The punctuality of Deutsche Bahn is infamous. And it's a result of converting a state service into a private company. The purpose of the state service was to transport people from A to B, while the purpose of a private company is to make money for their shareholders. And that includes cutting costs, like having these expensive trains running all the time. So, the vehicle fleet was shrunk, holding sites removed, and real estate sold. The result is a broken rail network with no capacities to compensate delays and cancelled trains.
If you are interested - research what "Denationalization" really means. At first glance - the greatest since sliced bread. However like with everything when politicians have their hands and bank accounts involved - it is merely a way to switch ownership of "government-owned" entities over to Oligarch ownership. The majority shares of these "public companies" is always in the hands of a view politicians. These looters have no access to any amount of money from the government. Who would not be prepared to pay $ billions into a venture to take a company away from the Government and give it "to the people". Look what happened to the "denationalization" of the German Post Office. The CEO Zurbriggen ended up in prison - most of the companies he acquired ended up in bankruptcy cases with UPS Research the denationalization under the Iron Lady Thatcher. Where are all these "denationalized" manufacturing companies? Broke - bankrupt out of business. There is more money made by looting bankruptcy cases than operating them.
Could you explain why Switzerland, which uses the same system (a private company owned 100% by the state) managed to build the most punctual, and dense rail network across Europe after privatization? Or why Japan, which is even completely privatized without any State ownership, runs the most punctual rail system in the world?
@Feeber2 - Simplicissimus just did a video on this that I thought was very well done, I watched since I was also curious after reading Nikioko's comment. Es heißt "Wird die DB jemals besser"?
Humor and culture: Loriot, the greatest of all German humorists (I don't like to call him a comedian because he was more than that) got a lot of his funny scenes by watching typical everyday's German behaviour and put them a little bit over the top. He was one of the very few people who had admirers at every age and every social class. So if you don't know the basics there is no chance to find those things funny - or if foreigners find it funny they have no chance to get the whole sense. And I think that is a reason that meanwhile a lot of younger Germans cannot find him as funny as older ones because times and behaviours have changed.
In those days - Humor war wenn mal trotzdem lacht. Heute wird alles - Humor eingeschlossen - ein Mittel - um Geld von anders denken unter Drohungen auf "Beleidigung" heraus zu quetschen.
I agree with all of your assessments. As for our humor, we have a word for it: "hintersinnig" (DeepL translates "subtle", but I would say it means "with a hidden meaning"). We like it when you first laugh out loud at a joke and then the laughter gets stuck in your throat because you realize that there is another meaning behind it and that you are the one you just laughed at.
german efficiency is more about getting it done CORRECTLY :) therfore we accept the process to be slower, but right more often than wrong. Its always a deicsion between speed and accuracy. you are inofficially allowed to cross if you can make sure no children are watching. Its not funny but there is a reason for this. Kids in germany are allowed to walk alone to school normally by the age of 6-7 but at that age the skill to judge speeds and timing and the overall broader perception is not fully trained. So it is important that the young children follow the rules .... its also well known that the best way to teach something is not by saying it but by doing it :) There you have the whole reason why germans stop at red .... and have "funny" stickers" (also a typical german behaviour by my side .... writing a whole essay about a topic to explain something while no one asked for it :p)
Interesting, I hadn't considered that their depth perception would be less developed as kids, which is a fair point. Kids in Canada normally take the school bus from a nearby stop or are driven to school by their parents
Humor is something you can only understand if (or rather when) you understand/speak the local language, read local papers and follow local news. You've been an exchange student, so you obviously learned that.
@MeghanAbroad Maybe because they all speak a Roman language? I still remember my problems with understanding American jokes. They were kidding me, and I did not get it ...
Efficieny and bureaucracy: Sounds bad and as an (old) German I complain about that a lot as well. But I have also come to see a lot of positives resulting from all the rules we abide by. Most of the rules were set up to make things work out smoothly in the long run. Paying by cash makes it very visible if you run up a debt, registering where people live ensures being able to send them informations about the area they live or vote in, plan for necessary expansions of the grid (gas, water, electricity, internet access, roads, kindergartens, homes for the elderly, ...). Requiring an appropriate education in order to get a license for driving a motorcycle, car, truck or boats reduces the number of accidents , and so on. Yes, we sometimes overdo this kind of thing, but in the long run it does help to live in this crowded place. Oh, I need to add one thing: When I was a young lad, I saw things differently, looked more at the immediate consequences of any rule. Now I see efficiency in the things that I do not have to do because I adhere to the rules: I do not need an ups, because the electric grid in Europe is reliable. My kids went to Kindergarten and school by themselves either walking or riding their bikes because everything was close by and safe. Heck, I can even take a nap at noon because my neighbor will not use his lawn mower at that time. One more thing: I have a neighbor, she is around 85 years old, does not have a mobile phone or computer. Recently, she complained that she got a bill without a preprinted transfer form (as used in the last century by about everyone). She lives by herself and her kids live far away. So now she takes the stuff to the bank office 'in town' by public transports and has the people there fill the necessary forms. So I ask myself, what is more efficient for her?
Thanks for taking the time to explain this - I think when comparing cultures it's tempting to say something is better or worse in one country. One of the best advice I've received was that rather than classifying a cultural difference as better or worse, simply accept that it is different. Probably you can sense my frustration when talking about rules and lack of efficiency in Germany, because of some of the negative experiences I've had with it. However, your comment is a good reminder that norms in a society exist for a reason, and there is usually always an upside to these perceived negative differences. You highlighted some of those very succinctly here! Thanks again for your comment
@@MeghanAbroad Don't feel embarrassed, I learned many things only after I turned 60 and had enough experience and time to think about it some more. When I was about your age I thought I always know the best solution. Later I learned that there often were good reasons behind seemingly stupid or unnecessary rule. It is like refactoring some old piace of software. Some parts seem useless - unless a very special situation occurs that will only happen every two years. And then you go 'Oh that's what is was for ...' Edit: typo
"fewer" ;-) But: Same. And that's why even if there are fewer people at the self checkout, if there is a cashier, i will purposefully choose that "lane" no matter if it will take longer. Why should i do the work for which they otherwise would pay someone who then in turn pays has income and pays taxes and it doesn't even get cheaper for me. I have to pay the same but do the work myself, that's a bad deal. If everybody would charge the supermaket their salary for the time they have to work, this would end fast. (hey i work in engineering, and they for sure don't want to pay these 5 minutes of what my hours cost...) My funniest encounter was the first time i saw these things: A young lady working at the supermarket told me to come with her (i was 7th or 8th in line). didn't know why at first. Then she brought me to the self checkout and told me what to do. After a few malfunctions and all the explaining and after i paid, i looked at the queue of the cashiers, (people who had been in line behind me already walked out the market, ) looked at her and asked: "Und was genau hat mir das jetzt gebracht? " I wasn't faster, and it wasn't cheaper, and had she not been there, it would have taken way longer because of the malfunctions. She looked a bit embarassed and did not answer.
@@BernhardSchwarz-xs8kp Yes, but you will experience the difference between honesty and superficial friendliness when you enter a restaurant or other service oriented business in Germany or the US.
With all due respect. Anybody who starts a statement with Germans, Americans, etc might as well say it loud and clear - I hate my neighbor and therefore - NEIGHBORS ALL OF THEM are bad.
