed to keep it for the following year, in case the crop went bad. This mindset was exemplified by my great-grandmother, who always wore the same pair of threadbare stockings.
After she died, we discovered 20 pairs of brand-new stockings in her bedroom closet. Then there is the role of Catholicism, which remains influential despite the decline of practicing Catholics in the country.
So there is a suspicion towards money and the ones who earn it. The Marxist ideology progressively introduced into France in the s and s may also have played a role. Indeed, the Odoxa poll shows that eight out of 10 French people, whatever their income, say that being rich is frowned upon in their society.
Listening to Mossuz-Lavau, I wondered if younger generations could be spared some of this financial awkwardness. Justine is 34 and works as an accounts director in advertising. She lives in Paris and comes from a wealthy family. It has something to do with the fact that people who talk about money are vulgar. She spends money quickly, especially when she goes out. The fact that Justine and Estelle come from wealthy and working-class backgrounds, respectively, may play a part in their respective financial reticence.
Mossuz-Lavau says these findings make intuitive sense. Talking about money can feel demeaning for people with low incomes, whereas wealthy people fear they may have to justify their salary.
