What do GERMANS think of AMERICANS? | American Reaction
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- Опубликовано: 4 авг 2022
- Thank you for watching me, a humble American, reacting to what Germans think of Americans. This was all in good fun and very interesting to know! Thank you for watching.
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Germans think Germany is pretty nice as a country, but we don´t really just appreciate it, we will always find something to improve and to nag about.
There can be NOT A SINGLE person in the world, critizising germany MORE than a german, especially when it comes to politics.
We´re driven to improve our country, probably partially because of were we come from.
exactly, we nag, because we want to better ourselves and the country we live in.
exactly. everybody complains about their own country and ... the USA...because they are always making a mess everywhere.
Absolutely true!
derbe antwort, dude :D
Imagine a country the size of Germany and having the equivalent economic power on the same size as the US? And now we are right into discussion that . given the economies of scale - it seems a moderate perception of "socialism" can turn out so much more on wealth and freedom of the individuals than pure market orientation, pls discuss possible factors :)
My pov as German: we are okay. We learn, we fail, we learn more and we keep getting better. But we're not the best. Nobody is. Because we're humans. We're not supposed to be perfect.
Interestingly I came across the question of the best country when crisis arose, namely the invasion and fear of war and the climate crisis. Mostly I got answers along the line of "I don't know much of most other countries, how should I know? Maybe that country or that other I heard good things of" which to me is the more reflective, analytic view. On the other hand the message of USA is the best country is mostly a political statement and dates way back to a time where Europeans were very actively persuaded to migrate to the USA. That seems to stick until today. Telling their people how great and unique their country is, is much less likely to be found in Europe - definitely you won't hear that in Germany often.
I agree.
@@nothingTVatYT well, I'd think a "normal" German would never say we're the best. Obviously. We started WW 1 and 2. But we learned a lot. Maybe one day the USA will start to learn, too. I don't mean the US isn't a good country. It has good thinks and bad. Just like the rest of the world. Knowing that is the first step to change for the better (German saying)
So true!!
So the third crack at the world title will be in the bag?
I'll never forget a story my father told me. He was travelling with my mother on the ferry between Hong Kong and Macao on the pearl river delta when he witnessed the following conversation: An Australian man was talking to an American woman who asked him 'Where are you from?' He answered 'I am from Sydney, Australia' Have you been to Australia?. The American woman then shouted to her husband who was standing maybe 10, 15 meters away 'Honey, this man is from Australia - have we been there?'. To me that sums up about every stereotype about Americans.
Ouch.
Maybe she's spent most of her life in a stupor and was never sober enough to know where she was.
As a German living in the States since 2011 - my take on the "Fake Friendliness" You hear the "Hi, how are you doing?" as soon as you enter a store, you wont see that in Germany. When you meet someone and you exchanged a few sentences, you hear "We need to catch up sometime soon" - and you will not hear back for the next few months. And that is not just towards me. I see that with my wife, who is American, and her friends as well. You do not befriend people so fast in Germany, but when you made friends, they are real friends.
In the other side , germans do not make friend at all. Too muchhhhhh hard for them to name anybody a friend. They are all much more alone. They are nice , they are good people but have problem with making friends and be happy. Schade !!!!
Oh my god asking if germans think germany is the best country in the world??? Truth be told we ourselves are our worst critics 😂
There's literally no other nation that talks so negatively about themselves as Germans do. And that's not a strength.
If we Germans can't complain, we're not happy! My Dad was in the hospital and I know he is getting better because the complaining gets worse and worse. ;>
that's true, but i think we're trying or best to improve it, because we love our "Heimat". - I think it's wonderful to have different cultures in diffrent countrys, and the best country is always a very personal opinion; just what fit's best to you.
...about politiians: i think right now we are the ones who will win the golden raspberry for the worst ones (i know it's for actors, but we hardly need it for politians too)
...the laughing Guy said that he thinking of Princeton and that it's ridiculous (that's what i understand🤔)
@@alexamurawski4524 Do you think of Germany when you think about Heimat? Because I think of the region I grew up in. Germany feels very foreign to me south of Hamburg.
I think the last guy talked about Springsteen!
@@alexamurawski4524 I understood Bruce Springsteen. Like "Born in the USA.
Please notice. The interviews are in English, and those people questioned are German and they aaalllll speak English rather well, so give the some credit. . I believe when they say cheerful they just mean „over the top“
They are taught English as a second language from kindergarten Americans find English difficult I'm from Europe and an American said that my English was good
@@davidmalarkey1302 Yeah, but to be honest, an American would never say into your face that your English is bad. ;-)
@@davidmalarkey1302 We learn it from 3rd grade. Kindergarten would be a bit hard since some of the toddlers there are not even a year old.
genau!
@@M4rius03 only recently. I learned it from the 5th grade, and my stepdaughter, 10 years ago, too.
The thing about the Sarcasm is a very german perspective I think, bcs its an american stereotype about Germans, that they have no humor. German humor is actually great, but often times very political, dark and sarcastic.
So, when Germans hear that Americans think we have no humor, we assume that they just dont get the joke bcs they dont understand sarcasm.
So, the whole thing is a Stereotype, that counters the Stereotype of the other side :V
These girls were brits where sarcasm is a way of normal day conversation.
How many Germans do you need to change a light bulb? Only one, we are very efficient and have no sense of humor
@@andywessel Well at least in my german family and with my friends sarcasm and black humor is the air we breathe xD
@@WiesoNurMistnamen Who won the first tour de france?
@@manuelvo1798 Die 7. Panzerdivision.
In Germany we don't even use the word "race" so it shocks us when we start to learn that in the US ppl divide humanity into several "races". In german schools we get tought that there is only the human race. The word "race" is only used for animals. We talk about ethnicities ect very carefully.
Mind you that is a historical thing. The term Rasse (race) was used in the holocaust, that for we germans are very carefull to not use it anymore. The word Rassismus (racism) though is still used and being rassistisch (racist) is culturally scorned at, as it should be.
yeah same in France obviously. It's a cultural gap between Europe and the USA.
@@MoonShadow04thats not entirely true the german Word "rasse" is more akin to the english "breed" so there are no diefferent human breeds i dont think the english "race" has a direct german Translation.
@@benediktwirtz6555 good point. Didn't consider that. Breed would be more appropriate translation for Rasse.
