In France, there is a particular strain of melancholy. ... The British tell themselves,'We are no longer a great power, so we will live as a middle one.' But the French don't say that. They say: 'We are intrinsically a great power, so why isn't it working in reality?' For a while we try to shut our eyes, but that doesn't work for long. When reality truly dawns, then the first phase is extreme sadness, and that is the phase we are in now.

Chantal Delsol,
professor of philosophy at the Université de Marne-la-Vallée
April 21, 2007 (NZH)

Mdm. Delsol made her first appearance at Pave commenting here.

PFFT (What is this?): Middling reality 3¾ | Intrinsically sad 3 | Rayonnement français 0