Small Talk Why Germans Wont Tell You How They Feel

One of the many clichà ©s about Germany and the Germans says that they act in a not very friendly or even rude manner towards strangers. You might get that impression when you first come to Germany and try to get to know somebody else on a train, a bar or at work. Especially as an American, you might be used to getting in contact with strangers really quickly. In Germany, you probably wont. It is a scientifically proven fact  that German people simply dont chat in public places when they dont know each other. But what is often interpreted as rude manners, is more like a basic inability of Germans to small talk - they simply are not used to it. For Most Germans, Small Talk is a Waste of Time So, if you get the impression that Germans are not willing to talk to you, it isnt a result of their grumpy mood. In fact, it comes more from another behavior often observed on Germans: They are said to be very direct and trying to be effective in what they are doing - thats why most of them dont think it is necessary to small talk as it costs time without producing measurable results. For them, its simply a waste of time. That doesnt mean that Germans never talk to strangers. That would make them very lonely people very soon. It is more about the kind of small talk that is very common in the USA like e.g. asking your opposite about how she feels and she will answer that shes feeling fine whether it is true or not. You will rarely come across that kind of conversation here in Germany. Yet, as soon as you get to know someone a little better and ask him how he feels, he will probably tell you that hes feeling basically fine but that hes got a lot of stress at work, doesnt sleep well and has come over a little cold lately. In other words: Hell be more honest with you and share his feelings. Its said that its not too easy to make German friends, but once youve managed to befriend one, he or she will be a real and loyal friend. I dont need to tell you that not all Germans are the same and especially young people are very open towards foreigners. It might be due to the fact that they are able to communicate better in English than the older Germans. It is more a basic cultural difference that becomes obvious in daily situations with strangers. The Case of Walmart In the opinion of many Germans, Americans talk a lot without saying anything. It leads to the stereotype that the US-culture is superficial. A good example of what can happen if you ignore this difference in public friendliness towards others is the failure of Walmart in Germany about ten years ago. Besides the big competition in the German food-discounter market, Walmarts problems to deal with German labor-union culture and other economic reasons distressed the German employees and customers. While it is common in the US that you are welcomed by a greeter smiling at you when you enter the store, Germans are rather confused by this kind of unexpected friendliness. A stranger wishing me a pleasant shopping and even asking me how I feel? Let me just do my shopping and leave me alone. Even the discreet smile of the cashiers at Wall Mart didnt fit into the German culture of dealing with strangers with a healthy professional distance.   Not Rude but Effective On the other hand, Germans in comparison to many Americans are rather direct when offering criticism or appreciation. Also in service places like a post office, a pharmacy or even at the hairdressers, Germans come in, say what they want, take it and leave again without extending their stay more than necessary to get the job done. For Americans, this must feel like someone  fà ¤llt mit der Tà ¼r ins Haus and downright rude. This behavior is also linked to the German language. Just think about compound words: It gives you all the information that you need as precisely as possible in just one word. Punkt. A Fußbodenschleifmaschinenverleih is a rental shop for floor grinding machines - one word in German vs. six words in English.  A while ago we even found a study that actually claims to prove such a connection.   Perhaps some stereotypes have their Daseinsberechtigung. Next time you are trying to small talk with a German just say to yourself: Theyre not rude, theyre just effective. Just in case you are interested in avoiding the many traps of intercultural differences I strongly recommend the book Doing Business with Germans by Sylvia Schroll-Machl. We gift this to all our clients for good reasons.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd ) - 2353 Words

Abstract Individuals that show to have Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are significantly affected both mentally and emotionally due to the exposure to a traumatic event. PTSD is a life-long disorder that is being seen diagnosed more and more among returning soldiers and sexually-violated individuals. Because of its increased detection, the importance of constructing effective treatments for individuals living with PTSD is becoming increasingly recognized. Although effectively treating PTSD has shown to be rather difficult and complicated, there have been potential breakthroughs, and a large amount of research is still being devoted to discovering treatments for this disorder. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature that†¦show more content†¦The first criterion, exposure to a traumatic event, is central to PTSD. One has to be exposed, either directly or indirectly (e.g. learning about a traumatic event), in order for them to acquire PTSD. Only being exposed to a tra umatic event is not enough to acquire this disorder, though, indicating that the acquisition of this disorder is associated with both environmental and genetic causes. The rest of the criteria for PTSD are direct consequences of this first criterion (Friedman, 2013). Intrusion symptoms are those such as recurring memories, dreams, and flashbacks of the traumatic event that are distressful and unwanted. Intrusion symptoms also include psychological and physiological responses when exposed to reminders of the traumatic event (Friedman, 2013). Avoidance symptoms are the avoidant actions an individual takes to counter the intrusion symptoms. Since these intrusion symptoms are of a distressful nature, an individual might consistently and determinately attempt to avoid all things (memories, dreams, flashbacks, environmental reminders) related to the traumatic event (Friedman, 2013). The fourth criterion, negative alterations in cognitions and mood,