I don't know why the video compared efficiency to the many rules we have. Of course the efficiency gets downgraded because of bureaucracy, but I think the honesty in communication, without seeing the need of gratuitous politeness, just getting to the point every time, contributes much to the efficiency of Germans.
Unfortunately it's not funny, especially if someone is using a leaf-blower without any reason. Germans do a lot of useless things lately, and important things don't get done any longer.
There are few countries where traffic is heavier than in Germany, so it makes sense to follow the traffic rules. However, the infatuation with regulations also has disadvantages, for example dealing with mistakes is very poor. Word has not yet got around that only those who don't work don't make mistakes and that the probability of making a mistake is extremely high when you try something new and that this should be tolerated. Bosses like to say: "Everyone can make a mistake with me, but only once!" They forget that if a mistake is made more than once, the fault usually lies in the system and not with the employee.
On the humor side, I think your observations are correct, one of the hardest things when learning a foreign language is to understand jokes and humor and often it is not easy or even possible to translate without killing the joke. Even harder it is to make jokes in a foreign language, I embarrassed myself numerous times...
I think the "efficiency" stereotype comes from a very different angle: It's when a german person has work to do, they do it until it's done without getting distracted or having to be reminded several times. There was a nice documentary on YT where a british couple lived in germany for a few weeks accompanied by TV. The man was to work at a writing utensil manufacturing company during that time. (in the pencil manufacturing to be specific) He seemed quite surprised that the workers start working on time, and until there's a break, and then punctually started working again. No fiddling with their mobil phones or talking isntead of working or dreaming about the day, if there is work to do, they work. And that's where that stereotype comes from. And i agree, if you take their rules and "bureaucrazy" into account, that can make them look inefficient as a whole, but that's not what the stereotype means. A recent example where their "papermasturb..." (as some people call it) is what makes them look inefficient: Tim Raue a german chef married an austrian women, and both registered their "second home" at the respective others main home. =Berlin and Graz. Raue explained to a journalist, that his wife needed several appointments and it took 7 months for her to complete everything, while he called in for an appointment in graz, asked what he had to bring, and at the appointment, he left again after 5 minutes and it was done.) The pedestrian crossing at red lights. I am with the germans on this. (But then again, i am from their southern neighbouring country, so not that far off ;-) ) As i told an intern once: "laws don't just apply when it's convenient for you. The traffic laws don't say _on a red light you have to stop, unless you think it's not that bad, or nobody is around, or it's 3 am_".
Thanks for your comment, and you have a good point about this element of working culture in Germany - when they are on working time, it is full concentrated work, no switching tasks, checking phones etc. But then they also take their breaks, vacations, and make Feierabend when the work is done. I'll probably make a video about the working culture differences at some point because I think they're interesting As you and others have highlighted, the intense rule-following can have an upside ;) at times, however, it can also feel constricting. There's a balance that's different for every country
If you want to learn more about German humor, watch some videos of the "humorist" (old word for comedian) LORIOT. He already passed away in 2011, but I think many of the modern comedians learned from him. He played with German stereotypes. A French friend once told me that he learned to understand the "German essence" better through Loriot. What I have noticed in my professional life is that humor or situation comedy in business is unfortunately often associated with superficiality. Which is, of course, absolute nonsense!
doin stuff "differently" has nothing to do with efficency really, and there are many rules and regulations in place because people, often foregeiners, try to bent or break the rules, ...just sayin
Sorry Meghan, but the point you have made on efficiency is not as stringent as you might think. We Germans do not want an efficient bureaucracy and I do not think, that there is a stereotype about the efficiency of our administrative strata of government. The German individual might be considered efficient, but only if he does something for himself. F.e. if someone helps you, he does it as good as possible, to go on with his life a.s.a.p. without any danger of having to help you again in this matter :D And if you think, that the practicability of cashless payments at the self check out in a store is a hallmark of efficiency, then you are still caught very much in the north-american mindset. Live isn't about 24/7-consumption of branded merchandise. I hope you'll find the humour in that comment not too offensive - we do have it and it is true blue self-referential deprecation of each other; let's call it suspensive sarcasm without any hint of earnestness.
💯 I agree with you on the bureaucracy issue, it regularly drove me crazy during my professional life. I think the basic problem is that bureaucracy also preserves jobs. Part of the workforce works, the other part tries to keep them away with bureaucracy. Yes, some Germans have an erotic relationship with their car. But the majority of people just want to get from A to B. If I lived in Hamburg (🧡) I wouldn't have a car because the public transportation is perfect. If you want to have a conversation with a German, there is only one prerequisite: you have to start the conversation. My theory is that we have been invaded and occupied again and again for thousands of years. And then you'd rather sit in the woods in the hedge and keep your mouth shut because otherwise the Roman will discover you and hit you on the head with his sword. Of course we have a great sense of humor. Except for Nazis, who have no sense of humour at all, which is why you can recognize Nazis so easily. Watch something by Loriot on TH-cam: "The duck stays outside". Or the contemporary audio books by Marc Uwe Kling, "The Kangaroo Chronicles". It's about a "small-time artist" and his communist kangaroo.
Thanks for the video.Here are my thoughts as a German. I like it very much. Your observations are on point! Starting with efficiency and bureaucracy is very understandable as an expat/immigrant coming to Germany. I would like to comment on this (explain it, not defend it). Don't expect that applying for a visa, work/residency permit is in easy task in any country. Moreover, I assume that you didn't experience the procedures in Canada. Then Canada has a long tradition as am immigration country. Germany does not and is very slowly accepting its role as an immigration country. In the early 2000s the number of immigrants per year was around 700k. This has increased to nearly 3 Million. Despite this massive increase Germany has not increase the administrative work force in the offices accordingly. On the contrary, the rules and regulations have increased (usually to enable immigration) and the automation of the according processes takes time. Then we have the German preference - others call it obsession - of regulating everything and following the rules by the letter. So yes, many immigrants will be shocked when it comes to deal with the overworked (and thus slow), non-digitized, certificate-obsessed and over-regulated bureaucracy. Better get help and plan well ahead.
That's a fair point about the visa processes - of course it will not be a piece of cake in any country and of my personal experiences I only dealt with this a little bit as an exchange student in the Netherlands, and then for residence permits/visas in Germany. So mostly I was mostly comparing anecdotally to other friends' experiences immigrating to Canada, other countries along with Germany, etc. (Canada is one of the easiest countries to immigrate to in the world so naturally other countries will seem difficult in comparison!) While the immigration processes in DE overall need improvement, it can vary wildly depending on the location and your situation. Things do seem to be improving in recent times - in terms of more digitization and shorter appointment wait times, better laws, etc. Germany clearly recognizes this is an important issue and is working to improve it so hopefully this will continue its upward trend! Thanks for sharing your perspective
Taking bureaucracy and not being able to pay with a card as examples of inefficiency is a weird choice. This is neither where the stereotype comes from, nor are these things good examples of efficiency.
