Youtube hearted comments of Holger P. (@holger_p).

  1. The problem is the idea, the "need of people" would be different in each country.
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  2. It's a common use of "the Germans" or "the Americans" to talk about an average, or something that applies to 60% ...a majority. Comments "it doesn't apply to all .." are just annoying, everybody knows hat.
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  3. Where you expect "efficiency" it's more thoroughness, or attention to details. What could be considered a good thing, if you think about it one by one, can become a handicap if it creates complexity or generally delays. With the mediterranean "laissez faire" (don't care for laws) or with a dictator (we do it, cause I say so), things would be faster. But Germans don't like either one of this. They want thourough plans and guarantees.
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  4. One is English, one is German. There are no two names. German is the Latin word of a tribe living in Germany 2000 years ago. The french knew another tribe, they call it Allemande. (from Allemannic). In slawic languages it's called Nemetz. The British got mixed up with the languages also, that they call the people from Netherland the Dutch, although the word Deutsch refers to germans. That all happened centuries ago. The germans wonder more, why swine turns in pork, or cattle into beef, if you kill it ;-)
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  5. You are a very good observer, it's not just the usual stereotypes that are kind of repeated throughout YouTube.
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  6. I think I'm able to separate being productive from working long hours, doing a job in 4hours, where others need 8 hours, is my justification to deserve free time, not toll fill the other 4hours necessarily to not be called lazy. But this needs a lot of self esteem. Beeing a workoholic for 2-3 weeks is also OK, it just shouldn't be the schedule of your life. I'm just having difficulties to put "gone jogging" on my "achievement of the day" list. Cause there is not really a noticeable output. I think it's a mode change, from measure yourself by the hour vs. by output.
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  7. This is a good and detailed portrait of the german system. The public healthcare is solidaric, you pay more, if you earn more, like you do with taxes. The private system is independent from income and more like in the US. But Germany pays a lot attention to distinguish in "medical necessary" and not necessary. So something like a single room in a hospital is not really helping you getting healthy. So there are rooms with 2 or 3 beds - never seen in any US hospital. Or before doing an expensive CT Scan, the german doctors has to think twice "is this necessary, is there a cheaper way to do diagnostics", while Americans sometimes tend do over-diagnose and make as many checks as possible. So maybe with beeing 500% more expensive, they get 5-10% more quality, for those who can afford it.
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  8. What it makes hard for native English speakers, is get the right meaning of the English word, when used in German. Often there are a few possible meanings in English, but the German use only a specific one. Like Mailing is a noun only, in the meaning of mass-mailing. Or fallout is only used as chemical or nuclear 'rain', never in the meaning of "consequences".
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  9. It's not age dependent, it's more competence dependent, you might have more doubt on yourself if you talk with "experts" like teachers, professors, your boss, especially if you are in a dependent (devote) situation. You hold yourself a little back, when criticizing your boss - but some bosses especially encourage you to do so. Of course it depends on the choice of words. But with anonymous people you consider everybody as equal leveled and not as wiser than you. Everybody can advice everybody. It's a battle of competence - and it's most often considered helpful - you help others to know and obey the rules. It's a bid of a game to guess, if an advice is welcome or not.
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  10. Language is a fashion victim. As you change clothing style, you also change favourite words, or at least it changes generation by generation. For "great" your heared in the 70'ies 'toll' (dutch origin), in the 80'ies it was "super", in the 90ie's it became geil or krass, don't know where we are today. But you can tell the age of people by the words they are using. And what I found unique to Germany also, they do the same with first names. They change every decade and you can do a qualified guess from first name to age.
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  11. Either you or the credit card dealers have to pay the credit card fee. Some dealers decide it's you. Often we have to note, it's not "cash only". They do take cards. But just the European Banking System Cards, not the American Credit cards. So 100% of Europeans can pay by Card.
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  12. Income is almost the only scale to evaluate people. So by publishing the number, you join the contest, you could feel as looser, you can make others feel as a looser, and people try to avoid that. The difference in Germany, is the strong tendency to equality. You want to be considered "normal average" not sticking out in one or the other direction. Somebody with a high income is not considered an idol, it's more despised. You seperate yourself from society when becoming a millionaire. (you want to become one, but you are telling nobody). Instead of trying to get up, Germans try to pull everybody down to their level, to gain equality. That's a little self destructive.
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  13. Another difference: If you report headache , the German would offer you a glas of water, the American rather an Aspirin or Tylenol or whatever. They are much more easy going with medicine.
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  14. The intention was to make you a little hesitate to go to the doctor, if you had a moskito bite or whatever. The collection of the money was actually more expensive, than the collected money.
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  15.  @britingermany  Sleeping a night over a problem, or over a contract before signing it, is a german saying, to use the fresh mind in the morning. It's a little like step back and start over. There is no other way to "unload" the brain.
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  16. You help Germans a lot with putting their identity in words. They cannot do it themselves cause they have nothing to compare with. If society is based on mutual trust and there is kind of natural mistrust to strangers, maybe we understand a little more the problems of integrating migrants. People have trouble to trust them just the same. Which is the more moderate, and maybe less protest raising form, than saying "they are all criminals".
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  17. I think Americans travel more, I recently heard of one flying to college, east to west coast. It's just not international. Imagine Germany as New York State, some beaches, some skiing resorts; but mainly people leave the 'state' for vacation, visits and business. Within 5 hours drive by car I could reach 5 different European countries.
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  18. I notice, as you mentioned 'Hörsturz', Germans seem to have more native german expressions for things, while in English often you use the original latin doctors language in daily life. German doctors almost speak two different languages with patients or with fellow-doctors. Terms like "appendix", "thyroid" or "tonsils" are not used by German folks, but by German doctors. Simpler terms maybe a reason Germans are more familiar with a number of deseases.
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  19. I think, it's more difficult on what things to leave behind or to get rid of. There are often so many memories attached to items. An emotional value. To move abroad you really need to learn how to cope with these emotions. Taking photos maybe. Give things in good hands, etc.
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  20. Isn't there a term to summarize the F-Word or the N-Word ? That's kind of an unwort, it's inappropriatly applied. Mostly they found something derogative in it. So "not a word" is not really the meaning.
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  21. Laws are made to organize how people live together. My freedom is result of restricting somebody elses freedom, and vice versa.freedom is finding a balance. While maximal freedom means anarchy. German culture is very much based on " i"m willing to restrict myself for the sake of the other ". This works as long, as the other behaves the same. Mutuality is a powerful concept.
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  22. Do you feel any complains of Germans ? Do they miss anything ? I don't think so. The urge to shop on sundays is quiet low. And many research found, people do not shop more in 7 days than they do in 6 days. Cause there is no additional money. And there is a "live and let live" policy. The shop owner or even his staff is a fellow citizen. You grant them a day off. It would be inhuman, not to do so. As soon as you deal with big companies, this idea is lost, you depersonalize them and want to squeeze the last cent out of these, assumed rich as hell, companies.
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