Madam Free Essays

Introduction to Roman Society and Culture Erik Gunderson (e. gunderson@utoronto. ca) TR10-12; Brennan Hall 200 Of? ce Hours at Lilian Massey 207: M 2-3; TR 9-10; and by appointment Description: Our goal is to become familiar with some of the key events, personalities, and themes of Roman civilization. We will write a custom essay sample on Madam or any similar topic only for you Order Now We will examine in particular those issues that the Romans themselves emphasized as essential aspects of Roman identity. Evaluation: mid-term exam: in-class essay: ? nal examination: Texts: Required: Livy, Livy The Early History of Rome, Books I-V. Penguin) (ISBN: 978-0140448092) Petronius, Satyricon (Penguin) (ISBN: 978-0140444896) Course reader Suggested: Karl Christ, The Romans: An Introduction to Their History and Civilization (California) (ISBN: 0520056345) On-Line: http://antisigma. classics. utoronto. ca/classes/2011-12/cla233_wi2012/ [user: cla233; pass: wi2012] https://portal. utoronto. ca/ [check here in case there are problems with the above] 30% 30% 40% CLA233 Syllabus 1 Week Date 1 10 Jan 12 Jan 2 17 Jan 19 Jan 3 24 Jan 26 Jan 4 31 Jan 02 Feb 5 07 Feb Theme Introduction Warriors Reading Livy, History of Rome, Book 1 Livy, History of Rome, Book 1 Livy, History of Rome, Book 5 Livy, History of Rome, Book 5 Plutarch, Life of Aemilius Paulus Ruler and ruled Quintus Cicero, Essay on Running for Consul Plautus, Pseudolus Petronius, Satyricon, â€Å"Dinner with Trimalchio† 09 Feb Mid-term exam 6 14 Feb Speakers 16 Feb Quintilian, Institutes, Book 12 Tacitus, Dialogue on Oratory Reading Week 7 28 Feb 01 Mar Members of a family 8 06 Mar 08 Mar 9 13 Mar Social performers 15 Mar In-class paper 10 20 Mar 22 Mar 11 27 Mar Polytheists 29 Mar 12 03 Apr 05 Apr Conclusion Seneca, Moral Letters, Book 1 Suetonius, Life of Nero Livy 39. -19; Apuleius, Golden Ass, Book 11 Lucretius 1. 1-158; Plautus, Amphytruo, prologue Lucian, Alexander Sample declamations; Petronius, â€Å"Puteoli† + â€Å"Eumolpus† Cicero, Letters to his Friends, Books 14 16 Tacitus, Annales 13. 1-30; 14. 1-28 Plautus, Aulularia Pliny, Letters, Book 3 CLA233 Syllabus 2 Administrative notes: 1. I f any member of the class is obliged to miss a test for reasons beyond his/her control, there will be no make-up exam, and the weight of the exam in question will be transferred to the next comparable element of the course requirements. Only illness, serious personal af? iction, religious obligation, and unforeseeable duties of family care will be considered good reasons for missing a test. Satisfactory evidence must be provided. If such evidence is not provided, the exam will be given zero as its score. 2. The instructor is happy to see individual members of the class to discuss any aspect of the course. But please note that this does not mean that the instructor will give private tuition to individuals. In particular, he cannot be expected to give tuition that merely repeats material covered in regular class time. Instruction is given in the classroom only. During the of? ce hours indicated above members of the class should feel free to drop by the instructor’s of? ce without any need to make an appointment. If, however, these hours do not suit your timetable, please see the instructor at the end of class, or get in touch by telephone or email, to make an appointment at a time that suits both parties. . Members of the class are free to consult the instructor by e-mail where this is appropriate, but are asked to keep this to a minimum. Matters that need only a few moments’ attention can be dispensed with more conveniently in a direct personal exchange at the end of a class. Members of the class should need no reminding that e-mail requests for individual tuition in the form of, for example, detailed questions on texts discussed in a class which a given individual did no t attend will not be granted. 4. In cases of academic misconduct the instructor will assume that all members of the class are familiar with the Faculty’s codes of behavior on academic matters and student conduct. See The Faculty of Arts and Science Calendar (http://www. artsandscience. utoronto. ca/ofr/ calendar/rules. htm#behaviour). If you are unfamiliar with these codes and the binding de? nitions of terms such as plagiarism, you are expected to become acquainted with them before submitting any work for this course. CLA233 Syllabus 3 How to cite Madam, Papers