Where do you think the stereotype comes from? My thoughts: I view efficiency as how many resources (ie. time, labour, effort) are needed to achieve the same result. With the cash example, carrying cash is inefficient because: -You need to take time to withdraw cash from a bank or ATM, making sure you take out from your bank lest you pay more fees, and in the right amount (too much is a security risk, too little and you will need to repeatedly withdraw more) -You need to spend extra time counting out your cash when paying, the cashier spends time counting out your change (if you don't think this is inefficient, you've never waited in a long line at the supermarket while the person in front spends an eternity counting out every coin from their wallet lol) -You have the extra weight to carry around, especially coins VS you pay in card, with a single tap, which withdraws exactly the right amount in the moment that you need it. Same thing mirrored on the business side. For the point on bureaucracy - I agree that that a country's bureaucracy is not necessarily representative of its efficiency but it can be an indicator; in this case it was just one example but I probably could have listed some other examples to illustrate my point. If I do a video on working culture in Germany I will probably go into more detail on this.
@@MeghanAbroad Well, on second thought, I agree bureaucracy is an indicator of efficiency, but this is not where the stereotype of German efficiency came from after WWII. As for paying with a card, it is such a small aspect of a whole nation/economy and a service that hasn't been around for long, that it is indeed a bad example. It's very Canadian/American to complain about this, though ;) . Maybe have a look at the article "German efficiency: The roots of a stereotype" and you will see that it's not about paying with cards, but the so-called Prussian virtues that are still present in German society today, even though they become less present. German efficiency is mostly visible in engineering and the production of goods. Even though the Deutsche Bahn does its best to destroy the stereotype of efficiency and punctuality, German high-quality goods and engineering are still globally admired. German professionals are known for their meticulous attention to detail and their commitment to getting things done right the first time. While Germany has low working hours compared to other countries in the world, the German economy is among the strongest in the world. German efficiency is driven by goals, not participation. To Germans, it doesn't matter how much time you spend on something, but how fast you achieve the defined goal. Personally, I think that Germans are actually lazy or gemütlich and value their free time. That's why they organize work as efficiently as possible, so that they may enjoy more leisure.
@@solokom interesting perspective, although I don't agree with all your points. I would never argue against these facts - Germany is top global economy for a reason and excels in manufacturing and engineering. Others have also commented - there is a reason "Made in Germany" is associated with quality . Have detailed and thorough processes to mitigate risk, yes, you could argue that this in the long run is more efficient, and is especially valued for these industries. However, time is also a valuable factor to consider, particularly in other industries. There are times where focusing on an MVP, coming to a decision quickly even if not everyone agrees, and having a more lean and agile mindset is needed, but this goes against the thoroughness and risk-averse nature of Germans that is so prized in manufacturing in engineering. I've seen this in a lot of cases - decisions that take months to make while competitors were able to move faster, months-long waterfall-like planning for software that later had to be scrapped, nested spreadsheets of processes that needed to go through x chains of approval, etc. Speed and quality are usually at tension with each other, and prioritizing quality over speed in every scenario means you will still lose out in today's globalized economy. In my view, this is one of the reasons Germany lags behind in digital competitiveness. As you highlighted, "efficiency" is multi-faced and more nuanced than I was able to get into in this video. Anyway, I've enjoyed reading yours and others comments on this topic, it's always interesting to hear different perspectives and I always learn something :)
Nice video, yea here in Hamburg or the north in general we're more reserved and stick to our own. Leben und leben lassen. Especially here in Hamburg you'll see this very often in terms of celebrities and luxury cars. Unless it is an official event most residents will ignore these. I stopped counting how many celebritites I've seen while shopping or taking a walk. Same with luxury cars. I look at them if at all and move on. Tourists and others try to get as many photos as possible. They should let them be by themself.
@ExtremeTeddy Leben und leben lassen - actually one of the those things about Germany that fits closely with my personality, generally I don't enjoy smalltalk and like to stay in my own lane as well, but quite a few people I've met from other cultures find it off-putting
@@MeghanAbroad I see similarities. Normally I only engage in small-talk, if considered small-talk and not an actual discussion, when I'm interested in something. Although for example a good party experience involves some good talks with other guests, doesn't mean I enforre them. A lot of stuff would be far easier and relaxed when everyone would mind their own business in respect to some rules and conformities. Enjoy your stay in germany :)
I hope you feeled save in germany, because since 2015 germany has the same problems like canada. Mass immigration. Thanks also for your opinion. with most things I agree with you. Also I hope you will be safe in the future and take care. Iam just sad what happens to our great countries.... :(
One reason for what happens to Germany is "the immigrants". Say thank you to Mutti Angela = the one who opened the Borders and destroyed German energy production - paid $ 800 Bio to build a pipeline Russia Germany for her friend Vlad Putin - (Google - she and him attended the same Stasi workshops on community activists in East Germany) and the pipeline was supposed to bypass Ukraine) She declared nuclear energy illegal as of 2022. When did Putin attack Ukraine?
I support immigration to both Canada and Germany, it should however also be accompanied by laws and policy that support both incoming and existing residents of the country
Hi Arno, das war auch mein erster Gedanke, musste direkt schmunzeln. Auch interessant, irgendwie werden uns beiden die gleichen Kanäle vorgeschlagen. Viele Grüße an den Bodensee 👋🏻
@@MeghanAbroad cause that’s what you are if you emigrate out of Canada. Expat is a really dumb word to use and is only used nowadays by westerners in order to avoid calling themselves immigrants in whatever country they moved to. Expat comes from expatriation, and the historical origin of the word meant removal of people by force, for instance Native Americans from their lands. Another example is the revocation of citizenship of Jews in Nazi Germany, forcing them to move abroad.
Thanks for sharing your perspective - after reading your comment I spent some time researching to better understand the term usage and wanted to share my thoughts. I'm using the word "expat" in the title based on its contemporary usage - "someone who is living temporarily in another country than their home country". While "immigrant" often denotes permanently settling in another country, my stay in Germany isn't permanent, so "expat" felt more accurate for my situation. I understand the historical context you mentioned and I certainly don't condone the "removal of people by force" as you mentioned. However, I believe the modern use of "expat" has evolved away from those connotations and is a common term in contemporary usage, especially as a search term here on youtube. I appreciate your input and will keep this perspective in mind for future content, but as of right now I will leave the title as-is.
Hum, efficiency doesn't mean lean processes. It simply means processes are in place, often these processes are streamlined. This is in order to be prepared for many/most cases.
One way to explain that talking about it is more efficient than making processes work. One of those who abuse the time of others in meetings argues about the definition of things rather than contributing constructive input.
+peterboil4064 I view efficiency as how many resources (ie. time, labour, effort) are needed to achieve the same result. In my opinion Germany is not as effective at prioritizing efficiency, conversely their processes are typically very thorough/detailed which can mean it requires additional time, effort, resources, etc to get to the same outcome. As someone else mentioned however, this can be an advantage in manufacturing, engineering, or other highly regulated industries, which Germany does indeed excel at.
First of all - being German myself - I wouldn't have expected to be seen as efficient, rather: as thorough and aiming for quality. Being prepared. The German being structured has a clear tendency to being over-regulated, very true! And thoroughness, especially bureaucracy, takes its time.
