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Paris syndrome – extreme culture clash October 23, 2006

Posted by Al in : people,travel,weird , trackback

Psychiatrists really like having names for anything they can pin a label on, they probably all suffer from some form of anal psychosis themselves. So when they came across these Japanese tourists suffering mental collapse after visiting Paris they imaginatively came up with the name “Paris Syndrome” – it’s quite an interesting phenomenon though. The problem arises when the polite and careful Japanese arrive in France and encounter the arrogance and disdain only a Parisian can muster. Ally that with the unhelpfulness of shop staff and the ever-present danger of potentially violent thieves and some people just crack as the real world collides with their ideal version of Paris. “Paris Syndrome” is not just associated with the Japanese, other people experience it when holidays disprove their preconceptions, so be careful when you next travel – expect the worst and things can only turn out better than expected.

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