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There's an old German saying - a good horse only jumps as high as it has to. If you're doing good enough, you're doing good enough. Why spoil that by always wanting more.

As an American now in Germany, I am relieved that I am allowed to be content and that I'm given German protections as well. Part of my hussle in America was knowing that I could be fired at any moment, kicked out of my home at the drop of a hat, and generally things are going to change and no one will help me. I have to always be ready to jump. Now, in Germany, it's expected that I chill out. Sit down and enjoy a coffee or beer. You don't have to be productive constantly. You deserve rest and vacation. Your sick leave is not paid time off. It's separate and doesn't affect the other. Whew! I can just breathe instead of feeling like I'm going to drown.

A little nice story I heard once. There was once a fisherman on a nice afternoon sitting in the sun, enyoing his life. Then a rich man came along the way asking the fisher man what he is doing. The fisherman told he was fishing in the morning and now enyoing his life and the sun. The rich man asked, why he is not fishing in the afternoon. The fisherman asked, why should he. The rich man said: You can catch more fishes sell them earn more money, buy a bigger ship sell much more fish, earn much more money. The fisherman asked: Why? The rich man said: So once you will have enough money, you willno longer have to work, then you could sit in the sun and enjoy your life.

It would be important to define success. I am German myself, but I was in a relationship with an American for years and felt that success for many Americans basically means "accumulating money, owning expensive things and being admired". Germans - the younger generation in particular - probably has a totally different point of view. I think that for many success means living a contented life with financial security (enough money to survive), social support, friends/family and health. And some of these things, such as health, unfortunately cannot always be fully influenced by yourself

I think the differences are mainly due to the fact that the fear of social decline is greater in the US, due to the low to non-existent social security systems.

The main problem with the view that success is in your hands is that you conclude that everyone who is not successful must be a loser. When in reality that person might just have had bad luck. The healthy thinking is to understand that your life is determined by both, factors in your control and factors out of your control. You cannot control which cards life deals you, but you can control how you play with those cards. If life dealt you bad cards, you won't win big times, but you can still make the best out of it. If life hands you excellent cards, you still can lose it all by bad play. From seeing the result only, you cannot determine whether someone was a good player with bad cards, or a bad player with good cards.

I whole-heartedly agree with you. We locals often call Americans "karrieregeil" - but they never seem to be truly happy. They want more, more, more, but never seem to reach a point when they're satisfied. To me, that is not at all desirable. I want to be happy with my life, not constantly dissatisfied. But hey, each to their own.

Short comment on homes: Here in Germany transaction cost for real estate are high while legal protections for renters are strong. So, no reason to buy if you’re not planning on staying for long.

When you get to know the parents of your significant other in the USA, they‘ll probably ask you about your career path and your plans for the future, maybe they’ll even ask you what your parents are doing for a living and other career/success-oriented questions - sometimes to an extend that it feels more like a job interview. Generally, when people get to know each other, it‘s very normal to tell (and ask) each other about their jobs and careers in the US. In Germany, that‘s not very common outside of your work context. I am generalising, of course, but it definitely is one of the most drastic differences between the two countries that I have experienced. I think if you get asked about your career path and future plans that often, you automatically feel quite a bit of pressure to improve. In the USA, your career is seen as a very important part of your identity. In Germany, it‘s just how you earn your money. It does not define you that much as a person.

This video confirms that NALF is an American. He's using one business (his channel) to promote another one of his businesses. 👍

As a Belgian I have the feeling that the German feeling is more a (West-)European feeling: there is some ambition, but not too much. I think there are two big reasons for this difference between the US and Europe: First, in Europe, Money is written with a capital. In the States, MONEY is written with 5 capitals. Secondly, the social system plays a part. In Europe, if you are not ambitious at all, the risk of ending up really bad is very limited. In my feeling, if you have a bit of bad luck in the States this can become reality very quickly.