Hi (Moin), I have to say that bureaucracy and efficiency are two different things. Efficiency more in the production of things, work processes for example. Self check out has been partially abolished here, for one thing it's a job killer. Why should the customer actually do the work? 🙋♂
Moin Arno, I agree that a country's bureaucracy is not necessarily representative of its efficiency but it can be an indicator; in this case it was just one example but I probably could have listed some other examples to illustrate my point. I view efficiency as how many resources (ie. time, labour, effort) are needed to achieve the same result. For example with the self-checkouts, since labour is so expensive in Germany, the stores (grocery and clothing) usually never had enough employees meaning huge lines (more time) just to check out. Whereas at the few REWEs I visited that had self-checkouts I could be in and out in under 5 minutes. Even removing the self-checkouts from the equation, a lot of countries have an express lane served by a cashier for people buying 10 items or less - which I've never seen in Germany. So even if I am buying 2 items, I still need to spend time waiting in the same line as the person in front of me with 50 items. (I understand some people still prefer interacting with a person rather that a machine, and the economic implications of automating "low-skilled" jobs are also its own topic) Generally I noticed the efficiency theme A LOT in work contexts. Having worked in both Canada and Germany, and also internationally with other cultures, it was interesting to me that if there was a topic of a process that had a certain error rate, Canadians/Americans/Brits would focus on how we can make the process simpler/more efficient to get a better result, whereas the Germans would focus on adding MORE - more checks/steps, more people verifying each stage, stricter tracking, etc. There are pros and cons to both approaches depending on the context. Anyway, I appreciate you sharing your perspective!
@@MeghanAbroad Well, I never go shopping in really big supermarkets, so that's not a problem for me. The ‘real’ stores used to be similar to Walmart, but like Walmart, not a success here either. I have 6 different ones to choose from within a 10 minute walk. Go shopping 3-4 times a week, I'm sure that's different in North America. Before weekends and public holidays you might queue for 5 minutes, but otherwise? I never really need more than half an hour. Maybe it's different in big cities like Hamburg? I'm slower at the checkout than the staff, especially at Aldi and Lidl. There's a reason why I prefer flying with Airbus to Boeing. Everything that has to do with safety. That's why ‘Made in Germany’ * and ‘Made in Switzerland’ are a seal of quality, but not from other nations. *Interesting background story of the label Have you ever heard of Hidden champions? These are SMEs that are world market leaders in their niche industries. 50% of them are German companies.
Holy cow - a communist is explaining the reason why productivity, efficiency, and profitability are all tools invented by capitalists to exploit those who are needy - because of these three evil words.
Having lived in the north in Hamburg too for a few years, and known germans and austrians from many regions; the one Stereotype I fully agree with is Germans... more so those from what was Western Germany; have way too much faith in their media and state. The only reason this is becoming a problem is the those two have become a lot more comfortable with bending the truth if not outright lying over the last decade. I don't think Germany is doomed or this or that needs to be fixed; just I've heard a lot of really crazy things from Germans over the years. 😂
Du verstehst das Problem mit dem Bargeld nicht? Bezahlst du mit Karte, bekommt die Bank 1,5 % für jede Trransaktion. Bezahlst du 10 euro, hat der Verkäufer tatsächlich nur 9,85 euro. Bezahlt er seine Ware, hat der Grosshändler nur noch 9,70 euro von diesen 10 euro, weil die Bank wieder 1,5% bekommt. Das virtuelle Geld wird immer weniger und die Bank bekommt immer mehr davon.
Convenience hat auch ihren Preis. In viele Ländern würdest du Kunden verlieren, wenn du nur Bar akzeptierst, weil deine Konkurrenz Karten akzeptiert und viele kein Bargeld mehr mit sich tragen wollen.
@@MeghanAbroad Du hast völlig recht mit deinem Einwand. Stellen wir uns mal eine bargeldlose Gesellschaft vor.... Banken erstellen Negativzinsen, du musst ja dann deinen Verdienst irgendwo lassen. Du bist nicht mehr Besitzer deines Geldes. Sperrt man dein Konto aus irgendwelchen Gründen, hast du keine Chance mehr irgend etwas zum Leben zu bekommen. Du kannst nicht mal auf die Beine kommen, indem du Tageslöhnerjobs annimmst.Wie solltest du bezahlt werden, dein Konto ist futsch.....bisschen dystopisch, aber denkbar. Meine Oma hat den Krieg miterlebt und deshalb, zur Sicherheit, immer Bargeld im Strumpf zu Hause aufbewahrt. Das prägt wahrscheinlich unser Verhältnis zum Bargeld. Da stellen wir die Bequemlichkeit gern hintenan. Das wird sich mit jeder jüngeren Generation wohl nach und nach ändern...
1. Efficiency - Absolutely correct. Germans as individuals are hard workers. The world has not realized yet to what extent Angela Merkel has successfully driven West Germany into a "Government-controlled" (communist) country. I have worked as a consultant for both French and German manufacturers. I found that the professional level of expertise in the areas of manufacturing labor skills was higher in Germany but totally eliminated by "the system" 2. Humour - On the nail. But this actually has not so much to do with Humour but more with the fact that Germans are different from French and both are not identical to Italians. Tell that a woke Wako lunatic - he makes you believe that everybody is equal and that nationalities are a thing created by capitalists. I speak a few European languages and understand that a "language" is only a "tool" to communicate a message and express your way of thinking about issues Joking around with a German is totally different from teasing a Frenchman or talking about food with an Italian. The French will enjoy talking about the the quality of the food in detail - the Germans will gladly give you a tip where you find a great deal on Sausages und Bier vom Fass. Great channel.
Thanks for sharing your perspective and experience! I like what you said that "language is only a tool to communicate a message and express your way of thinking" - as I learn other languages it's always interesting to see culture reflected in the language and vice versa
@@peterboil4064 Go and live in Russia or China - and you will know. Nobody will miss you in the West. Enjoy. And good luck with asking this question there. You will get the answer.
The punctuality of Deutsche Bahn is infamous. And it's a result of converting a state service into a private company. The purpose of the state service was to transport people from A to B, while the purpose of a private company is to make money for their shareholders. And that includes cutting costs, like having these expensive trains running all the time. So, the vehicle fleet was shrunk, holding sites removed, and real estate sold. The result is a broken rail network with no capacities to compensate delays and cancelled trains.
The Deutsche Bahn is still 100% owned by the Federal Republic of Germany.
If you are interested - research what "Denationalization" really means. At first glance - the greatest since sliced bread. However like with everything when politicians have their hands and bank accounts involved - it is merely a way to switch ownership of "government-owned" entities over to Oligarch ownership. The majority shares of these "public companies" is always in the hands of a view politicians. These looters have no access to any amount of money from the government. Who would not be prepared to pay $ billions into a venture to take a company away from the Government and give it "to the people".
Look what happened to the "denationalization" of the German Post Office. The CEO Zurbriggen ended up in prison - most of the companies he acquired ended up in bankruptcy cases with UPS
Research the denationalization under the Iron Lady Thatcher. Where are all these "denationalized" manufacturing companies? Broke - bankrupt out of business. There is more money made by looting bankruptcy cases than operating them.
Could you explain why Switzerland, which uses the same system (a private company owned 100% by the state) managed to build the most punctual, and dense rail network across Europe after privatization?
Or why Japan, which is even completely privatized without any State ownership, runs the most punctual rail system in the world?
@@Feeber2 Weil die Schweizerischen Bundesbahnen nicht in zig Tochterunternehmen, die sich gegenseitig blockieren, zerstückelt sind.
