The Germans love to tell you when you do things wrong, and you if you aren’t prepared for it, it’ll start to get you down, because the Germans won’t tell you when you do things right. The Schwabs coined the phrase that not being yelled at is enough praise, but the idea applies nation wide. If you live in Germany, be prepared for strangers to point out all of your faults.
If you ride your bicycle around town and accidently leave your little headlamp on during the day time, 73% of Germans will yell at you for driving with your light on. Maybe it is because Germans are so concerned with the environment and that you are generating an extra 3 Watts of needless heat that are contributing further to global warming (and of course it’s even worse that you do this as an American). Or maybe its just because the Germans can’t resist telling you that you are doing something wrong no matter how trivial.
deutsche Übersetzung für Astrid ein/ausblenden
Hey Ho Astrid!
Hier die Übersetzung:
Nicht angeschrien zu werden ist Lob genug
Die Deutschen lieben es, Ihnen zu sagen, wenn Sie etwas falsch machen, und wenn Sie darauf nicht vorbereitet sind, wird es sie herunterziehen, denn die Deutschen werden es Ihnen nicht sagen, wenn Sie etwas richtig machen. Die Schwaben haben eine Redewendung dafür erfunden, aber die Idee dahinter trifft deutschlandweit zu. Wenn Sie in Deutschland leben, seien Sie darauf vorbereitet, dass Fremde Sie auf Ihre Fehler aufmerksam machen werden.
Wenn Sie mit dem Fahrrad durch den Ort fahren und versehentlich die vordere Lampe anlassen, werden 73% der Deutschen sie dafür anschreien. Vielleicht ist das, weil Deutsche sich so viele Gedanken um die Umwelt machen und Sie zusätzliche 3 Watt unnütze Wärme erzeugen, die weiter zur globalen Erwärmung beitragen (und dass Sie dies als Amerikaner tun, macht es natürlich noch schlimmer). Oder vielleicht ist es auch nur so, weil die Deutschen nicht widerstehen können, Ihnen zu erzählen, dass Sie etwas falsch machen, egal wie unbedeutend es ist.
Bussi,
John
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June 10th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
I think you’re wrong on this one
June 10th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
We all know that Americans never ride a bike so this example just isn’t applicable. What we do know is that Americans are driving around in their Hummers just to buy 3.78541178 liters of milk they had forgotten earlier. And while Americans are on the way to get fresh milk with 350 horsepower they leave their oversized fridge open, just because this is more convenient.
June 10th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Dent: Sorry, but he’s right. A passenger knocked on my windshield. I opened my window and he said “Se wissed scho dass Se med Licht fahred?” (”You know your light beams are switched on” in Schwäbisch).
But on the other hand… Dear author: So what does an American do when he notices a man, a stranger, with his fly open inadvertently? I mean, if he tries to be polite? Would you care telling him or leave him in his embarassing situation? This really puzzles me and I am no “Schwab”
Oh come on, you would try not to notice? 
You would?!? This is killing me. Vive la difference.
June 10th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
It is the law in Canada to leave daytime running lights on: it results in fewer accidents. Since a stranger stopped me this winter to tell me how I should have dressed my daughter (you must put a hat on her) and another told me that her pants were not warm enough, I’ll say this is 100% accurate.
June 10th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
I agree with the author. Especially old people like to yell at strangers for things that are one of their business. Even today, an old man grumbled at me for crossing the street at a red light. Happens all the time.
As for the story with the headlights, I’m sure they did that to help not to yell at you.
June 10th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
It’s just a different form of looking out for each other and caring for your neighbour
June 10th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Well, in the case with the headlight people would probably consider it just a nice gesture to tell you that it’s still on. They’d be glad themselves if someone told them they forgot to turn it off, so they think the other one will be glad as well if they tell them.
June 10th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
I have to admit that especially after returning from the US I had troubles with not being told when I did things right. In my book, the absence of yelling or criticism isn’t the same as praise.
Fortunately, my colleagues, friends and I have the same opinion when it comes to this issue: we tell each other openly if something sucks and we don’t hesitate to praise someone if he or she did things right.
Oh, and about the lights: I always drive (car) with my lights on, even at 12 noon on a sunny day. In my opinion, it makes driving safer. So I know how you feel, you wouldn’t believe how many people signal me that I have left my lights on
June 10th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
That’s proof that Germans invented Unix and hence own Linux and Mac OS and all other Unix stuff. Unix’ “no news is good news” concept is clearly German. Everybody who uses Windows just can’t stand the truth that Germans rule their computers.