@@benediktwirtz6555 maybe "Ethnie / ethnische Gruppen" could be an adequate translation to the word "race" as used in english. At least i hear it a lot
You will hardly find a German who will say "Germany is the best country on this planet". We certainly know that we do some things right and well, but we always look at what we could improve and how other countries do various things. America has been patting itself on the back every morning, noon and night for decades, overlooking the fact that other countries are much further ahead in many areas than many countries in Europe, for example. If a country does not question itself and only praises itself to the skies, it stands still, does not develop further and does not see its mistakes. Since the 70s/80s, the USA has lost a massive amount of its role model nation status. Of course, people over there don't like to hear that, but that's the way it is: America's reputation has clearly diminished. The systems are designed to make a handful of people rich and happy. The rest fall through the cracks. "The main thing is that I'm doing well," pure selfishness. Social justice, labor law, health care, insurance coverage, etc. are a medium catastrophe for one of the richest countries in the world. In addition, there are insane ways of thinking. Buying and carrying weapons at 18 is ok, but drinking a beer with colleagues in public is punished. Calls itself the motherland of democracy, but has one of the most undemocratic political systems in the western world. In addition the persistent and partly openly shown racism, zero reappraisal of the past (aborigines/slavery/racial segregation etc.) to tell the next generation, "we made mistakes in the past, please avoid that in the future". At least this is how people think in many countries in Europe, especially in Germany. We do not hide our very dark past, but keep it constantly in front of our eyes. This, so that something like that can never happen again and is already nipped in the bud, and to work constantly on us. No, not everything is ok here in Germany, but at least we try to make it better for the future and to make it possible for all people in Germany to live a reasonably fair and secure life. Without having to be afraid if you get sick, lose your job or other strokes of fate happen. The state and society catches you. And that also makes sense. I would say that in our country we try to give everyone a piece of the cake, rather than giving the whole cake to a few. And if you should ask yourself now, "why does this guy from Germany watch my videos, if he is only complaining about the USA", then because I want to understand why the USA citizens think and act the way they do. But I don't understand with the best will in the world why people are so proud of many things in the USA. Thinking outside the box a bit more (like you do) is an important step to better understand and discover your mistakes. I hope you can handle my opinion about the USA. Continued success to you with your videos and all the best to your pregnant girlfriend and health at all times. I will be happy to keep watching your channel........ and try to learn....;-) Many greetings and sorry for my mistakes in translation
You got it.
We Finns have been astounded to be in the top 10 in about every human rights, freedoms etc. indices. The first thought is "there much be some mistake". Especially being the happiest country, it does not really make sense to us and the next thought then is "how miserable are people in other countries" and feeling sad about that... We never tried to be the best in anything, just better than before. The frame of mind for decades has been that if we try really hard we can be average.
Personally, Germany has always been the benchmark, that if we can match you guys then it must mean we are doing ok.
Wow, that wall of text had lots of information in it. Very interesting to read, glad I did. German here btw, so if you want to answer you can also do it in German if needed. The english was actually pretty easy to read I'd say.
I'd like to add that the traffic system is pretty bad:
- 4 way stops at intersections only end in desaster 50% of the time, shown well by Dashcam videos.
- Traffic lights are often ignored, with people running reds all the time.
- Trucks (Big Rigs) in the left lane on a highway is stupid, and they constantly try to squeeze themselves there, running other people off the road or onto the shoulder in the process. Then they make it a Hit-and-Run by driving off.
- People constantly swerve left and right on the highway.
- Americans are too stupid to make a left turn at intersections, sometimes failing to yield, resulting in awful crashes.
- People literally brake-check other drivers for insurance fraud, or even try to stop in front of them to get out of their car and intimidate the drivers. In this case it is best to drive off and run for a short time. Sometimes, even robberies are carried out this way.
I'd have to agree that there is one thing for me that could be further improved in Germany: (There are probably many more, but I don't want to open another wall of text)
- The recent 9€ ticket "event" has shown that the public transport system will collapse under to much usage. I once had to leave a Fugger Express train in Augsburg after 250 people borded onto it, and the multiple unit just died. At least I got to travel with a very cool train that afternoon, taking the next possible train to Dinkelscherben 30 minutes later. Expecting another Alstom Continental, I was surprised to be picked up by a 90s 4th Gen Doppelstock train pulled by a DB BR 113. That trip was worth it :)
Sadly, the people who wanted to travel to Ulm had to wait for an hour for another train, typical for Deutsche Bahn.
I also know that our system is not comparable with the one in America, as that system has been really neglected.
same in Spain. only really proud people are usually the far-right supporters
Achtung! Germans on the rise. But this time we are fucking nice! .... We are proud of not being proud / quote Jan Böhmermann ZDFneo music video ruclips.net/video/HMQkV5cTuoY/видео.html (edit: quote details)
7:00 So I saw a video from an American moving to Germany and he describes this topic related to "hard to get Friends in Germany". He said in the US every contact is super artificial. Everyone is super nice but with no meaning. He brought an example like if you got invited to an BBQ in the US by someone you don't know for long, they will be suprised when you show up. If a German invites you to an BBQ they plan with you as a guest. In Germany we like honest conversations and behavior. Not that artificial and outstanding friendly smal talk culture etc.
"We should get together at some time" is the go-to for an "invite" that isn't an invite, and both usually know it.. But "we have BBQ on saturday at 3, you should come" means, you should come at 3, on saturday cause there is a seat for you at the table.
I wouldn't speak for all of Germany. I am from the north and I love a meaningless chit-chat with strangers, cashiers and neighbours, I do it all the time. Also isn't it much nicer to smile at each other rathern than blank people out?
@@hightidemidafternoon mit Leuten sprechen die mich einfach so anquatschen, Horror
@@OneFaceful aber wie lernst du neue freunde kennen?
@@hightidemidafternoon Nein.
I feel like the difference between Germany and the us is that yes we had our history with racism (especially the nazis of course) but we know about it, we admit it and we tryna make it better. In the us the history with slavery gets talked down and Americans react like they always have been the good guys and have no dark history and that’s why they have a much bigger racism problem than we Germans
What are you talking about? The US is really trying pretty freaking hard to fix those mistakes in the past, no one in the US pretends that slavery never existed and even the most xenophobic people think it was bad.