Having viewed several Videos of yours, this is one of the most empathetic and intelligent videos. As a 70-year old German with many experiences "on both sides" you simply hit the spot.

I think there is a little more to this discussion. In Germany there is a comparetly big safty net, there is social security, especially when it comes to healthcare. In the US if you want to be "save" you need to be ambitus to reach a certain financial status, to feel save. Beeing in a more secure inviroment makes it easier to have a relaxed attitude and be content with less. If you have come to a point, where you have everithing you really need in live, you can make a decision to relax more, in Germany you need less to reach this state because of the build in security. On the topic of housing, germans that reached a certain age and employment level tend to move around less and Germany beeing much smaller allows you to change employment without changing location much easier, I think this informed German house owner culture significantly. Another point is that Germany has a strong renting culture, so people tend to rent until they found the place they want to stay permanently, I think, on everage, we buy houses at a much higher age. Another factor is debt, Germans are much more dept averse than Americans and German houses tend to be significantly more expensive, so you think carefully what you invest your money in and how you can get out of the debt.

Success in live and success/Karriere in job are not the same

Hallo lieber Nick, ich schau mir deine Videos sehr gerne an und finde deine Sicht der Unterschiede zwischen USA und Deutschland sehr spannend. In jedem Video fand ich deine Fähigkeit die Dinge zu Beobachten und die richtigen Rückschlüsse zu ziehen bemerkenswert! Auch mag ich die Herzlichkeit in deiner Familie und deine Freundin sehr. Viele Gegebenheiten die du beschreibst sehe ich aus der gegenseitigen Perspektive. Unser Sohn lebt schon seit mehreren Jahren in Stanford und arbeitet dort an der Universität als Forscher, so dass wir oft und manchmal über Monate bei ihm waren. Deswegen können wir deine Vergleiche sehr gut nachvollziehen. Zu deinem heutigen Video möchte ich dir empfehlen dir die Geschichte des Fischers aus dem kleinen Buch Das Cafe am Rande der Welt von John Strelecki. Ich finde die Begegnung des Fischers mit dem Amerikaner genau das was du beschreiben willst. Wir in Deutschland machen es eher wie der Fischer, nicht immer, nicht alle aber so gut es geht 😂😂😂❤

I think first of all we have to talk about what success mean.

I think it is not only contentment that distinguishes us from US Americans. It is also the need to enjoy what you are doing. I rather have a job with lower pay that I enjoy to do than a higher paid one that bores me stiff. And if you are lucky you have both !😁

You started to touch the main difference: Pursuit of happiness in America. Pursuit of contentment in Europe (as happiness is a short lived false friend).