(Hope I made the appropriate troll level for this blog. If not, you irony-detector is broken.)
June 10th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
SvB: If an American spots somebody with the fly down, they call police. It’s obviously a sex offender. Viva la paranoia!
June 10th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
We just care for each other. Telling them what they do wrong they have the chance to improve and not do the same mistake over and over again.
As for the headlamp: I would never tell anybody to switch it off; I would even encourage them to leave it on if it’s not too much work due to the dynamo most bicycles have because it is much more secure. It’s even law for motorbikes because they are seen better. Any reason why this should be different for bicycles?
June 10th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
@Starstuff:
You wouldn’t believe how many people I do signal when they drive without light in the evening.
They are often virtually invisible then…
June 10th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
as a german i agree on that. we’re the best in pointing out someone’s faults
June 11th, 2008 at 12:26 am
Sorry, but you did a terrible fault. You pointed out our fault of pointing out everyone’s fault. You can’t do this. You are American. We are the Germans. We need to point out your faults. Not the other way round.
June 11th, 2008 at 7:40 am
@Henrik: LOL, I get your point … the best part probably is when they point out to you that there’s still this very last ray of sunshine (only visible to them) and that they actually preserve energy or improve their battery life by not using the headlights. If I had a penny for every time I was told that …
@Silvian: That’s a very Garibaldi-like answer, kudos
(as in B5, »Matters of Honor«)
June 11th, 2008 at 10:38 am
Actually, I think I kind of like it. Growing up in a Catholic/Korean household, I’ve grown accustomed to (even needy of?) criticism, so the random German who corrects me on stuff doesn’t bother me, unless I get the feeling it’s to satisfy their sense of superiority. I love seeing the old ladies that yell at people that cross the street on a red light (they’re setting a bad example for the kids!), or when people honk at me when I’ve got a taillight out (you’re going to get yourself killed!).
My theory is that culturally, there’s almost a interdependence or implied assumption among Germans that people follow the rules. Not having to second guess if your neighbor is doing the right thing makes for more communal or agreeable living. Maybe it stemmed from necessity from trying to combine 16 states (and arguably 38+ city-states before that) into one nation. Anyway, it’s grown on me to the point where nowadays I’m really, really perturbed when some inconsiderate Radfahrer DOESN’T ring his bell when he’s coming up behind me. Grrr…
June 11th, 2008 at 11:13 am
I agree with JC; it really does grow on you. I feel 84% safer with the knowledge that my every move will be scrutinized by my peers, even if 58% my peers are old ladies with mustaches and 72.56% of my moves involve crossing the street when the Ampelmännchen is red.
June 20th, 2008 at 8:50 am
I am a German living south of Stuttgart and I know 2 different versions of this saying:
Nothing said is praise enough (nix gsagt isch globt gnug) and
Not complained is praise enough (net gschimpft isch globt gnug).
Hey, and do you now the highest praise for a swabian housewife?
One can eat it (mr kos essa).
July 8th, 2008 at 10:31 am
Cologne seems to be pretty much different. But it always depends on the German region you live in.
August 18th, 2008 at 11:17 am
How very true. It also happens with flatmates for example. you are always told what you did wrong but never when it was good..
October 14th, 2008 at 9:13 am
Hi all,
I as a German agree with your observations.
But the case of headlights on during daytime is different:
some years ago people usually didn’t drive with their lights on by day. So if you spotted someone with lights on, he obviously had forgotten to turn it off. And he surely will forget to turn it off when he leaves the car (German cars had no buzzers or dingelings to remind you to do so). The consequence: His battery will run down and he can’t get home without calling the ADAC.
So if a German reminds you of having your lights on, it’s pure friendliness! No kidding!
Nichts für ungut,
Piet
November 8th, 2008 at 11:46 pm
Piet is completely right! I (as a German) would be happy if someone pointed out to me that my bike headlight was still switched on during daytime. That would save me from running out of battery and cycling back home at night without light. And from being then honked at by some caring fellow German whose way it is for saying “Girl, I almost killed you, you’d better switch you headlights on before some else hits you because he doesn’t notice you in the dark.”
March 6th, 2009 at 11:32 am
yeah… until some years ago, bike-lights were powered by dynamos (little generators powered by your own cycling effort) so if you had your dynamo switched on, cycling would be much harder and you would have been glad to be reminded of that
but what am i doing, i’m becoming an “explainer” lol^^
June 19th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Ed gschempft isch globd gnuag
Nicht geschimpft ist genug gelobt
not being yelled at is enough praise
LOL