The one cultural aspect that I would like to elaborate on is body language. The language that I am trying to improve is German, hence I will reflect on readings about the German culture, but also on my own experience when interacting with Germans.
Germans seem to be very distanced people. Hugging or kissing the cheek is reserved only for very close friends or family. Furthermore, they do not like someone shouting or yelling, but they may be perceived very harsh and arrogant when talking. This might be due to the German language itself which has a rather rough sound to foreigners. The other reason might be their directness and strive for efficiency, but also their rather emotionless gaze. However, they are not aggressive nor rude in any way, although they have a special kind of humor. They are just assertive. Also, they like to keep eye contact when talking to you, and avoiding it may signal insecurity and unfriendliness. Since I come from a culture that also appreciates eye contact too, I have never had a problem to keep up with this, but I have experienced Germans getting angry and annoyed by people who look away. Keeping eye contact translates to: “Hey, I’m talking to you. Would you please listen to me!.” Parallel to this, Germans are very honest and polite flattery is not common. They mean what they say. Moreover, when going to a business meeting, Germans always shake hands. Additionally, they do not like to chat about personal life if they just met you, nor about religion and politics. It takes time to cross that line.
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