@@maurycy4735 from what I’ve personally heard from MANY people is that especially in school they don’t teach enough about topics like slavery or the genocide of the native Americans. I never went to a school in the US so I can’t confirm 100% but I really hear this all the time that the dark side of the history of the US isn’t talked about enough. And let’s be honest the US has a big problem with like “right wing people”. I mean just that trump was elected as a president is crazy and I never could imagine that someone like him would’ve get voted for chancellor in Germany. If someone said he wanna build a wall on the border to Poland for example people would laugh about him. And there are still other problems like “too much” patriotism and much racism. I mean we also got our problems in Germany still but I feel like they are way less than compared to other countries and that’s because you get teached so well about it in school. I had 2 full years of history class, 3 hours a week just about Hitler, the third reich and WW2. And also in politician class we talked a lot about these topics. This is all to prevent something like the nazis to happen again. We got a right wing party in Germany, “the AFD”, and sadly it got like 10% of the votes last year and this is mainly from old people, people from the country where less culturally diversity is and from people that are kind of deluded by the party. A little bit like trump voters so they don’t like refugees etc. But the party luckily gets MUCH hate and i see no way that they’ll ever get enough votes to become a main party and nominate a candidate for chancellor
Du solltest unbedingt Zeit in anderen Ländern verbringen. Ist nicht böse gemeint, aber du hast überhaupt keine Ahnung, was los ist, weder in D noch im Rest der Welt.
@@sengasengana also ich finde er trifft das ganz gut
Er betont ja mehrmals dass er nie an einer amerikanischen Schule war aber es oft gehört hat
Das geht mir genauso und mit gehört meine ich nicht in den Medien sondern von Personen die in den USA zur Schule gingen
Und er stellt gut heraus dass er nur Mutmaßungen anstellt also frage ich mich wo diese auch nicht sonderlich sachliche Kritik herkommt
Die Relation von AFD zum Trump Flügel finde ich auch absolut passend einzig das kleinreden unseres Rassismusproblems stört mich ein wenig aber ich denke das kommt nur schlecht aus dem Kontext hervor weil er es mit der USA vergleicht und da muss man schon zugestehen dass sich diese Debatte jedenfalls auf einem anderen Niveau bewegt
Und in der Problematik würde ich jedenfalls behaupten dass ich sehr im Bilde hinsichtlich beider Länder bin
Und bevor du es auch mir versuchst unterzuschieben ich habe in meinem Leben Länder im höheren Zweistelligen Bereich besucht und zeitweise auch bewohnt und bin halb Ausländer im biologischen Sinne
@@sengasengana Und um zu beurteilen ob man Ahnung davon hat was in der Welt und Deutschland so los ist muss man sich selbst in der Position wägen es zu wissen
Also bitte kläre uns doch mal auf wie es TATSÄCHLICH in der großen weiten Welt und in Deutschland aussieht
As someone who has been living in Germany for 10 years I'll say that Germans are a very humble nation. Hardly ever you'll find a German who thinks Germany is the best country in the world. Most of them would even be rather critical of the things that could use improvement or further development. Sure, they will acknowledge the good things / privileges they have but will always strive to do and be better (personally and on the greater scale like as a nation)
The last one said he is a absolute fan of Bruce Springsteen. When he thinks of USA, Springsteen comes to his mind.
Echt? How on earth did you get that? You could be right, but I would never come up with anything close to what he said on my own.🤓
Seen from our german perspective, american friendlyness, politeness, small talk etc. looks indeed very superficial. It seems that appearance and social norms are more important to Americans than expressing their true feelings. To us, this looks quite dishonest and "fake". For example: "How are you?" is a typical american phrase which means nothing more than "Hi". However, if you ask a German this question, he will tell you his personal problems, current medical status and family situation. Our mindset is: If you don't want to know the answer, then why did you ask in the first place? Also, a German would be very irritated if a supermarket casheer would start a small talk with him. His thoughts would be: "Why are you talking to me in this manner? I don't even know you! We are here to get on with our daily buisness, leave me alone and stay professional."
We also don't like "fake smiles". If you don't feel like smiling, then don't do it. One of the reasons why Walmart failed miserably in Germany was that they forced their employees to put on fake smiles, to greet every customer entering the store and to constantly "harass" them inside the store. For german customers, this was very irritating and creepy. They just want to be left alone while shopping. ("If I need help, I will ask for it, thanks.")
We value honesty more than superficial friendlyness, so it may be more difficult to form an initial bond with us, but once you have "cracked the shell", you will have friends for life. Germans are far more reluctant to use the term "friend" than Americans, who seem to "make friends" in a very short time, but also with very limited emotional investment. We would call that "aquaintance".
Exactly, it is also the biggest reason Walmart failed SO HARD in Germany... They did not get our culture... I go to my supermarket to get things done and buy stuff, maybe i am in a good mood or not, but still it is not the problem or work of that staff to interview me or doing smalltalk about it. Just wanna get things done and go home to have REALTALK with friends, family etc...
Amen aus nrw
Spot on!! Genau so ist es.
Depending on the number of customers/time and long-term customer service, it can happen that you exchange a few more sentences with the cashier and not just say "Good morning/Good day", but briefly lament about the weather, ask about a possible upcoming holiday, etc .
@@manub.3847 Of course. But this heavily depends on the context. I tried to explain the general differences.
Thank you for explaining at the beginning that Americans are not necessarily disinterested in other countries, but very much preoccupied with their own states. Admittedly, I had never considered this aspect before. I have to admit, I find your videos more and more interesting. Although you are just an individual who speaks for his country and his fellow human beings, I like how differentiated you see and explain some things.
Thanks a lot for this.
From my experience I can totally confirm the friendship thing. I had a few contacts with Americans. They were very fast with saying we are friends, offering help, showing interest in personal problems, etc. but after 1-4 chats they just don't stay in contact. It's probably just a cultural difference and resulting misunderstanding, but can be very sad and frustrating for a German who thought he found a real friend.
Many European cultures value modesty and bragging is considered very rude. Also, when you ask a North American “how are you” you just get a canned response. Good, great, fine, etc. If you ask a European that question, they will actually tell you how they are… it’s a complicated question and answer. Not a superficial exchange. It’s a big cultural difference.