@Feeber2 - Simplicissimus just did a video on this that I thought was very well done, I watched since I was also curious after reading Nikioko's comment. Es heißt "Wird die DB jemals besser"?
Humor and culture: Loriot, the greatest of all German humorists (I don't like to call him a comedian because he was more than that) got a lot of his funny scenes by watching typical everyday's German behaviour and put them a little bit over the top. He was one of the very few people who had admirers at every age and every social class. So if you don't know the basics there is no chance to find those things funny - or if foreigners find it funny they have no chance to get the whole sense. And I think that is a reason that meanwhile a lot of younger Germans cannot find him as funny as older ones because times and behaviours have changed.
In those days - Humor war wenn mal trotzdem lacht. Heute wird alles - Humor eingeschlossen - ein Mittel - um Geld von anders denken unter Drohungen auf "Beleidigung" heraus zu quetschen.
I agree with all of your assessments. As for our humor, we have a word for it: "hintersinnig" (DeepL translates "subtle", but I would say it means "with a hidden meaning"). We like it when you first laugh out loud at a joke and then the laughter gets stuck in your throat because you realize that there is another meaning behind it and that you are the one you just laughed at.
Nice to hear a German agrees :D and now I learned a new word! As usual German impresses me with its words that capture very specific meanings
@@MeghanAbroad Haha, I'm glad I could be of help.
add Schadenfreude and Zeitgeist to your collection of "bon mots".
@@BernhardSchwarz-xs8kp People in the US use "Zeitgeist" way more often than Germans.
@@Delibro You are absolutely right. They learn it in College but have no clue what it means. Hilarious if it would not be sad.
Hat der Rasenmäher Mann nichts von Mittagsruhe gehört, während man sein YT Video aufnimmt. 😁😜
german efficiency is more about getting it done CORRECTLY :) therfore we accept the process to be slower, but right more often than wrong. Its always a deicsion between speed and accuracy.
you are inofficially allowed to cross if you can make sure no children are watching. Its not funny but there is a reason for this. Kids in germany are allowed to walk alone to school normally by the age of 6-7 but at that age the skill to judge speeds and timing and the overall broader perception is not fully trained. So it is important that the young children follow the rules ....
its also well known that the best way to teach something is not by saying it but by doing it :)
There you have the whole reason why germans stop at red .... and have "funny" stickers" (also a typical german behaviour by my side .... writing a whole essay about a topic to explain something while no one asked for it :p)
Interesting, I hadn't considered that their depth perception would be less developed as kids, which is a fair point. Kids in Canada normally take the school bus from a nearby stop or are driven to school by their parents
Humor is something you can only understand if (or rather when) you understand/speak the local language, read local papers and follow local news. You've been an exchange student, so you obviously learned that.
Absolutely, however I've noticed that Spanish, Dutch, French, etc are more comfortable joking in a second language (English) than Germans are
@MeghanAbroad Maybe because they all speak a Roman language? I still remember my problems with understanding American jokes. They were kidding me, and I did not get it ...
Very good insights from the outside!
Humor in Germany? That I do not laugh.
Haha, made me chuckle
@@MeghanAbroad seems, I am funny too, ... sometimes.
Efficieny and bureaucracy: Sounds bad and as an (old) German I complain about that a lot as well. But I have also come to see a lot of positives resulting from all the rules we abide by. Most of the rules were set up to make things work out smoothly in the long run. Paying by cash makes it very visible if you run up a debt, registering where people live ensures being able to send them informations about the area they live or vote in, plan for necessary expansions of the grid (gas, water, electricity, internet access, roads, kindergartens, homes for the elderly, ...). Requiring an appropriate education in order to get a license for driving a motorcycle, car, truck or boats reduces the number of accidents , and so on. Yes, we sometimes overdo this kind of thing, but in the long run it does help to live in this crowded place. Oh, I need to add one thing: When I was a young lad, I saw things differently, looked more at the immediate consequences of any rule. Now I see efficiency in the things that I do not have to do because I adhere to the rules: I do not need an ups, because the electric grid in Europe is reliable. My kids went to Kindergarten and school by themselves either walking or riding their bikes because everything was close by and safe. Heck, I can even take a nap at noon because my neighbor will not use his lawn mower at that time.
One more thing: I have a neighbor, she is around 85 years old, does not have a mobile phone or computer. Recently, she complained that she got a bill without a preprinted transfer form (as used in the last century by about everyone). She lives by herself and her kids live far away. So now she takes the stuff to the bank office 'in town' by public transports and has the people there fill the necessary forms. So I ask myself, what is more efficient for her?
Thanks for taking the time to explain this - I think when comparing cultures it's tempting to say something is better or worse in one country. One of the best advice I've received was that rather than classifying a cultural difference as better or worse, simply accept that it is different.
Probably you can sense my frustration when talking about rules and lack of efficiency in Germany, because of some of the negative experiences I've had with it. However, your comment is a good reminder that norms in a society exist for a reason, and there is usually always an upside to these perceived negative differences. You highlighted some of those very succinctly here! Thanks again for your comment
@@MeghanAbroad Don't feel embarrassed, I learned many things only after I turned 60 and had enough experience and time to think about it some more. When I was about your age I thought I always know the best solution. Later I learned that there often were good reasons behind seemingly stupid or unnecessary rule. It is like refactoring some old piace of software. Some parts seem useless - unless a very special situation occurs that will only happen every two years. And then you go 'Oh that's what is was for ...'
Edit: typo
im totaly against this self checkout in stores ! all it does is they whant to pay less workes and we as customers save nothing
Yeah, the self-checkouts topic is controversial apparently. Btw I like your username
@@MeghanAbroad thx
"fewer" ;-)
But: Same. And that's why even if there are fewer people at the self checkout, if there is a cashier, i will purposefully choose that "lane" no matter if it will take longer.
Why should i do the work for which they otherwise would pay someone who then in turn pays has income and pays taxes and it doesn't even get cheaper for me.
I have to pay the same but do the work myself, that's a bad deal.
If everybody would charge the supermaket their salary for the time they have to work, this would end fast. (hey i work in engineering, and they for sure don't want to pay these 5 minutes of what my hours cost...)
My funniest encounter was the first time i saw these things:
A young lady working at the supermarket told me to come with her (i was 7th or 8th in line). didn't know why at first.
Then she brought me to the self checkout and told me what to do. After a few malfunctions and all the explaining and after i paid, i looked at the queue of the cashiers, (people who had been in line behind me already walked out the market, ) looked at her and asked: "Und was genau hat mir das jetzt gebracht? "
I wasn't faster, and it wasn't cheaper, and had she not been there, it would have taken way longer because of the malfunctions.
She looked a bit embarassed and did not answer.
Germans just don't have that superficial friendliness which you find everywhere in the US. Germans are reserved, polite and honest.
And there are good,, idiots, criminals, and good-hearted people everywhere.
@@BernhardSchwarz-xs8kp Yes, but you will experience the difference between honesty and superficial friendliness when you enter a restaurant or other service oriented business in Germany or the US.
That's a stereotype in itself.
With all due respect. Anybody who starts a statement with Germans, Americans, etc might as well say it loud and clear - I hate my neighbor and therefore - NEIGHBORS ALL OF THEM are bad.
