Germany officially became a nation in 1871. And supposedly right away, an inferiority complex began to emerge in the 19th century. Being clueless as those in intellectual circles often are … some attempted to counterbalance this by claiming that Germans were spiritually and morally superior to all other people. They coined the slogan “Am deutschen Wesen soll die Welt genesen” (the German spirit shall heal the world) the case having been made that to make the world a better place, Germans would have to ensure that German culture and values prevailed over all others globally.
Allow me to stop here to say that inferiority is a complex. And a complex is defined as a system of interrelated, emotion-charged ideas, feelings, memories, and impulses that is usually repressed and that gives rise to abnormal or pathological behavior. So, these whiz kids took one trigger of pathological behavior, and replaced it with another.
Good job…
And we all know what that gave rise to: A maniacal mindset that murdered millions.
Fast-forward to today … the complaint of many who have to deal with the German people find they still encounter a supercilious demeanor in Germans. It appears that they have not mended the error of their ways.
So, in an ostensible effort to exculpate their countrymen, who are infamous for: Selfish behavior, lacking simple manners, and being seemingly incapable of polite conversation, the Goethe Institut decided to take on the challenge of explaining the uber unpleasantries so prevalent in German society, and did so in a series of videos. (By the way … the Institut is a non-profit worldwide German cultural association, promoting the study of the German language abroad and encouraging international cultural exchange and relations. It also attempts to cultivate knowledge about Germany by providing information on German culture and politics.)
Christine Jansen ( of the Goethe Institute’s Amsterdam office which commenced the project) said the videos were designed to provoke a “discussion about cultural differences when doing business with Germans”. In one of the videos (Typical German: Time Is Money) a German can be seen vexing under a train station clock. “German punctuality does not come naturally to everyone!” the voice-over exclaims.
Yes, they are ALWAYS on time as they snapped to attention and yelled: “Heil, Hitler!” (Hail, Hitler!), “Heil, mein Führer!” (Hail, my leader!), or “Sieg, Heil!” (Hail, victory!).
The Institut goes on say that Germany’s turbulent history and centuries of “chaos, wars and depression” (who’s responsible for THAT, geniuses) led people to focus on facts, arguments, stability and structure which provided a sense of security and order, the Goethe Institute says. “Germans do not leave things to chance.”
My GOSH, are these people dealing with a full deck? These feeble farceurs are so detached from their history that they DARE to attempt to explain, so everyone must bend to them?
This was all done in a futile attempt to excuse, NOT explain, why Germans are the way they are.
News Flash: We KNOW why you are, they way you are …THAT’S why we don’t like you!
The Institut’s money would have been better appropriated teaching GERMANS to be civil, polite, unselfish … in short: Human beings! You know, MENSCHES!
It’s apparent that the German culture still likes life on the pungent side … which means, the rest of the world will forever have to deal with: Sour Krauts!
Shalom through strength…
Image: Source: GERMANY, KAISER WILHELM II, 1900 —5 MARKS b; author: Jerry “Woody” from Edmonton, Canada; Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license