If you ask "how are you?" in Spain, you are in trouble. I try to avoid it, but for old people, going shopping means speanding 30 min in the shop and 2 hours talking to somebody on the street. Sometimes, you end a conversation and start another one right away. XD
@@lingred975 I'll be honest, I would Like that more than the "how are you? Fine." Stuff since I mean talking to Somebody that Long must mean that you both have Mutual understanding and interesting topics to Talk about making it an actual conversation and maybe you have Something in Common that you both Love and then you befriend eachother and it also (atleast for me) brightens my day quite a Bit to Talk passionately with someone
In Germany "how are you?" Will give you a full medical and psychological analysis of the current state of a German.
@@tiksmaoc9497 😂😂😂 True
tbf when meeting e.g. a neighbour in germany, that you don't talk to that much, they _might_ ask how you are. but the expected answer would be "läuft" or "muss" (meaning something like that life has to get moving on). so, not _that_ positive, but still indicating you're not willing to go into details.
I think there is kind of cultural misunderstanding here between the USA and Germany (in many ways). I.e. this 'false friendliness' of Americans that some people stated. It's just so (in my experience as a German), that often what is considered just 'polite' in the USA is considered 'dishonest' in Germany. The other way around many Americans consider Germans to be 'rude', just because they act according to the German culture - where 'brutal honesty' is viewed as 'polite' and 'respectful'.
PS: The last man in den Video just stated that he is a big fan of _Bruce Springsteen_ (yes, it was a terrible pronunciation), so that's his first association to America. :-)
Well said.
As a Jamaican I agree with you. I have been here since 1998 and I've also meet a lots of Americans from across the US and they a as real as a 350 Euro bill.
@@celianeher7637 mmmmmh
Exactly this, Europeans generally don't do fake sincerity. If a German, French, Spanish person says have a nice day they are more likely to actually mean it.
The cheerfulness is indeed quite difference.
In germany if you ask someone how they are, they will tell you. They will tell you about the painful dentist appointment last week and about the fact that they wanted to go to the pool on the weekend but it was raining. And they'll tell you that the mosquitos are really annoying this year. And they tell you that the summer is too hot. And they tell you that the neighbor was drilling holes at noon.
Or they don't respond at all, because we don't just talk up random people on the street.
As a German, I wanna say it's really cool how you don't get offended by the more negative view most of us have on the US. Some of it is true as you said, but much of it boils down to "the only time most germans interact with americans is through the media". ofc that often portrays the worst kind of americans cause it's intentionally exaggerating to provoke a reaction. the americans i've talked to were all really cool people... although a lil too extroverted for me most of the time
Here is the thing: If a German asks you "How do you do", they are actually serious and expect an answer. And if they call someone a "friend" they actually mean "friend" and not someone they just happen to know the name of and might meet once a while. They mean "when they call me because they need help, I'll be there". And when they say "let's meet up" they mean that one too, it is not just a polite saying. Hence Americans come off as very superficial from the German perspective.
the ultimate test to prove your friendship is being there to help you move (to another home). 😄
When somebody greets me with the words "Wie geht's?", I answer "Es geht" or "Es könnte besser gehen" and that was it. Nobody expects a longer or more detailed answer.
@@c.norbertneumann4986 Yes, finally someone who points this out. The usual northern german reply is "Muss ja, ne!" And that's about it, unless the other person decides to follow up with a more direct question about your life. But most of the time it's just a short exchange of politeness and a way of greeting. I honestly don't see a big cultural difference there.
I don't know. If someone just says "Wie geht's?" then yeah, that's just another form of greeting. But if someone says or writes out the full sentence "Wie geht es dir?" that is more like a genuine question about how are you feeling and an interest in your well being.
@@c.norbertneumann4986 Difference is a German will still tell you how they are actually doing. If they aren't alright, they won't tell you they're fine. It's somewhat of a canned response but it's always truthful.
There's very few germans that think that germany is the best country in the world.
I would even go as far and say that most don't believe that there even is a best country. It's mostly a matter of personal preference.
On the other hand there is also very few that would leave the country to live somewhere else. I guess they just think that it doesn't get much better, no matter where you go.
Great reaction and this from the Netherlands. I love the German culture. lived in Germany 10 years and I loved this period in my life!
So what I’ve learned in school here in Germany is:
In the English language it‘s a general thing to „be polite“ and „in a good mood“ when talking to someone or to say frases like „hey how are you doing“ but they are just meant as a polite „hello“. So that’s a thing many people misunderstand because they either didn’t learn it at school or they are so used to the german directness (we only say thing we literally mean).
A couple of things:
The initial friendliness a lot of Americans show towards strangers is conceived 'over the top' by most Germans. Germans tend to be neutral toward a person they don't know. Respectful and polite, but neutral. The excitement Americans seem to feel to be adequate to show towards a stranger is something, most Germans don't feel and therefore don't display, because...well, they don't know the person.
Southern hospitality is something i often hear. And I agree, I've never met a Southerner that wasn't very friendly and kind to me. Then again, I'm a white, tall, nordic-looking man. I'm pretty sure, i would have had very different encounters if i were a person of color...i talked to many people from Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia. My experience would've been very different.
When it comes to food, I always find it a bit ironic, that a lot of Germans describe American eating habits as unhealthy and even gross at times. As if they never heard of Schweinshaxe, Kässpätzle and Currywurst mit Pommes...😂🤦
Granted, food is a lot healthier in Europe than it is in America by law, but it's not as if our German cuisine only consists of smoothies and organic vegetables...we love Schnitzel with a creamy mushroom sauce as well, along with a couple of beers 😂😂🍻
Last point: patriotism. Most Germans are patriotic in various degrees. They tend not to show it as prolific as Americans do. Why? Germans know the history of their country much better, than Americans know theirs. If Americans knew their history as thorough, I'm pretty confident the display of national pride would decrease in the US as well...
Regards friendship with Americans and Germans I always liked this metaphor:
Americans are peaches: Easy to become acquaintance (soft outside) and hard to become real friend (hard inside)
Germans are pumpkins: Hard to become acquaintance (hard outside), but once you are, you can easily become a good friend (soft inside)
CONGRATULATIONS on having a baby...wishing baby and your wife all the health in the world.
I do think germany is the greatest country in the world. And when i say or write that somewhere, the common response usually is that other germans come and point out how wrong i am and all the things wrong with our country. And tbh, i like that, i think that keeps us humble as a society and trying to improve and also open to look at other countries and appreciate the good things they do and consider them for us too.
