Kultur 2 Post

Many stereotypes exist for people of every nationality. After reading the articles provided the two stereotypes about Germans I found interesting were that they will stare at you at every opportunity, and that they complain about everything. The idea that Germans stare at anyone in their vicinity and that they will report any violations their neighbors commit brings to mind images of Nazi Germany and east Germany under communist rule. The idea that people pay that much attention to their neighbors business is foreign in America. Most neighbors here don’t care about what the others do so long as they’re quite while doing it. The constant complaints of Germans are also rarer in America. Of course people in America complain but it is rare that they do it for prolonged periods and to anyone they meet. Typically Americans view complaining as weakness and avoid doing so to strangers; preferring instead to complain to friends and family in private. The Germans know they complain too much and yet continue to do so anyway. This illustrates that it has become part of their culture and that it will remain so for a long time. Both the notion of constantly watching your neighbors movements and complaining at any available opportunity are relatively foreign notions in America and serve to demonstrate the differences in the culture of America and that of Germany.