Germany – understand-culture

Germany and the Love of Privacy

This unwillingness to discuss private time with colleagues reveals both the German distaste for small talk, but also the German desire for privacy.

Germans have a clear and robust sense of what should be in the public domain and what should not, and although there are exceptions for good friends, finding out what your colleagues get up to outside of work requires military grade interrogation techniques.

With waterboarding out of the question, I am left with little recourse other than to linguistically trap colleagues into giving away small details of their lives. The excruciating process of trial and error can last for years, until one day a colleague feels comfortable enough to actually tell you directly what they get up to when not at work.

Deductive reasoning

In mathematics, if A = B and B = C, then A = C. Since all humans are mortal, and I am a human, then I am mortal. All dolphins are mammals, all mammals have kidneys, therefore all dolphins have kidneys.

Since all squares are rectangles, and all rectangles have four sides, so all squares have four sides. If Dennis misses work and at work there is a party, then Dennis will miss the party.

Why Germans Don’t Say ‘Sorry’ Every Five Minutes

In this video, I’ll explain why Germans don’t apologize for every little thing and how their version of “sorry” (or “Es tut mir leid”) carries real weight. You’ll learn how German communication culture treats apology as sincerity, not social reflex. By the end, you’ll see why fewer apologies can actually make your words stronger.

Comments:

HEY! Sorry, but this is a direct attack on Canada. 🙂

Yes, in Germany, people actually mean what they say, most of the time.

Meanwhile in Germany „sorry“ is often used when we apologize just a tiny little bit for only very small actions which are not supposed to be really insulting to anybody. When we say „Entschuldigung“ it‘s often an expression with a really strong meaning which implies that I hurt someone by my action. But we also use it to adress at other people to get their attention, f.e. if we want to call the waitor in a restaurant, or if we want to pass through a croud of people. Even stronger is the sentence „verzeih mir“ which includes that I deeply hurt someone. All these expressions need self reflection and the realization that I did something wrong which I really regret. Therefore it‘s not easily used.

No Fake “How Are You?”

If you’ve ever said “How are you?” in Germany and got a blink, a nod—or a 10-minute life update—you’ve hit a culture switch. In German, “Wie geht’s?” isn’t small talk—it’s a real check-in. Today you’ll learn why Germans skip small talk, what they say instead (Moin, Na?, Alles klar?), and exactly when to use Wie geht’s? so you build trust, not awkwardness.

Comments:

Why would you ask a question if you don’t expect an answer?

I just ran this by my German girlfriend and she said “Oh my God, YES!” She said that the “How’s it going?” Or “You alright?” greeting in the UK was really difficult for her to begin with. It’s like “You’re gonna ask me that and then not wait for the answer?”

After my exchange year in the US, back in Germany, I stumbled over a report the organisation sent my parents. There was one phrase that stood out and went along the lines of “He speaks his mind and could improve on the tact.” My parents never mentioned it to me…

A Latin term

Why Germans Don’t Sugarcoat Anything

You think they’re rude. They think you’re fake. So… who’s right?” 🇩🇪 Germans have a reputation for being brutally direct — but what if that’s just radical honesty, not rudeness? In this video, I’ll explain why Germans say exactly what they mean (and why that sometimes sounds harsh to the rest of the world).

Comments:

„You look tired“ also means: I care about your well being, can I help?

Rude compared to whom? As a Swede I find Germans being polite and sensetive .

Here in Germany we have a saying: TRUE WORDS ARE NOT ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL AND BEAUTIFUL WORDS ARE NOT ALWAYS TRUE.

comprehensive

Comprehensive: covering completely or broadly. First known use 1614. Synonyms: all-embracing, all-inclusive, broad-gauge, compendious, complete, encyclopedic, cover-all, cyclopedic, embracive, exhaustive, full, global, inclusive, in-depth, omnibus, panoramic, thorough, universal. Antonyms: imperfect, incomplete, partial.

Consultare

To consult means to seek advice, to refer to, to take into account, to consider, as one would consult an attorney or a physician. To consult also means to exchange views, to confer. As with service, consult has its roots in Latin: consultare, meaning to deliberate, counsel, consult or take counsel.

And consult means to advise, to recommend, to suggest, to provide an opinion about what could or should be done in a certain situation or in response to a certain problem. The consultant, therefore, is the expert applying her knowledge and expertise to improve the situation of a customer.

But essential to consulting a client is understanding his needs, his situation. This is done by first consulting with, meaning listening to that customer.

Advise: To give (someone) a recommendation about what should be done; to give information or notice to; to give a recommendation about what should be done; to talk with someone in order to decide what should be done.

Confer: To compare views or take counsel; to bestow from (or as if from) a position of superiority; to give as a property or characteristic to someone or something. From Latin conferre to bring together.

Counsel: Advice given especially as a result of consultation; a policy or plan of action or behavior. Middle English conseil, from Anglo-French cunseil, from Latin consilium, from consulere to consult.

Recommend: To present as worthy of acceptance or trial; to endorse as fit, worthy, or competent; to make acceptable. From Latin recommendare, from Latin re- + commendare to commend.

Suggest: To seek to influence; to call forth, evoke; to mention or imply as a possibility; to propose as desirable or fitting; to offer for consideration or as a hypothesis; to call to mind by thought or association; to serve as a motive or inspiration for. From Latin suggestus, past participle of suggerere to pile up, furnish, suggest, from sub- + gerere to carry.

Apply: To put to use especially for some practical purpose; to bring into action; to put into operation or effect; to employ diligently or with close attention; to have relevance or a valid connection; to make an appeal or request especially in the form of a written application. From Latin applicare, from ad- + plicare to fold.

obligation to inform

The Germans have a legal term called Auskunftspflicht. Auskunft means information. Pflicht means obligation. Auskunftspflicht: the obligation to inform. When Germans persuade, convince, present, sell, the consciously Germans present the full picture: what works and what doesn’t work. Anything less is unprofessional, dishonest, and most certainly not persuasive.

Intuition

Intuition. Latin intuitio: immediate understanding, recognition, seeing; to understand a situation, problem, dilemma immediately and without discussion or reflection. “Dein Verlangen nach Intuition blockiert den natürlichen Fluss der Wahrnehmung.” Your desire to be intuitive blocks the natural flow of perception. (Irina Rauthmann, German writer)

“Intuition, sprunghafte Einsicht, deren Schritte nachzuholen sind.” Intuition, sudden and erratic understanding whose steps need to be retaken. (Dr. phil. Manfred Hinrich, German philosopher, professor, journalist, author of childrens books)

“Intuition ist der natürliche Gegenpol zur Konzentration – nutzen sollte man beides, jedes zu seiner Zeit.” Intuition is the natural opposite of concentration. Both should be used, but at the right time. (Rüdiger Keßler, German philosopher)

“Intuition ist Intelligenz mit überhöhter Geschwindigkeit.” Intuition is high speed intelligence. Unknown.