I don't know why the video compared efficiency to the many rules we have. Of course the efficiency gets downgraded because of bureaucracy, but I think the honesty in communication, without seeing the need of gratuitous politeness, just getting to the point every time, contributes much to the efficiency of Germans.
HAHAHA! Annoyed by a neighbor, because he is mowing... Respect the quiet hours... You are german! Congratulations!
Haha I like my peace and quiet 😆
11:50 "someone mowing?" How fitting. That was German humor!
😆
Unfortunately it's not funny, especially if someone is using a leaf-blower without any reason. Germans do a lot of useless things lately, and important things don't get done any longer.
Of course we will cross the street at 3 am with no cars for miles. Would't be efficient to stand around waiting for no reason, we might be late.
There are few countries where traffic is heavier than in Germany, so it makes sense to follow the traffic rules.
However, the infatuation with regulations also has disadvantages, for example dealing with mistakes is very poor. Word has not yet got around that only those who don't work don't make mistakes and that the probability of making a mistake is extremely high when you try something new and that this should be tolerated.
Bosses like to say: "Everyone can make a mistake with me, but only once!" They forget that if a mistake is made more than once, the fault usually lies in the system and not with the employee.
On the humor side, I think your observations are correct, one of the hardest things when learning a foreign language is to understand jokes and humor and often it is not easy or even possible to translate without killing the joke. Even harder it is to make jokes in a foreign language, I embarrassed myself numerous times...
look up one French word: Kissing.
give a kiss - un baiser
I am going to kiss you - je vais te baiser
I think the "efficiency" stereotype comes from a very different angle: It's when a german person has work to do, they do it until it's done without getting distracted or having to be reminded several times.
There was a nice documentary on YT where a british couple lived in germany for a few weeks accompanied by TV. The man was to work at a writing utensil manufacturing company during that time. (in the pencil manufacturing to be specific)
He seemed quite surprised that the workers start working on time, and until there's a break, and then punctually started working again.
No fiddling with their mobil phones or talking isntead of working or dreaming about the day, if there is work to do, they work. And that's where that stereotype comes from.
And i agree, if you take their rules and "bureaucrazy" into account, that can make them look inefficient as a whole, but that's not what the stereotype means.
A recent example where their "papermasturb..." (as some people call it) is what makes them look inefficient: Tim Raue a german chef married an austrian women, and both registered their "second home" at the respective others main home.
=Berlin and Graz. Raue explained to a journalist, that his wife needed several appointments and it took 7 months for her to complete everything, while he called in for an appointment in graz, asked what he had to bring, and at the appointment, he left again after 5 minutes and it was done.)
The pedestrian crossing at red lights. I am with the germans on this. (But then again, i am from their southern neighbouring country, so not that far off ;-) ) As i told an intern once: "laws don't just apply when it's convenient for you.
The traffic laws don't say _on a red light you have to stop, unless you think it's not that bad, or nobody is around, or it's 3 am_".
Thanks for your comment, and you have a good point about this element of working culture in Germany - when they are on working time, it is full concentrated work, no switching tasks, checking phones etc. But then they also take their breaks, vacations, and make Feierabend when the work is done. I'll probably make a video about the working culture differences at some point because I think they're interesting
As you and others have highlighted, the intense rule-following can have an upside ;) at times, however, it can also feel constricting. There's a balance that's different for every country
If you want to learn more about German humor, watch some videos of the "humorist" (old word for comedian) LORIOT. He already passed away in 2011, but I think many of the modern comedians learned from him. He played with German stereotypes. A French friend once told me that he learned to understand the "German essence" better through Loriot.
What I have noticed in my professional life is that humor or situation comedy in business is unfortunately often associated with superficiality. Which is, of course, absolute nonsense!
A few people have mentioned him, will have to check him out 👀
doin stuff "differently" has nothing to do with efficency really, and there are many rules and regulations in place because people, often foregeiners, try to bent or break the rules, ...just sayin
Mowing the lawn is number one sport in germany ... forget football and that other stuff
In Canada too it seems... 😀
Sorry Meghan, but the point you have made on efficiency is not as stringent as you might think. We Germans do not want an efficient bureaucracy and I do not think, that there is a stereotype about the efficiency of our administrative strata of government. The German individual might be considered efficient, but only if he does something for himself. F.e. if someone helps you, he does it as good as possible, to go on with his life a.s.a.p. without any danger of having to help you again in this matter :D
And if you think, that the practicability of cashless payments at the self check out in a store is a hallmark of efficiency, then you are still caught very much in the north-american mindset. Live isn't about 24/7-consumption of branded merchandise.
I hope you'll find the humour in that comment not too offensive - we do have it and it is true blue self-referential deprecation of each other; let's call it suspensive sarcasm without any hint of earnestness.
I am a Canadian having lived in Germany for 11 years... and I think you have done a good job here. Fair and balanced :)
💯 I agree with you on the bureaucracy issue, it regularly drove me crazy during my professional life. I think the basic problem is that bureaucracy also preserves jobs. Part of the workforce works, the other part tries to keep them away with bureaucracy. Yes, some Germans have an erotic relationship with their car. But the majority of people just want to get from A to B. If I lived in Hamburg (🧡) I wouldn't have a car because the public transportation is perfect. If you want to have a conversation with a German, there is only one prerequisite: you have to start the conversation. My theory is that we have been invaded and occupied again and again for thousands of years. And then you'd rather sit in the woods in the hedge and keep your mouth shut because otherwise the Roman will discover you and hit you on the head with his sword. Of course we have a great sense of humor. Except for Nazis, who have no sense of humour at all, which is why you can recognize Nazis so easily. Watch something by Loriot on TH-cam: "The duck stays outside". Or the contemporary audio books by Marc Uwe Kling, "The Kangaroo Chronicles". It's about a "small-time artist" and his communist kangaroo.
the german comedian michael mittermeier does also stand up in english and did shows in uk, usa and canada
Cool, I will check him out
I also once saw a clip of Till Reiners performing in English in Canada and found it pretty funny
German guy here. Very well observed! Thank you.
girls in black hoodies, damn i like it!
Thanks for the video.Here are my thoughts as a German. I like it very much. Your observations are on point!
Starting with efficiency and bureaucracy is very understandable as an expat/immigrant coming to Germany. I would like to comment on this (explain it, not defend it). Don't expect that applying for a visa, work/residency permit is in easy task in any country. Moreover, I assume that you didn't experience the procedures in Canada. Then Canada has a long tradition as am immigration country. Germany does not and is very slowly accepting its role as an immigration country. In the early 2000s the number of immigrants per year was around 700k. This has increased to nearly 3 Million. Despite this massive increase Germany has not increase the administrative work force in the offices accordingly. On the contrary, the rules and regulations have increased (usually to enable immigration) and the automation of the according processes takes time. Then we have the German preference - others call it obsession - of regulating everything and following the rules by the letter.
So yes, many immigrants will be shocked when it comes to deal with the overworked (and thus slow), non-digitized, certificate-obsessed and over-regulated bureaucracy. Better get help and plan well ahead.
That's a fair point about the visa processes - of course it will not be a piece of cake in any country and of my personal experiences I only dealt with this a little bit as an exchange student in the Netherlands, and then for residence permits/visas in Germany. So mostly I was mostly comparing anecdotally to other friends' experiences immigrating to Canada, other countries along with Germany, etc. (Canada is one of the easiest countries to immigrate to in the world so naturally other countries will seem difficult in comparison!)
