21 year old German here.
This question is for Americans who have been to Germany before (or might’ve had any interaction with Germans). And I know there are a lot of Americans on this platform who bash and hate on their own country but I hope to get an answer that’s as truthful and unbiased as possible.
So as someone who’s very sensitive I always felt like people here are way too cruel and direct. It’s a prevalent stereotype that Germans are very direct and cold. I know that a big part of this is my own perception and mental state that will cause these types of perceptions independent from the country because there will always be assholes.
But I wonder if it could be true that some of my observation might actually be because Germans might actually be more cruel. If you guys are really honest I wonder if it is possible that Americans might be slightly more nice than Germans and which country you think is actually more cruel in general. (Hope this question is not too stupid)
I think Germans are generally quieter and more direct but I rarely thought of them as rude or cruel. I feel like Germans are more on the same page and more likely to work together for a common goal.
For example it was cool to experience Ruhezeit especially in a bigger city like Munich but I doubt it would ever become a thing in the US on a scale larger than a small neighborhood!