Thank you Germany: Part 103: Good etiquette without a cramped posture

Germany offers fair interpersonal interaction. The prerequisite for this is good etiquette, which ensures politeness without appearing tense. Polite behaviour is not limited to people of a certain age group. In Germany, they are valued by many people of very different ages and are practised very consciously. In everyday life, many people are courteous and considerate towards each other.

In Germany, both educational institutions and family upbringing ensure that children treat others with consideration. Ideally, children are already prepared in their families to treat their fellow human beings with special consideration. This is not just about close friends or relatives. People should also be considerate of others in public life. In Germany, a large proportion of the population still does this. People from some other countries are used to much harsher customs.

In public life in the Federal Republic of Germany, a certain level of friendliness is generally observed. However, good manners are not a rigid corset of rules of behaviour. People classify their own behaviour very pragmatically. This means that people meet in a friendly but relaxed manner. This mixture ensures that people in Germany can make the acquaintance of other people in public life in an uncomplicated way without offending each other. The certainty that a certain personal distance is maintained ensures that people meet each other with respect and openness.

Good manners are therefore an important basis for social interaction in the country. They are the basic rules that ensure that no one is abusive towards another person. Where people in Germany feel they have been treated unfairly, they usually speak up about it. People from other countries can therefore also count on the fact that misunderstandings can be clarified very easily. In this way, the country offers visitors and residents alike a good cultural basis for respectful interaction with one another. You simply have to be grateful to Germany for this approach. It has been established over centuries. There is a good reason why important manners are still practised today.