While the immigration processes in DE overall need improvement, it can vary wildly depending on the location and your situation. Things do seem to be improving in recent times - in terms of more digitization and shorter appointment wait times, better laws, etc. Germany clearly recognizes this is an important issue and is working to improve it so hopefully this will continue its upward trend! Thanks for sharing your perspective
Moin✌️🖤❤️💛
Taking bureaucracy and not being able to pay with a card as examples of inefficiency is a weird choice. This is neither where the stereotype comes from, nor are these things good examples of efficiency.
Where do you think the stereotype comes from?
My thoughts: I view efficiency as how many resources (ie. time, labour, effort) are needed to achieve the same result. With the cash example, carrying cash is inefficient because:
-You need to take time to withdraw cash from a bank or ATM, making sure you take out from your bank lest you pay more fees, and in the right amount (too much is a security risk, too little and you will need to repeatedly withdraw more)
-You need to spend extra time counting out your cash when paying, the cashier spends time counting out your change (if you don't think this is inefficient, you've never waited in a long line at the supermarket while the person in front spends an eternity counting out every coin from their wallet lol)
-You have the extra weight to carry around, especially coins
VS you pay in card, with a single tap, which withdraws exactly the right amount in the moment that you need it. Same thing mirrored on the business side.
For the point on bureaucracy - I agree that that a country's bureaucracy is not necessarily representative of its efficiency but it can be an indicator; in this case it was just one example but I probably could have listed some other examples to illustrate my point. If I do a video on working culture in Germany I will probably go into more detail on this.
@@MeghanAbroad Well, on second thought, I agree bureaucracy is an indicator of efficiency, but this is not where the stereotype of German efficiency came from after WWII. As for paying with a card, it is such a small aspect of a whole nation/economy and a service that hasn't been around for long, that it is indeed a bad example. It's very Canadian/American to complain about this, though ;) . Maybe have a look at the article "German efficiency: The roots of a stereotype" and you will see that it's not about paying with cards, but the so-called Prussian virtues that are still present in German society today, even though they become less present. German efficiency is mostly visible in engineering and the production of goods. Even though the Deutsche Bahn does its best to destroy the stereotype of efficiency and punctuality, German high-quality goods and engineering are still globally admired. German professionals are known for their meticulous attention to detail and their commitment to getting things done right the first time. While Germany has low working hours compared to other countries in the world, the German economy is among the strongest in the world. German efficiency is driven by goals, not participation. To Germans, it doesn't matter how much time you spend on something, but how fast you achieve the defined goal. Personally, I think that Germans are actually lazy or gemütlich and value their free time. That's why they organize work as efficiently as possible, so that they may enjoy more leisure.
@@solokom interesting perspective, although I don't agree with all your points. I would never argue against these facts - Germany is top global economy for a reason and excels in manufacturing and engineering. Others have also commented - there is a reason "Made in Germany" is associated with quality . Have detailed and thorough processes to mitigate risk, yes, you could argue that this in the long run is more efficient, and is especially valued for these industries.
However, time is also a valuable factor to consider, particularly in other industries. There are times where focusing on an MVP, coming to a decision quickly even if not everyone agrees, and having a more lean and agile mindset is needed, but this goes against the thoroughness and risk-averse nature of Germans that is so prized in manufacturing in engineering. I've seen this in a lot of cases - decisions that take months to make while competitors were able to move faster, months-long waterfall-like planning for software that later had to be scrapped, nested spreadsheets of processes that needed to go through x chains of approval, etc. Speed and quality are usually at tension with each other, and prioritizing quality over speed in every scenario means you will still lose out in today's globalized economy. In my view, this is one of the reasons Germany lags behind in digital competitiveness.
As you highlighted, "efficiency" is multi-faced and more nuanced than I was able to get into in this video. Anyway, I've enjoyed reading yours and others comments on this topic, it's always interesting to hear different perspectives and I always learn something :)
Hazel Brugger is swiss!
That's true - I guess it would be better to say German-speaking comedians
Nice video, yea here in Hamburg or the north in general we're more reserved and stick to our own. Leben und leben lassen. Especially here in Hamburg you'll see this very often in terms of celebrities and luxury cars. Unless it is an official event most residents will ignore these. I stopped counting how many celebritites I've seen while shopping or taking a walk. Same with luxury cars. I look at them if at all and move on. Tourists and others try to get as many photos as possible. They should let them be by themself.
@ExtremeTeddy Leben und leben lassen - actually one of the those things about Germany that fits closely with my personality, generally I don't enjoy smalltalk and like to stay in my own lane as well, but quite a few people I've met from other cultures find it off-putting
@@MeghanAbroad I see similarities. Normally I only engage in small-talk, if considered small-talk and not an actual discussion, when I'm interested in something. Although for example a good party experience involves some good talks with other guests, doesn't mean I enforre them. A lot of stuff would be far easier and relaxed when everyone would mind their own business in respect to some rules and conformities.
Enjoy your stay in germany :)
😇👍👍👍👍👍🙏
I hope you feeled save in germany, because since 2015 germany has the same problems like canada. Mass immigration. Thanks also for your opinion. with most things I agree with you.
Also I hope you will be safe in the future and take care. Iam just sad what happens to our great countries.... :(
One reason for what happens to Germany is "the immigrants". Say thank you to Mutti Angela = the one who opened the Borders and destroyed German energy production - paid $ 800 Bio to build a pipeline Russia Germany for her friend Vlad Putin - (Google - she and him attended the same Stasi workshops on community activists in East Germany) and the pipeline was supposed to bypass Ukraine)
She declared nuclear energy illegal as of 2022.
When did Putin attack Ukraine?
Absolutely, I feel extremely safe in Germany
I support immigration to both Canada and Germany, it should however also be accompanied by laws and policy that support both incoming and existing residents of the country
11:42 germanized 😂
😆
Hi Arno, das war auch mein erster Gedanke, musste direkt schmunzeln.
Auch interessant, irgendwie werden uns beiden die gleichen Kanäle vorgeschlagen.
Viele Grüße an den Bodensee 👋🏻
@@Opa_Andre Manchmal funktioniert der Algorithmus richtig gut. Servus André 🙋♂
Change the title to “Canadian emigrant”
Why?
@@MeghanAbroad cause that’s what you are if you emigrate out of Canada. Expat is a really dumb word to use and is only used nowadays by westerners in order to avoid calling themselves immigrants in whatever country they moved to. Expat comes from expatriation, and the historical origin of the word meant removal of people by force, for instance Native Americans from their lands. Another example is the revocation of citizenship of Jews in Nazi Germany, forcing them to move abroad.
Thanks for sharing your perspective - after reading your comment I spent some time researching to better understand the term usage and wanted to share my thoughts.
I'm using the word "expat" in the title based on its contemporary usage - "someone who is living temporarily in another country than their home country". While "immigrant" often denotes permanently settling in another country, my stay in Germany isn't permanent, so "expat" felt more accurate for my situation. I understand the historical context you mentioned and I certainly don't condone the "removal of people by force" as you mentioned. However, I believe the modern use of "expat" has evolved away from those connotations and is a common term in contemporary usage, especially as a search term here on youtube.