I don't think i have ever heard any other german say that they think germany is the greatest country in the world. But, germans are proud. Even if they don't really like to admit it. Just go talk some shit on social media about germany and see how we will show up and correct you and point out all the things that are awesome about us, basically arguing that we are the best, while avoiding to say so at all costs. We are quite proud but also don't really like to show it, it's frowned upron to be too proud or over patriotic.
+1
It's just too bad it's VERBOTEN to talk about the real shit.
At 10:15 you finally got it 😉 They were asked for stereotypes. Not for their own impressions (but of course sometimes it might be the same). And: Generalization is ALWAYS wrong! You don´t need to defend the US 👀 Good luck to you and your wife!
You are a smart person and you can show real feelings. Your videos (your comments) are great. Please don't be sad: stereotypes are stereotypes, but not the truth. I'm from Germany and not everyone here thinks in stereotypes. You are the best example of how wrong stereotypes can be! Have a nice day.
Agree
I live in Texas, born and raised. Been here the entirety of my life, 33 years, and the fact is straight up: I'm hella ashamed to be American, real shit. Thank goodness I at least decided to learn to speak German and participate in a foreign exchange program in High School, so at least I did my part (so to speak) to help change these narratives lol. Let's be honest though, none of these people's take's were really all that far off from reality...I mean, I'm not willing to personally try and make a case against any of their points, LOL! ..there's just too much truth in their viewpoints, just saying! ...I mean, hell, I'd basically just be feeding the narrative(s) at that point honestly - LMFAO! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
As an Iranian, the thing that upsets me the most about Americans is how they just merge Arabs and Persians (Iranians) into one category. I mean, I get it. Not every country or group knows everything about the rest of the world but merging two different countries/ethnicities and seeing them as one is just ignorant. I mean yeah we and Arabs have a lot in common but we're still different, to a great extent even. That's like saying Austrians and Germans, or the Ukrainians and Russians are the same. Nobody asked for my opinion but I sorta had to get it off my chest! Other than that, most Americans I've come to know are really lovely. I've got two American friends who are a couple, whom I love like family. Cheers! Stay safe
The German people on this are really good english speakers, impressive. For historic reasons they are very reflective about their nation from what I have seen as an english woman.
Last one is saying Bruce Springsteen, he seems to be a fan!
English is a Germanic language. Many words are the same or similar.
@@christineperez7562 no many words are not the same they might use the same Alphabet but just becouse a German word looks like an English one doesnt mean they have the same meaning (False Friends) the sentence structure is completeley diffrent etc.
English is a mandatory second language taught in basically every school in german for ages 8-16, therefore it's not really a suprise that the average german nowadays is capable of speaking english
Police training in Germany minimum 2 years
in the US 11 weeks
🤔
the quality talk about it.
@@alfianmelodic During the training or during the course of study, lessons are taught in the following areas:
Criminal law / criminal procedure law
traffic law
Regulatory offense law
Police profession
Police service training
Criminology
General administrative/police law
Weapons law
Public service law
Civil law
German
English
Politics
Imparting knowledge of police software and application programs in traffic accident investigation
The practical teaching content includes, among other things:
Sport (general strength and fitness training, lifeguard training)
Shooting training
advanced driving training with driving safety training
operational training (e.g. stopping vehicles, checking and searching people and self-defense)
When they speak of superficial I think they're referring to American small talk. Things such as "how are you" (the person asking isn't really interested in an answer, they're only saying hello), or the customary reply being "great" or "awesome". Things like "stop by anytime" or "let's have lunch some time soon" may also seem odd to non native English speakers.
Since you were wondering where we meet Americans: We are the nation that travels the most internationally, so we might very well have spent some time in the US. Also, many spend a year at a high school when they're 16. But that video was shot in Berlin where there are many Americans and it's very likely people work with Americans.
Also regarding the cheerfulness (and all stereotypes really) it's always important to acknowledge the perspective. So from the perspective of a German the US is suuuuper religious, from the perspective of someone from Saudi Arabia the US probably looks like religion has left the building. That's just an example. And back to the cheerfulness: We are very direct and beating around the bush too much is considered impolite. Of course we don't tell everything to our faces, but you can say that we pretty much let you know what's going on in our head. And having worked with Americans I can understand the frustration of having to solve the riddle of what the American is really meaning to say. It's exhausting to us and doesn't come off as genuine.
This being said: Again, that video was shot in Berlin and Berlin is known for being grumpy. I live here and when I fly to NYC it feels like politeness paradise. Seriously. But I'm originally from Cologne where the culture regarding initial cheerfulness is very similar to the US and opinions might have been different there. I can say for myself that I very much enjoy how Americans casually talk to people. You can always chat with someone and they will be friendly. I miss that in Berlin, but it is very much the norm in Cologne.
Don't beat yourself up because some grumpy Berliners are being grumpy!
Germans are some of the most friendliest people I have met. I was a teenager when some of the German soldiers came over, they were fun, funny and sweet. The women are also lovely, they are easy to talk with.
I am not German but I think the guy you didn't understand was saying that as soon as he thinks of America, he thinks of Springsteen. 😊
Good stuff Ryan. Remember, you could get 1000 different opinions to the same question. Your opinions are yours, and that's why your channel is worth watching. Cheers and Beers.
"Police has to assume you are armed."
I have to counterargue that, that brutality is based on this, because german police also always assume you are armed if they suspect you, and they do not need any brutality, beside threatening you on gunpoint. They also never shoot unless you pose an immediate danger to escape or harm someone. I heard from a lot of situations where american policemen shot (mostly african-american) which they assumed they are armed, but werent. One of the cases was a african-american on a telephone, just calling 911, being shot by a policemen who thought the cellphone is a weapon.
I have the impression police in america shoots at any assumption there could be danger, but they are not obligated to confirm it.
Whereas in germany, police has to confirm the immediate threat before taking violent measures.
There is a small margin of error though, i mean from afar you never can tell if a weapon is fake or real, but they have to confirm that it has weaponlike properties and its handled like such.
Mistakenly taking a cellphone for a weapon and shoot an innocent, would probably end up very bad for the cop in germany, not sure how bad though, but i guess at least there would be huge fines, disciplinary actions, job termination and maybe even prison. Would need to ask a german lawyer about this. :-D
Seconded - illustrated also by the fact that - ON AVERAGE - German police show a more measured response when actually encountering someone who IS armed.
