The Apprentice. Contestants are thrown into high-pressure business challenges where quick thinking and immediate action are rewarded. Success often depends on making fast decisions, adapting on the fly, and learning from mistakes, rather than waiting for perfect solutions. The show’s format reinforces the idea that speed and resilience are more valuable than perfection.
television
Harvey Specter
Suits. In the fast-paced world of corporate law, Harvey Specter and his colleagues frequently make bold, rapid decisions to outmaneuver opponents and seize opportunities. The show emphasizes that waiting for perfect information can mean losing the case or the client, while fast decisions-even if risky-can be corrected or spun to advantage.
Spock. McCoy. Kirk.
In his blogpost Stoicism & Star Trek: Think like Spock – Act like Kirk Jen Farren at the University of Exeter writes:
„Gene Roddenberry (creator of Startrek) says that he deliberately: ‘Took the perfect person and divided him into three, the administrative courageous part in the Captain (Kirk), the logical part in the Science Officer (Spock) and the humanist part in the Doctor (McCoy).’“
Farren then quotes Stephen Fry: „You have the Captain in the middle, who is trying to balance both his humanity and his reason. And on his left shoulder, you have the appetitive, physical Dr. McCoy. And on his right shoulder you have Spock, who is all reason. And they are both flawed, because they don’t balance the two, and they’re at war with each other, McCoy is always having a go at Spock. And Kirk is in the middle, representing the perfect solution.“
Kirk tries to balance emotion and reason, but he never loses sight of taking action. His choices and actions make him take risks for the common welfare, even when the purely logical thing might be to do nothing. In the words of Captain Kirk himself: ‘Gentlemen, we’re debating in a vacuum. Let’s go get some answers.“
Miss Merkel
In this crime series, a fictionalized Angela Merkel solves mysteries with the same patience and methodical questioning she was known for as chancellor. The show highlights her tendency to “wear down” suspects with persistent, careful interrogation, mirroring her real-life approach to political negotiations, where she was famous for her endurance and refusal to be rushed.
Charité
A well-known German television series that illustrates the logic of allowing the nature of a decision to determine its timing-and not succumbing to internal or external pressures-is Charité. Set in Berlin’s renowned Charité hospital during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the series follows doctors, researchers, and nurses as they navigate medical, ethical, and personal dilemmas.
The show frequently depicts medical professionals taking the time necessary to thoroughly investigate symptoms, conduct research, and debate the best course of treatment, even when under pressure from hospital administration or societal expectations. Major decisions-such as adopting new treatments, responding to epidemics, or balancing innovation with patient safety-are portrayed as requiring patience, rigorous analysis, and collective deliberation.
The narrative often contrasts the careful, methodical approach of the Charité staff with the urgency of external crises, highlighting the belief that good outcomes depend on resisting haste and respecting the complexity of each decision. Charité exemplifies the German cultural value that patience and thoughtful timing are essential for sound decision-making, especially when the stakes are high and external pressures are strong.
Deutschland 83
This award-winning spy thriller follows a young East German soldier recruited as a spy in West Germany during the Cold War. The series highlights the slow, strategic nature of intelligence work, where decisions are made only after extensive analysis, weighing risks, and considering long-term consequences rather than yielding to immediate political or military pressures.
Lone Ranger
Lone Ranger: one who acts alone and without consultation or the approval of others.
In 1933, the radio show The Lone Ranger first appeared. Later, it was turned into a television show, which ran from 1949-1957, as well as a series of books. The story follows the adventures of the Lone Ranger – the only ranger who survived an ambush by “Butch” Cavendish in a canyon known as Bryant’s Gap.
After the fighting, the injured ranger is discovered by Tonto the Indian, who nurses him back to health. The two men then fight crime together, with the Lone Ranger in a mask, so as to conceal his identity.
Although in the program the Lone Ranger was not alone, he and Tonto had clearly defined roles – the ranger was the leader, and anytime Tonto and the Ranger were separated, Tonto wouldn’t act without first consulting the Lone Ranger.
The Office
The Office is an American comedy television series adapted from a British series of the same name. The series depicts the everyday lives of office employees in a branch of a fictional paper company.
The office’s manager, Michael Scott, constantly interrupts his workers in an attempt to inspire them and win their approval. His efforts usually fail in a humorous way. Although this is a comedy, the manager’s frequent attempts to keep updated on his employees’ work and interact with them personally is similar to actual office environments.
„Excellent!”
In sports, positive feedback from your coach regarding your performance can be an important confidence booster. For professional athletes in the U.S. the way the media describes and pictures you can be almost as important to your career as your coach’s approval.
When listening to the commentator of a NBA game one will rarely hears an athlete’s performance described as fine or okay. Some people may think that this is an inflation of words such as excellent and great.
However, the use of such words may simply reflect the quality of the league. It is unclear were the cut off is when using superlatives and if the inflationary use of words such as great, amazing, or terrific has a negative effect on the American viewer of the game. The inflationary use of superlatives might also just be a way to express more optimistic and positive views of the world for which the Americans are known for.