Why are Germans so stiff??

• I can't believe how hard it is to make friends over here!! Is there anything that can make these people laugh??? I've been here for 2 months now, and am already thinking of leaving this f... country.

  25 Jul 2005, 08:55 Anonymous

Replies

• It's all that starch!

  I have been here for 3 years and I don't think they ever loosen up.

  Anonymous 25 Jul 2005, 10:11 - Report

• Stiff Germans and Curry Würst

  I heard that starch is the main ingredient for Sour Kraut and Curry Würst. Maybe that's why they are so stiff...

  Anonymous 28 Jul 2005, 04:42 - Report

• Angel

  Whats up with you? Not all the Germans are so stiff. Maybe you life in the wrong part or whatever. I`m here
  since 6 Months an I`ve meet lot of people. Come to Heidelberg an you will see...
  Don`t give up. An in other coutries (like Italy or France
  ) the people are more stiff than the most germans...
  

  Anonymous 29 Jul 2005, 06:57 - Report

• It all takes time

  They normally are quite stiff in the beginning, but once you get to know them they start to loosen up ;o)

  Anonymous 30 Jul 2005, 01:19 - Report

• yes i think the same

  yes u are right, hard ppl.
  they are very direct to tell the stuffs but nothing polite.
  
  its hard to live there.
  believe me

  Anonymous 03 Aug 2005, 05:12 - Report

• Why are Germans so stiff??

  My theory is that it has to do with the cold and rainy weather. I think it makes you bitter and less likely to talk to others.
  I am German but I moved to Australia when I was 20 and have been here for 6 years now. I made heaps more friends over here than I ever did at home.
  There are some really nice Germans but they`re hard to find! Don`t give up though!

  Anonymous 05 Aug 2005, 10:35 - Report

• Germans

  I've lived here for four years now, I speak fluent German. I don't have German friends, I wouldn't want them If I had them. They're boring and humorless. I'm leaving soon.

  Anonymous 11 Aug 2005, 09:31 - Report

• Milagros

  Then please go! All of you who don`t like hte Germans go and if you find a country on which all the people are happy please tell it to me!!!
  I´m from Argentina an I left my country 3 years ago. And since tat day I life in Germany. And I found friends. Maybe you (all of you who wrote that ... ) are so stiff. And I know many germans who are not boring. I was on a marriage few month ago in France and I sat on an table with Germans. And our table was the one on which we laugh the most.
  So shout up an look for a coutry in which the people are funny and happy and leave Germany as soon as possible it´s the best for you and for all the people you make bad...
  I stay here and I´m happy to have my german friends!
  
  

  Anonymous 12 Aug 2005, 12:55 - Report

• making friends

  In my experience, making friends is just done differently as most of us foreigners are used to. Germans seem to meet, invite people for dinner at their houses and have small private parties there. A party with or without music, beer, fun, debate or whatever. In any case, most of the time, YOU have to be the one that opens the door for the first, second, third and fourth time. Then the gesture is returned and you have a chance to enter into a surprising network. If you have enough patience to hold on in doing so, then after more or less the fourth attempt, also German people proove to become your best and funiest friends in the world! (In some regions, you may have to go for a fifth attempt... but do not give up, people are the same everywhere even though politicians try to make us believe otherwise!)

  Anonymous 21 Aug 2005, 12:56 - Report

• half accord...

  try to connect with german ppl. But you have to leave first at your country friends, too...
  I hate always from foreigners whose never try to make friends in teh country they are, coz all the time are with their country´s friends.
  but yeah, anywaythe most of the oppinions over here are right, germans are a little bit complicated and many rules into their head to follow...
  
  Tschuss.
  

  Anonymous 22 Aug 2005, 08:29 - Report

• Germans so stiff?!!? nooo!

  I visited Germany last week, and i met the nicest people. I really didn't meet stif German...I inmidiatly felt welcome in Germany. This year i will study in Germany for a few moths, and i really looking forward to it!
  I dont think its because of the German people, but because of the people YOU met. You have stiff people all over the world. I live in Holland for all my life, but i can't wait to go away for some months!!

  Anonymous 23 Aug 2005, 10:16 - Report

• No!!! not at all

  I have a friend in Germany. She is my best friend.
  She is so open and sweet and humarous too. So in my openion Germans are not that stiff. Thanx

  Anonymous 24 Aug 2005, 11:06 - Report

• Mr. Anonymous!

  Hi Mr. Anonymous - could it be that you're a little stiff yourself????????????

  Anonymous 31 Aug 2005, 09:33 - Report

• German stiffies

  I think the difficult thing for foreigners in Germany to understand is that there are certain customs you need to follow. Making friends is more of a ritual than in southern European countries.
  
  Take into account that a German will probably be quite cold towards you the first few times you come into contact with them. This is the case if you speak perfect German or not. As a foreginer, you might need to make more effoft than you expect.
  
  Hoever, if you keep up the efforts you will be rewarded. Germans value friendship highly and when you make friends you will keep them, so it is worth the effort to try.

  Anonymous 07 Sep 2005, 01:34 - Report

• no es asi

  i am from colombia , and my boyfriend is from germany ..he is funny , cute ....and all his friends are like that ... i am complety sure that the people that think it about them .. is becuase they aren't sp friendly A V

  Anonymous 15 Sep 2005, 06:55 - Report

• Germans

  The younger generation of Germans is among the most open-minded and friendly in the world. And the women are SUPERB. They are a refreshing contrast to the...subhuman, belligerent, ugly, arrogant feminist women of the Third World (England), for example.

  Anonymous 15 Sep 2005, 02:51 - Report

• I now have hope

  To the person who said invite them over 2, 3, 4, 5 times - thank you! I was teriffied to keep pushing with the people I've just met here in Germany (I've only been here a very short time), because the responses I was getting to friendly greetings were more along the lines of American responses to people they don't like. I did note that if I kept talking, they relaxed and behaved more friendly, so I think it may be that you are right and if I keep trying, I will make friends soon! Thank you!

  Anonymous 17 Sep 2005, 01:54 - Report

• mmmmhhh...

  ... maybe you are stiff yourself? I personally didn't have any problems with the Germans!

  Anonymous 09 Oct 2005, 11:27 - Report

• don't be stupid and talk!! that's all...

  Hi, I´m mexican, I have 2 months here and I have friends yet...I have gone to partys a lot of times, and I have a little less than a year left to have more fun! It depends in how u are... if u want to have some friends, I recommend u to enter a sport club, specially soccer, most of the times there u can find the best people (like in USA football), or try some other sport. It is difficult at the beginning to make frineds, a friend of me was last year here and at first he was like u, just having bad time, but then he made friends and he said it was really fun, traveling for all the country. (he told me about the soccer thing, belive me, it works!)

  Anonymous 13 Oct 2005, 08:47 - Report

• You just need to be open-minded

  I think everybody would feel overwhelmed because of not having German friends. I've been here in Germany for three weeks and still I have made some german friends already. There are very much people outside willing to help you, you just need to ask. I come from Mexico, so our cultures are completly different, I admint that I had lost of wrong ideas abot germans but I had to change my way of thinking about them. I took away all prejudice thoughts i had, and then accepting the new customs people have in here. It could be nice of you whom have problems getting along with germans to extinguish all bad thoughts and accept them as they are. We can't change people but change ourselves to change others.
  
  

  Anonymous 29 Oct 2005, 02:53 - Report