Why the French Don’t Obsess Over Purpose - by Pamela Clapp
At my wedding - in a château near the Loire, my (American) brother raised a toast, mentioning how much I loved my job and how dedicated I was to it. At the time, I was the marketing director at the Paris-based e-commerce company Monnier Paris, and I really did pour my heart and soul into it. But I remember feeling a little self-conscious. It’s not the kind of thing people usually bring up in a wedding speech here. Was I already that French? Later, after the champagne wore off, my French husband teased me about it. And still today, some of our friends bring it up with a smile. Not unkindly. Just amused. Because in France, that’s not what comes to mind when you describe someone you love. It stuck with me. I don’t think I ever heard the word purpose growing up in France. I’m not even sure there’s a proper translation for it. Raison d’être — literally “reason for being” — comes close, but it doesn’t carry quite the same meaning. It feels more practical, more utilitarian. Not the almost exi
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