I like to use the example of a German SWAT team sent to confiscate the gun collection of a suspected Reichsbürger whose license had been revoked. He started shooting at them through the door and hit one of the officers at the edge of his vest in a manner that later proved fatal. He still got his day in court, whereas I doubt he would have survived that encounter in the US.
I have stereotypes about the USA and their people AND a friend of mine lived 3 years in the US, so he had confirmed a lot of that AND were the reasons he did not wanna live there forever:
Americans are naive, do not know ANYTHING about the world, are too "proud" of their country (it is almost like a cult). They care too much about what other people like neighbors f.e. think about them, almost their whole self-esteem comes from "what does people think about me?" and so much more... That are just the "stereotypes" that i had and got proven correctly.
I do not get started about the healthsystem, work-life balance, prisons and all the other stuff that is horrible wrong in the "richest country on the world".
P.S.: Too cheerful is not the right explanation from that one woman, BUT americans are fake... Always nice and polite, greeting the whole time with a fakesmile... There is a reason Walmart failed so miserable in Germany or other european countries. We do not need a guy in front of an shop greeting you like a "clown", it feels totally out of place.
Unless you are in a formal conversation "how are you?" is only asked when it is meant. Though it isn't that common in formal conversation. In some countries like america this seems to be a greeting? It feels rather weird. Not honestly answering to "how are you?" is a sign of emotional distance, further than between strangers. Almost rude. Asking if you don't wanna know it is kind of rude.
Strangers in germany don't ask you how you are doing.
This drags throughout the interactions. If you don't really care about that individual, you have no business asking about personal stuff, or entering their home.
What I am missing in this video is the "for me or against me"-stereotype. I have a hard time believing it is that extreme, but it seems to be either one extreme or the other with not much inbetween.
With this comes the "if you aren't with me, you are against me" mentality.
And with that the impression that they struggle with plain criticism, even if it is constructive.
Many ppl struggle with that, but I got the impression with americans you have to be extra gentle.
Criticism without a compliment wrap seems to be extra hard for them.
The patriotism is a huge deal. Germans don't think germany is the best country. it got pros and cons. Our history slowly fades out of our daily life, but swinging the countries flags outside of a big sports event? That is somewhere between confusing and shocking.
Then we see americans with at least some shools that threaten you with detention if you don't pledge to the american flag every morning?
Americans defending america as if their life depends on it.
The work enviroment.
One big scam of "we are a family! so you give everything, jump in whenever we call, work when you are sick, because you wouldn't leave a family member hanging. Oh you want something from us? Can't do and if you insist we fire you".
This seems to be far more common in the usa.
Americas public education system is apparently so shitty it teaches them that america saved europe, won both world wars almost by themselfs and all the great stuff america has done, but don't wanna mention the bad stuff.
I was unaware of how much I knew about the US from watching the Simpsons. I always thought it's just a funny show about a crazy town, but when I lived there, I realized some of the situations aren't that far from truth
I met a few americans and they were very gentle, very freindly and open minded. I loveyour content dude. Go on!!!!!!!
Hey man you are doing a pretty good job on these reactions and you are surprisingly reflective on the topics
Keep up the work
It is very brave of you to watch this Video and comment on the stereotypes random German pedestrians have got of US Citizen....I used to live in North America as a foreign exchange Student 1977 - 1978 for one year ( High School including graduation). At First most of the stereotypes talked about in this Video hit me as being true....in the beginning everyone was easy to Talk to, superfriendly, very hospitable...nur if I took all the invitations serious ( being a German) not all of them were really meant .....it took me at least half a year to find out Who really my American friend was. Towards the end of that year abroad I would have loved to stay a bit longer.....I am still in touch with my American host family as well as with numerous fellow students...so in the end it is very possible to have real decent friendships with Americans....but one has to adjust to their way of dealing with mattes, too. Presently I observe a big gap between very conservative pro- weapons Type of people versus very democrative anti- weapon people......and that is true to a very extreme extent...and that is my stereotypical view on Americans..: they tend to like the extremes......
Objection! I met such a lot of American people and they were interested, kind, wanted to know more about just about everything and even taught me a a lot. A few might be difficult to understand but that wasn’t their fault. They really wanted me to have a good time, hospitable and I appreciated that.
this was a breath of fresh air. i feel like a lot of them couldn't wait to talk down on america
I think in Europe the distinction between (real) friends and acquaintances is bigger in how to relate to them. An acquaintance is someone who you meet at regular in your social or work environment and have small talk with. Your friends are those who ask how you are doing and serious listen to the answer. A friend is also someone who you can ask a favor without being frowned upon or considered to be entitled.
As an American, I can confirm that it has been difficult making friends. I started to make lasting friendships as an adult. Some people in my experience, have the tendency to flake when it comes to hanging out. I may have had a few close friends growing up, but I spent most of my childhood immersed in entertainment. I would dream about traveling the world.
Ryan. This is my favorite reaction video so far. You are spot on and I agree with you on a lot of what you have said. As a child, I was fascinated with other countries and I tried teaching myself how to speak dutch? I just remember finding a translation book and tried to study it on my own. I think I was 11? At the time? I vaguely remember.
This channel has become part of my after-work-chill-routine and I am fond of it.
this is my favourite video of all the vidoes i've watched from you. I really liked that you challenged my stereotypes of americans. And I really love your Humor.
I think most Americans are nice, friendly, open and have a realistic view of their country... and they're pretty loud(that's a fact), at least compared to Germans.
The problem is, the stupid ones are even "louder" and are therefore shown more often in the media. Trump is a really good example of that.
The "bad eating habits thing", is kind of understandable. When fresh food costs more on average, than convenience food/ fast food, it's no surprise, that so many people are overweight. Apart from that, food additives that have long been banned in Europe, are still permitted in the USA. Ask Americans living in Europe if they feel more healthy, just because of the food.
I am touched that you understand. Thank you for taking the time to see what is really going on. This comment is refreshing. The pay here is crap, and for many, fast food is convenient and barely affordable. I know this, because I was in the food industry and the customers are very open about expressing how they feel. This is spot on and not many people realize our struggle. We the people do try to stand up for our human rights, but the oppression is brutal. This is why riots are so prevalent in my country. We the people are tired and frustrated and the big corporations want nothing more than to see us fight one another.
