CEvery year, on New Year’s Eve, we undergo the same ritual. We promise ourselves to do more sport, to spend more time with our family, to spend less time on screens or even to learn Mandarin. But why on earth do we feel obligated to make good resolutions? Where does this persistent social practice come from? To understand this, we interviewed Stéphane Floccari, an associate professor and doctor of philosophy, author Nietzsche and the New Year published by Belles Lettres.
The Point: Around eight out of ten French people take the opportunity of the New Year to make good resolutions. What drives us to this?
Stéphane Floccari: The characteristic of a rite or a celebration is that those who take part in it submit to its social and cultural framework without choosing it. “It’s tradition”, as they say, that is to say, etymologically, something that passes between the fingers, from hand to hand, understand here from one generation to the next. What is particularly true of Christmas, this family celebration which coincides with the winter solstice, is also true of the last hours of the calendar year, generally spent among friends. It is sometimes delicate and costly, when the past year has been difficult, to show those around you a joy of circumstance, a happiness that you do not necessarily have in stock on New Year’s Eve. When the calendar turns to year nine, it’s also a good time to get rid of the draft of the […] Read more
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