Are Germans Generally Rude and Uncommunicative Compared to Other Nations?

[Theunissen]

To be clear about my own opinion, Germans are universally friendly IRL and even most in VR, it's just that political attitudes sour everything.

Germans here, the older ones living longer here, are generally straight forward, but not unfriendly.

[Elizabeth]

I've never been to Germany. In my life I've met only two Germans. The first one was a woman who was lost and asked me for directions in NYC. I remember her because she went into the corner store next to the subway and bought one of their giant pretzels and bit into it like it was butter. I then bought one (I love big soft pretzels) but it was too hard for me. I couldn't bite into/through it, and I remember thinking that the German woman must have really strong teeth. The second German person I met was a man I met on my first venture to a local park in a neighborhood I just moved to in Miami Beach, Florida (park at 85th street and Collins Avenue). He was in shorts, riding a bicycle. We chatted for a bit, he said he was a pilot, and he invited me to go to Key West with him but I declined and left the park because he exposed his erect penis to me and said he didn't need viagra. Anyway, oh, I met a third German in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida who said he was a soccer coach in Germany. He invited me to his hotel to use the swimming pool but I didn't go. I'd say the Germans are very open and friendly.


I also met a group of Austrians in the supermarket. They were very friendly. They asked me if I spoke German. They were all very tall and big boned.

edit: I just remembered I met two tourists from Oberhausen, Germany. A sweet young couple. They were very nice. Their names were Justine and Bjorn. She was short like me.


another edit: I took a German class in college and my teacher/professor was a German speaking Swiss woman. I lost my voice the first month and got sick (mononucleosis) and had to drop out that semester. I would say she was a good teacher. Didn't get to talk with her one on one.

[Uwe Jens Lornsen]

Perhaps , Germans are uncommunicative :

The Slavic exonym nemets, nemtsy derives from Proto-Slavic němьcь, pl. němьci, 'the mutes', 'not able (to speak)' (from adjective němъ 'mute' and suffix -ьcь).[15] It literally means a mute and can be also associated with similar sounding not able, without power, but came to signify those who can't speak (like us); foreigners.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_Germany

[Alex]

Nice question and informative answers.

[Theunissen]

Perhaps , Germans are uncommunicative :

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_Germany

....
I'd guess Germanic people are generally more reserved then others. Thinking first, before they talk. Also more prone on doing things themselves than asking others to help or debate an issue, while running in circles may be not our thing.

[KYAnglo]

Anecdotally, any Germans I've met or been acquainted with were pretty average, friendly-enough people. But, that's just a few people here and there not in their own country. Not having ever visited Germany, couldn't speak to German folks' typical social behavior towards outlanders like me or their fellow Germans at home.

[Parsifal]

It's just a cultural norm in Germany to be very direct and to the point. If the demeanor is perceived as rude, it's more than likely not intentional. Germans are very industrious and hard-working and it's ingrained in almost all aspects of our culture. Growing up in a German family, even though I was born and raised in North America, I find it's really rubbed off on me as well. I don't generally go out of my way to be fake in my interactions with other people and have been called out by others for being cold or seeming upset with people. Especially with coworkers when I worked in customer service. Some of them thought I didn't like my customers, but I just didn't see the necessity in being too flamboyant with people when the situation didn't warrant it. It isn't intentional in most cases, it's just a part of our personality. It may seem hard to make friends with a German because of our reservedness at first, but once you get us to open up, we'll love you for life! I had a friend liken us to "little pet Germans that follow you around forever"!

[Þoreiðar]

My grandfather used to say Germans are terribly bossy while abroad, but very hospitable on their home turf. Perhaps a reaction to the relative chaos they encounter once they step outside the border. Ordnung muss sein.

[Winterland]

I am very direct and can't really tolerate people "messing off" often in life. I don't like being around people who live in life dramas and throw emotional "fits" over typical responsibilities. Sometimes, directness may come off as rudeness, but at least you know what the other person is thinking or feeling. My parents were very direct and wanted to hear our opinions or "side of the story." They were actually fair and gave us a chance to voice our opinions in some matters. I guess we see other people have "melt downs" and live in "chaos" sometimes. From a German perspective, children can cause chaos and "mess up" the tidiness in the house, so I am working on the chaos with kid's part. I show my feelings at home but rarely in public.