As a German, I will never forget what the United States and millions of American households sacrificed for Germany, and rightly so, for the non-negotiable freedom of Berlin in 1945-1990.
-Although it was we, the German people, who took your sons away from you.
And you, who did not need it, helped Us nevertheless.
With the help of the Marshall Plan and the unlimited and orderly repayment of the debts incurred in the name of Germany for the Second World War,
we were able to build a stable democratic state in freedom in 1949, with prospects for all.
This ,,Federal Republic of Germany" who was build in 1949 still exist today in 2022.
Even if the country is controversial for many Germans today (myself too).
I would like to thank the American people for this, from the bottom of my heart.
Yes, and remember the Berlin Airlift. I mean, the US didn't do that just for us Germans but because they didn't want the Sovjet Union to get more influence in Germany but nonetheless it helped us so much by that time but also im the long run towardd reunification.
tiefer, tiefer, du bist noch nicht tief genug
Keep it on Ryan! I like your vids! U always in good mood. 👍😉
7:12
Many people that came from the USA to live in Germany will tell their new German friends that in their experience german people are hard to approach but once you get to know them you will have real strong and deep connections - the opposite is what they were used to their whole lives in the USA where people always say "oh we should hang out" and throw out compliments left and right but you never actually meet up or talk about deep stuff
If someone asks me what I think about Americans, the answer will be different than when I'm asked about stereotypes
I absolutely love your humor! Thats something germany could learn from you guys :)
Which humor? 😂
@@ceha9517 the dry humor
I love your humor🙂
And youre very smart and selfreflected and modest.
Its so much fun seeing your reactions to these topics. Makes me laugh all the time🤣🤣 you seem like a great guy
The last boy said when I think of America, I think of Bruce Springsten! I am a big fan.
During my studies at an university of applied sciences in Frankurt Germany, we had a course only about Intercultural Differences. Beeing German, I almost knew most of them except the special part when it comes to asia. I guess beeing able to travle almost all Europe before you become an adult helps a freaking lot to get aware of all sorts of different countries, compared to the US. I can talk all the basic polite stuff in almost every European language. Like "Hello", "Thank you" "Good Bye" plus simple stuff you need in daily interactions.
For example : Visiting Germany for an interview and asking questions in englisch…😉
I am a German and I work as an English teacher here in Germany. As a college student, I lived in New York State for a year. I LOVE the USA. ❤😊
I Love USA too 🥰🥰
The last guy loves Bruce Springsteen! 🤣
19:47 as a German, I can tell you that a lot of people think it is the greatest country in the world.
But there is never gonna be something like the “Best county in the world” ,every country has they’re own problems and so on.
Germany is a good country in my opinion but not the best.
Ich hab noch nie gehört wie einer sagt das wir die besten sind. Bist du aus nem AFD-Bundesstaat?
Same here in Finland, while the idea that we are one of the best has sunk in, finally.. it took like two decades there is still no one who would seriously think we are the best country in the world. Not perfect but i don't see any reason to move. It is ok here. If i had to move, then the next countries on the list are Netherlands, Germany and Sweden. Life would be largely the same..
this is so wrong
The whole "first they are polite & friendly but then they are different" thing was very interesting.
I realized the differences in making new friends when I (as a German) lived in England for one year. (And yes, I know this has nothing to do with the USA but just hear me out, please ...)
So, in Germany (when you want to find friends) it's really hard to get to know people. But once you do, you have a friend for a life time and the bond gets really stable really soon.
While in England, it was super easy to get to know people (through smalltalk and other stuff. Like, they where used to talk to strangers and seemed sincerely interested in one another...) but after that, it was really hard to build a solid friendship.
Maybe it's the same with the people in the USA? X
It's something I've heard so many times, but it certainly wasn't my personal experience. I lived both in England and Germany for about 2 years when I was young: after 30 years I'm still in contact with 4 English friends and I have no German friends. I'm Italian btw.
Hallo, same from my side - after more than 30 years in Germany I can not confirm having any "real" friends as most of coments describe it. My fact is that lot of Germans are grumpy at the first sight and they remain reserved till the end.
But there are also very big regional differences, the people in the south are much friendlier than those in the north. Beside, I don't expect every small talk to turn into a solid friendship.
Done with binge watching your videos 8am time to go to bed. I'll watch all your new videos also.
I subscribed to your channel when I saw a similar video of yours, I like that you want to learn about other countries and not just judge, but also you are very nice and humble and you take criticism in the most constructive way, even though it's not always pleasant to hear. I think you would fit nicely in Europe 😊
"They are all saying the same thing." and saying it in English.
1:30 Not so sure about that. There are a lot of US americans who know that Germany is in Europe, but cannot point out Germany on a map.
3:00 That's no excuse. Europe has more countries than the USA have states, and we still care about what's happening in the rest of the world.
Isn t it normal to not know the exact location of every random country? I think knowing the Continent is enough for most people.
Everyone should care about their neighboring countries and global events/crisis
@@satoutatsuhiro866 There's plenty of US americans who cannot even show the continents on a map as well. Or the USA for that matter.
I find your point of view interesting and your thoughts very understandable. Even if you didn't know everything about German peculiarities, your assumptions are often on the point. In any case, I enjoy watching your videos. I wish you and your family a good time, stay safe and healthy. Claudia from Hamburg
I love your channel.
Hey Ryan! I just found your channel by chance today and already watched half of your videos. Thanks for this initiative! I'm kind of addicted to taking an external perspective as a principle - especially when it comes to own habits and my country.
Two notes:
1. I didn't manage to go through all the comments, so maybe someone helped you out already: The last guy is referring to BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN. He seems to be a big supporter of Bruce.
2. You asked yourself if Germans think their country is the greatest in the world. This is rather complicated. Because since WWII we almost all grew up thinking the contrary; we rather learned to be reserved about everything which is labeled "German" ostentatiously.
But meanwhile I have the suspicion that we tend to think that exactly because of this - that we are so reflected and kind of humble towards our country - we actually think that we are better than the rest of the world. 😇🤣
Keep up the wonderful videos! Cheers from the small town of Rinteln!
React to video from Pierre Xo Why i love living in Europe, He is from LA moved to Prague and has a lot of answers for what is unclear for you.
