Article
German Communication and Why It Bothers Us
ID # 3700
Cultural Misunderstandings
Differences in communication styles between US Americans and Germans quite frequently make one group perceive the other as rude for a variety of reasons. Americans might perceive Germans as overly frank and sometimes outright insulting, while it is common for Germans to see Americans as loud and tactless. However, a better understanding of the differences in communication style between the two can be important to overcome initial negative perceptions.
Verbal Communication
The primary difference to understand is the level of directness in speech. Germans value truth and to some degree efficiency over politeness and formality in speech, and directness is considered a sign of respect. This plays out in numerous ways which an American who isn’t accustomed to it may find to be signs of character flaws. Germans are sometimes accused of arrogance, because, unlike Americans, they see self-deprecation as an avoidance of fact and therefore will talk about themselves without the qualification or humility that Americans tend to value. Thus, when talking about one’s self, Germans seem arrogant to Americans and Americans come across as disrespectful and unserious.
Humor
Americans often think that Germans are far too serious and have no sense of fun or humor which would be incorrect – all cultures have very complex and intricate understandings of humor which often fail to translate well. Rather, the perceived serious tone of Germans again has to do with the value they place on directness, in that in serious matters, one should be as serious and to the point as possible. Americans value a certain degree of humor even in the most serious of situations, but Germans see misplaced humor as disrespectful and a sign of concealing one’s true intentions or emotions – again, in serious situations. In my own personal experience, the German people I’ve known have always had a great sense of humor. They do however lack a true appreciation and understanding of sarcasm, verbal irony, and dry wit – all of which are unfortunately very important in American conversational humor.
Similarities
Germans and Americans both have Germanic cultural origins, and at the level of discourse, linear narrative is often the more valued form of conversation and story-telling. In other words, both Americans and Germans are more likely to ‘get to the point’ than, say, Latin Americans, Southern Europeans, or Native Americans. Many such cultures and cultural traditions tend to infer some elements of a story while adding elements that, to the more linear-minded, are not crucial or even necessarily relevant. Germans and Americans, by and large, and in formal or high socially significant situations, regard linear discourse as more valuable and preferred. Thus, although the varying levels of directness may lead to some awkward social situations, when Germans and Americans get together to do business, they easily work well with each other in the long run because of the similarity in a preference for linear dissemination of information. That isn’t to say that people and cultures with a more linear mindset can’t get along and work with those who are more non-linear, it simply requires a little more work and a little more cultural awareness and competency.
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