Communication – understand-culture

Rhode Island

Comments:

“As a telephony engineer, I feel for Nathan. Too many times in the office, I’m locked in and focusing on work and then someone comes with a drive-by question that totally breaks my concentration and flow. Some times it can take 10-15 minutes to get back in the groove of what you’re doing. Huge time waster.”

“”Do you have a second?” “Wait 5 minutes; in the middle of something.” Solves a lot of problems.”

“Perusing has two definitions in the dictionary that are contradictory in nature. Perusing also is defined as to skim in Meriam dictionary. Both meanings have been in use over 400 yrs.”

“That little interruption costs 30 minutes of context switching, but feels like 2 hours of stress. So in an 8 hour day, he will have to work 8.5 hours to finish the same work, but it will feel like 10 hours. It’s like slamming on the breaks in a car.”

“She is falling for him bc he doesn’t care.”

small talk + big talk

Bringing back directness

Texas trial lawyer Jefferson Fisher comes from the land of bless-your-heart politeness but says pleasantries threaten workplace culture.

“There’s this tendency to tiptoe around the heart of the matter,” he says. “It’s not going to go well for you over time, and you’re going to find that people will trust you less.”

In the future, offices could become even more passive-aggressive, unless we practice the art of disagreement. The Wall Street Journal spoke with Fisher, author of “The Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk More,” about how to bring directness back to the workplace.

The Edukators

Die fetten Jahre sind vorbei (The Edukators, 2004). This film centers on three young activists who break into wealthy homes to make political statements. The trio often debate and even argue intensely about their ideals, strategies, and personal motivations. Despite heated disagreements, their personal relationships persist, showing how Germans can separate ideological or professional disputes from personal bonds.

Cherry Blossoms

Kirschblüten (Cherry Blossoms, 2008). Though more of a family drama, the film shows German family members dealing with grief, duty, and personal desires. Disagreements about responsibilities and life choices are handled directly and openly, but the underlying relationships remain intact, exemplifying the German approach to direct yet non-destructive communication.

Though more of a family drama, the film shows German family members dealing with grief, duty, and personal desires. Disagreements about responsibilities and life choices are handled directly and openly, but the underlying relationships remain intact, exemplifying the German approach to direct yet non-destructive communication.

Der Vorleser

Der Vorleser (The Reader, 2008). In this adaptation of Bernhard Schlink’s novel, characters confront moral and legal dilemmas in postwar Germany. Courtroom scenes and personal discussions showcase direct, sometimes confrontational exchanges about justice and responsibility, but the characters strive to keep these discussions focused on the issues, not personal attacks.

friendship over time

Nikola. A popular sitcom set in a hospital, Nikola centers on the head nurse Nikola and Chief Physician Dr. Schmidt. The two regularly argue about work-related issues and hospital management, often with sharp wit and directness. However, their professional disputes do not prevent them from developing mutual trust and even a friendship over time.

ein Bier trinken

Wir können uns streiten und danach ein Bier trinken gehen. We can argue and then go for a beer together.” This saying reflects the idea that professional disagreements do not impact personal relationships, and colleagues can remain friendly after a heated debate.

principles not feeling

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s dramas, such as Torquato Tasso and Iphigenie auf Tauris, are notable for their exploration of conflict through rational dialogue and the pursuit of objective truth. Characters in these works often engage in intense intellectual or ethical debates, but the disagreements remain focused on principles or duties, not personal animosity. The emphasis is on the matter at hand—be it justice, truth, or duty—rather than on personal feelings.

reasoned discourse

Thomas Mann’s essays, especially his Deutsche Ansprache. Ein Appell an die Vernunft (German Address. An Appeal to Reason), explicitly champion the idea of rational, objective debate as a cornerstone of German culture. Mann’s literary and public works often reflect his belief that German identity is rooted in a tradition of reasoned discourse, even in times of personal or national crisis. His approach exemplifies the separation of the personal (identity, emotion) from the professional or civic duty to engage in rational debate for the common good.