American communication is cheerful, yes, first time on a farmers market in rural Oregon, there was like 300 people doing it all at once. You could tell though, it was all just genuine warmth and opennes
Funny but true. Visited America for 6Weeks and it was so nice. Very friendly people!!
Over the years I have met people who were born in America and lived there for a long time or still live there, over a game i play. And the majority of them were "normal" people like you and me xD. One pair i know to this day, and when they could they would move immediately with all what is happening. These are just stereotypes, not actually what germans really think of amercians. Sure, there are the people in germany and every country who have a very small view of the world. But i feel sorry for these people ^^''.
The only thing that i believe in trough experience is, that a lot of american are really friendly and absolutly not shy, to a point that it gets a bit awkward when you like me a really bad introvert xD.
German here. You should really watch Volker Pispers "Volker Pispers history of USA and terrorism", a 5 part series with subtitles. Needs getting used to and a ton of background knowledge regarding German politics as only little is explained in the subtitles. But maybe you learn something new about the US which is common knowledge outside the US and not that common in the US. That explains in part the answers of the people in this video and a lot of stereotypes.
Yes, I would also like to see that!
Then take a look at it, you can also find it on YT.
Noooooooooooo, not one more US American commenting on that...! 🙈😂😂
@@marcomobson On the other hand, it would be interesting to get an additional perspective, though. 😉 The most reactions I found so far are made from people with similar/comparable background if you get my drift. That's why I am suggesting it to him. Additionally, the more people are actually aware of the fact that the view of the American people outside the US is (in part) vastly different than their own perception might trigger some thought process.
Great Reaction
Feli from Germany has a video about the "Americans don't understand sarcasm" thing (I can't remember which one), and she said that the cliché that Germans Don't have humor exists because we use a lot of sarcasm and the Americans just don't understand that actually was a joke (that was just the short explanation, I probably don't remember it correctly)
19:58 germans definitly don tthink germany is the best country in the world, they think its decent its ours and here is a list of possible improvements
I have absolutely no problem admitting that I also like to eat really fatty or sweet food. I also like to go to a fast food restaurant "once in a while", but surely not every day. In addition, there are pretty high minimum requirements in Germany in terms of consumer protection, so that even our McDonald's burgers are pretty high quality food compared to the original country of origin i think.
The last guy said "Bruce Springsteen" :)
Thanks for this funny video.
I thought about my meetings with Americans. I remember one very well. It was about 25 years ago in the youth hostel in Haarlem (Netherlands). The guy denied being an American. He said he´s Canadian (he even weared a cap with "Canadian" printed on it). I asked him why and he said because of the prejudges or stereotypes people have about Americans. He thought it would be easier for him to say he´s Canadian.
If you think about that, it´s really sad...
You put Americans into a good light, my friend =)
I think the fake friendliness thing a lot of people mentioned is referring to things like the waitress in a diner calling you honey or how the cashier in a grocery will start some kind of small talk and there's a greeter when you walk in. To us it seems like they only act friendly because it's part of their job.
The "false" friendliness was one reason, why Walmart failed in Germany
I like false friendlyness... ( It's also called 'politeness' btw )
@@fumomofumosarum5893 I see your point. But our upbringing, culture and environment defines these words. Your definition of 'politeness' or behaviours that manifest politeness might not be mine.
It is interesting how to see people from Berlin are thinking. For me these answerers are not the average. Greetings from munich. I like your channel. 🇩🇪🇺🇸
Have anyone told you that you have crazy beautiful smile? And your eyes are breathtaking.
I think the best country debate doesn't make much sense. You never actually know 99% of countries well enough to compare, so there's no way to know.
You cant underestimate an American. I had a online chat with one and after weeks it came out that he thought I was a man. But my first name is clearly female and if someone is not sure why not ask?
You can t tell gender/sex by name. And if he was sure of it then why would he ask you. It happens, especially if your name is unusual for him.
How should he have known that "Inge" is a female forename? He probably didn't know German forenames. Besides, there are also male German forenames ending with the letter -e, e.g. Helge.
the only Inge I know is a friend from Sweden and he is certainly male😅
congratulations to you and your wife :-) stay safe :-)
The last guy meant Bruce Springsteen = singer of "Born in the USA" - way before you were born. ~_~ (music ♥)
The guy with the cap had a bottle of beer out on a street in his hand....impossible to think in the US of a A...but totally normal in in the EU...think about that....
Maybe it was just Multivitaminsaft.
@@meisterwu8922 no it was a radler
@Ryan Wass, like your videos. I hope you will try to explore some other European countries too 😎
1:57 "there is a little Ah ah aha" - I feel with you !!!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
that last guy, when i heard him the first time i thought he said "[something] bruce springsteen" (which would make sense seeing as this was filmed in berlin and springsteen did a show in east berlin right around the time of the german reunification which was in fact quite a big thing at the time and place and therefore stayed in people's collective memory and also keeps being mentioned in the documentaries about that time), but then the more you replayed that part the more gibberish it sounded.
From my experience most germans don’t think germany is the greatest, especially with the crimes that it committed in the recent past. Denying that and still thinking all about it is great would be an insult to all victims, so its better that was i believe.
Other nations commited similar atrocities and don't get the blame and guilt culture nowhere near that level.
Yes germany isnt the best country in the world, but we know that and we take what we did in the world wars very seriously. We get educated in school multiple years in History what we did and hiw wrong it was. It is a Crime to deny what happened or to use the nazi salute. You get into prison for that. America is way more ignorant about their past with the slavery and taking over from the native americans which the america of today slaughtered and hunted for so many years. Also america is still today one of the most racist countrys in the world.
@@two_eazy of course it is NO excuse. But I am saying that the guilt indoctrination is overloaded. Many Germans became masochistic due to that, in that context. And the occupation should have been over long ago.
All of these are things that I've heard US Americans say themselves when comparing the US and its people to Germany, so there is certainly some truth to that.
But people in any place vary greatly. Some of my best friends are American and almost all Americans I know are introverts whereas I, the German, am an extrovert.
However, as a group, these things certainly fit Americans. Like when I went to a festival in England and the people I could still hear from my tent at 3AM when everyone else was sleeping were all American.
good to live in a good developed country and can enjoy for some time ...and then relaxed and recovered for next challenges.. here iam as an european ))
The guy at last talk about Bruce bringsteen bro😂