Are Germans secretly friendly?
Becca Loveless
17,875 views
Is this a hot take?
I have been living in Germany for almost a year now, and I have to admit, my experience has been very different from what I expected.
Before moving here, I spent so much time scrolling TikTok and Instagram and hearing about how cold, unfriendly, and uninviting Germany could be. So naturally, I came here with a lot of those stereotypes in the back of my mind.
But after living here for a while, I have had some experiences that completely surprised me.
In this video, I’m sharing my personal experience moving to Germany, making friends, raising kids here, and getting to know the people around us. I’m also talking about some of the biggest German stereotypes and whether they actually match what I’ve experienced.
This is just my experience, and I know Germany can be very different depending on where you live. But I’d love to hear about your experience too.
Are Germans really as cold and unfriendly as people say?
Thanks for watching!
20 Comments
We have a saying: wie man in den Wald ruft schallt es heraus. It means if foreigners come with open mind and ar e friendly it's no problem go integrate. You did it the right way. 😏
But if Americans come along arrogant it can't work.
It's great to see how happy you are ❤
you on the right way. Keep on going like that. We have a speech in Germany: "Wie Du kommst gegangen so wirst Du auch empfangen." Like: the way you approach you will be served.
American exceptionalism and arrogance leads to an dead end. Stay open and honest and it will reflect in the result back to you. All the best to you
That being said, if Germans notice the American fake friendliness, or people who clearly don't want to integrate, learn German, or want everything done the same way it was back home, Germans will give you the cold shoulder.
Will Germans walk up to you and start a conversation? Probably not.
But if they notice that you're genuine and that you care and are trying, you'll have a friend who lasts a lifetime.
All the social media examples mentioned at the beginning tend to be the kind of people whom the majority of Germans often find unpleasant and, based on their demeanor, artificial. We rarely like that sort of person.
That’s why it’s actually no wonder that they didn’t feel welcome either, I think.
And yes, younger Germans—those under about 80—are much more open-minded and friendly than those who are even older.
And the other thing is of course punctuality. I hear so often that for USians its "normal" to come 30 minutes too late all the times to meetings with their so called friends. Thats just pure disrespect because you steal their time when they stand somewhere waiting for you and just don't show up. And time is something you can't buy with money, no matter how rich you are, so thats why it is really a very valuable ressource.
I’d rather have a few people around me who are honest enough to tell me what they really think than a few fake friends.
Are Germans secretly friendly?
Becca Loveless
17,875 views
Is this a hot take?
I have been living in Germany for almost a year now, and I have to admit, my experience has been very different from what I expected.
Before moving here, I spent so much time scrolling TikTok and Instagram and hearing about how cold, unfriendly, and uninviting Germany could be. So naturally, I came here with a lot of those stereotypes in the back of my mind.
But after living here for a while, I have had some experiences that completely surprised me.
In this video, I’m sharing my personal experience moving to Germany, making friends, raising kids here, and getting to know the people around us. I’m also talking about some of the biggest German stereotypes and whether they actually match what I’ve experienced.
This is just my experience, and I know Germany can be very different depending on where you live. But I’d love to hear about your experience too.
Are Germans really as cold and unfriendly as people say?
Thanks for watching!
I'm not surprised you fit in here so well. Your whole vibe is really German. You're unpretentious, natural, outdoorsy and not obsessed with money. That's all very German. It categorically isn't just that region of Germany as well. There are plenty of others.