@candle The difference is that in most countries, being polite is considered nice.
But in France, being polite is considered the bare minimum, and not doing anything special is considered rude beyond belief.
Like, if you forget to hold the door for someone, they will hate you with the heat of a thousand bread ovens, and silently glare.
To prevent that, we are forced to be polite at all times. I live alone, and still stay Bonjour when coming back home, just in case.
#frenchThings