I appreciate your input and will keep this perspective in mind for future content, but as of right now I will leave the title as-is.
And ask the question - Why are the emigrating int the first place.
Hum, efficiency doesn't mean lean processes. It simply means processes are in place, often these processes are streamlined. This is in order to be prepared for many/most cases.
One way to explain that talking about it is more efficient than making processes work. One of those who abuse the time of others in meetings argues about the definition of things rather than contributing constructive input.
Efficiency imho is about achieving your goal with as little effort/ressources as possible.
+peterboil4064 I view efficiency as how many resources (ie. time, labour, effort) are needed to achieve the same result. In my opinion Germany is not as effective at prioritizing efficiency, conversely their processes are typically very thorough/detailed which can mean it requires additional time, effort, resources, etc to get to the same outcome. As someone else mentioned however, this can be an advantage in manufacturing, engineering, or other highly regulated industries, which Germany does indeed excel at.
First of all - being German myself - I wouldn't have expected to be seen as efficient,
rather: as thorough and aiming for quality. Being prepared.
The German being structured has a clear tendency to being over-regulated, very true! And thoroughness, especially bureaucracy, takes its time.
Hi (Moin), I have to say that bureaucracy and efficiency are two different things. Efficiency more in the production of things, work processes for example. Self check out has been partially abolished here, for one thing it's a job killer. Why should the customer actually do the work? 🙋♂
Moin Arno, I agree that a country's bureaucracy is not necessarily representative of its efficiency but it can be an indicator; in this case it was just one example but I probably could have listed some other examples to illustrate my point. I view efficiency as how many resources (ie. time, labour, effort) are needed to achieve the same result.
For example with the self-checkouts, since labour is so expensive in Germany, the stores (grocery and clothing) usually never had enough employees meaning huge lines (more time) just to check out. Whereas at the few REWEs I visited that had self-checkouts I could be in and out in under 5 minutes. Even removing the self-checkouts from the equation, a lot of countries have an express lane served by a cashier for people buying 10 items or less - which I've never seen in Germany. So even if I am buying 2 items, I still need to spend time waiting in the same line as the person in front of me with 50 items. (I understand some people still prefer interacting with a person rather that a machine, and the economic implications of automating "low-skilled" jobs are also its own topic)
Generally I noticed the efficiency theme A LOT in work contexts. Having worked in both Canada and Germany, and also internationally with other cultures, it was interesting to me that if there was a topic of a process that had a certain error rate, Canadians/Americans/Brits would focus on how we can make the process simpler/more efficient to get a better result, whereas the Germans would focus on adding MORE - more checks/steps, more people verifying each stage, stricter tracking, etc. There are pros and cons to both approaches depending on the context.
Anyway, I appreciate you sharing your perspective!
@@MeghanAbroad Well, I never go shopping in really big supermarkets, so that's not a problem for me. The ‘real’ stores used to be similar to Walmart, but like Walmart, not a success here either. I have 6 different ones to choose from within a 10 minute walk. Go shopping 3-4 times a week, I'm sure that's different in North America. Before weekends and public holidays you might queue for 5 minutes, but otherwise? I never really need more than half an hour. Maybe it's different in big cities like Hamburg? I'm slower at the checkout than the staff, especially at Aldi and Lidl.
There's a reason why I prefer flying with Airbus to Boeing. Everything that has to do with safety.
That's why ‘Made in Germany’ * and ‘Made in Switzerland’ are a seal of quality, but not from other nations. *Interesting background story of the label
Have you ever heard of Hidden champions? These are SMEs that are world market leaders in their niche industries. 50% of them are German companies.
Holy cow - a communist is explaining the reason why productivity, efficiency, and profitability are all tools invented by capitalists to exploit those who are needy - because of these three evil words.
Having lived in the north in Hamburg too for a few years, and known germans and austrians from many regions; the one Stereotype I fully agree with is Germans... more so those from what was Western Germany; have way too much faith in their media and state. The only reason this is becoming a problem is the those two have become a lot more comfortable with bending the truth if not outright lying over the last decade. I don't think Germany is doomed or this or that needs to be fixed; just I've heard a lot of really crazy things from Germans over the years. 😂
Du verstehst das Problem mit dem Bargeld nicht? Bezahlst du mit Karte, bekommt die Bank 1,5 % für jede Trransaktion. Bezahlst du 10 euro, hat der Verkäufer tatsächlich nur 9,85 euro. Bezahlt er seine Ware, hat der Grosshändler nur noch 9,70 euro von diesen 10 euro, weil die Bank wieder 1,5% bekommt. Das virtuelle Geld wird immer weniger und die Bank bekommt immer mehr davon.
Convenience hat auch ihren Preis. In viele Ländern würdest du Kunden verlieren, wenn du nur Bar akzeptierst, weil deine Konkurrenz Karten akzeptiert und viele kein Bargeld mehr mit sich tragen wollen.
@@MeghanAbroad Du hast völlig recht mit deinem Einwand. Stellen wir uns mal eine bargeldlose Gesellschaft vor.... Banken erstellen Negativzinsen, du musst ja dann deinen Verdienst irgendwo lassen. Du bist nicht mehr Besitzer deines Geldes. Sperrt man dein Konto aus irgendwelchen Gründen, hast du keine Chance mehr irgend etwas zum Leben zu bekommen. Du kannst nicht mal auf die Beine kommen, indem du Tageslöhnerjobs annimmst.Wie solltest du bezahlt werden, dein Konto ist futsch.....bisschen dystopisch, aber denkbar. Meine Oma hat den Krieg miterlebt und deshalb, zur Sicherheit, immer Bargeld im Strumpf zu Hause aufbewahrt. Das prägt wahrscheinlich unser Verhältnis zum Bargeld. Da stellen wir die Bequemlichkeit gern hintenan. Das wird sich mit jeder jüngeren Generation wohl nach und nach ändern...
1. Efficiency - Absolutely correct. Germans as individuals are hard workers. The world has not realized yet to what extent Angela Merkel has successfully driven West Germany into a "Government-controlled" (communist) country. I have worked as a consultant for both French and German manufacturers. I found that the professional level of expertise in the areas of manufacturing labor skills was higher in Germany but totally eliminated by "the system"
2. Humour - On the nail. But this actually has not so much to do with Humour but more with the fact that Germans are different from French and both are not identical to Italians. Tell that a woke Wako lunatic - he makes you believe that everybody is equal and that nationalities are a thing created by capitalists.
I speak a few European languages and understand that a "language" is only a "tool" to communicate a message and express your way of thinking about issues Joking around with a German is totally different from teasing a Frenchman or talking about food with an Italian. The French will enjoy talking about the the quality of the food in detail - the Germans will gladly give you a tip where you find a great deal on Sausages und Bier vom Fass.
Great channel.
Thanks for sharing your perspective and experience! I like what you said that "language is only a tool to communicate a message and express your way of thinking" - as I learn other languages it's always interesting to see culture reflected in the language and vice versa
"communist" 🙈😂
Please read up on what "communist" means.
@@peterboil4064 Go and live in Russia or China - and you will know. Nobody will miss you in the West. Enjoy. And good luck with asking this question there. You will get the answer.
Communist? Merkel???