Contentment vs. ambition. Interesting topic. That's why I love watching your video. Besides nice cinematic shots you always include a very thoughtful discussion on differences between two similar but also different cultures. Usually when someone mentions ambition they also relate that to innovation and invention as people seem to be more likely to come up with new stuff people might need. But looking at Germany, it has one of the largest scenes of inventors and innovations world wide. The difference here is that most of such inventions/innovations are made not within a company but at home by private people who try to improve the situation of someone and not necessarily for profits. They don't necessarily do that with a mindset of "outperforming" their peers to "make advertisement" for themselves for the next job-promotion. In the US it's more like this "Ellenbogentechnik" as we call it here in Germany where you try to come out on top of all the others to get the promotion. This is like the "Theory X and Theory Y" concept McGregor developed where managers use certain behaviors to "encourage" workforce to be more productive (Theory X) while workforce itself is lazy by nature and only works for the money (Theory Y). Such managers will usually incentivize people by either paying more or offer some promotions. Both things often thought as motivating people to work harder for the company. In Europe plenty of people value time with their family, loved ones or simply put time for their hobbies above their jobs. Working 2 jobs or extensive amounts of overtime also comes with a harsh financial penalty that makes working more less attractive. I.e. at the end of my studies I already worked for my current employer but also part time for a cinema chain I worked during my studies. Outcome was I lost like 70% of the income I made from the cinema. For the 20 hours I worked I got effectively payed less than 6 hours in the end. No matter how much ambition and time I put into my work, the outcome didn't improve my situation. Sure, quitting the job at the cinema was therefore the best thing to do. Especially as software-engineer I always hear from friends that if they'd be able to write computer programs they would do that or that and probably not stop writing for days. Sure, when you're in "the flow" it's basically like that. But this usually only happens on private projects. I don't get paid more when I write the whole code I have to in 2 days (including my private time) instead of the 5 days I'm given. Often my work-flow is interrupted by several meetings, stand-ups or "quick questions" have to participate in that limits my time on effectively programming to a couple of hours a day. If I hand in the code in 2 days the project manager who assigns work for certain time schedules will just assign additional work for the remaining 3 days and shorten the time on those additional tickets as I'm "perfectly able to do that" in the given time. They don't usually care that the committed code was partly written in my spare time. So, over-ambition can even be harmful in particular cases. And I have seen quite a handful of guys who dropped out after 3-5 years because of burn-out. Leaning back, take a deep breath and self-reflect on what is needed right now and be content with what you have therefore becomes more important over time. Being in front of the computer 5 days a week for 8-10 hours is enough, spending 2 days off it and spending it on other things therefore feels like a well-needed charge of batteries to be able to progress work Monday mornings. I've turned down 2 6-figure jobs in the US as this clearly would have meant working for like 50-60+ hours per week and a step down from various social benefits. Whoever feels the need to pursue a high-ambition position, please, go ahead an do your thing. I made the experience that more money doesn't make you more happy and work-life balance becomes more important the older you get. That's why I'm fairly content with my surroundings right now :) Like Ötinger mentioned: "Gott gebe mir die Gelassenheit, Dinge hinzunehmen, die ich nicht ändern kann, den Mut, Dinge zu ändern, die sich ändern lassen, und die Weisheit, das eine vom anderen zu unterscheiden."

the key question is: what does it mean to "better" ones life, how do you define "better life"? a bigger house? a bigger car? more pay? a step up in a job hierarchy? I got a nice house, almost too big for myself - why should I struggle to buy a bigger one? my 15 y o Astra does everything for me that I expect and want from a car and which I will replace with a similar one once it is beyond repair - what to buy a bigger/newer/faster one for? I got a good job I love, with sufficient pay - why put myself on a career ladder which most of the time only turns out to be a treadmill leading nowhere, anyway, when every "advancement" and "promotion" in case I do succeed can only take me away from what I love doing and into more administrative tasks, which I hate? all I want and work for in my job is ever more competence - I could not care less about my position in a hierarchy! (wenn ich will, dass jemand Chef zu mir sagt, geh ich mir einen Döner kaufen!)

Having lived in Australia, NZ and now the US, there's definitely a mindset in the former British colonies to always strive to improve your living standards. I think it stems from early immigrants who moved or were forcibly sent there with little more than the clothes on their backs and had to make a new life from nothing.

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing !!

First of all: Quiver is great! I enjoy it very much This video was very interesting. I can understand both approaches. But being German I would feel very stressed out by the thought of always wanting something better. It seems like you are never happy with what you have a find time to enjoy and celebrate this success. But as I said, both is fine.

I love how you mentioned the month of paid Vacation 😂

Thanks for your thoughts. As you mentioned a couple of times in your video - although you said it was not material values for yourself - it seems to mostly concern material values that you can achieve with a "better life" - be it a bigger house, bigger car, whatever. I do think there is a different mentality in Germany where you do not focus so much on material goods. There is actually a name for it, "Entschleunigung" meaning deceleration so that you do not rush from one thing to the next and never appreciate what you currently have but rather focus on what you want to achieve at some point in the future. It also reminds me of another difference between the US and Germany that someone else voiced as "Why can a BMW not be designed in the US and why can't an iPhone be designed in Germany?" - A BMW bascially stays the same over many decades and always just gets tiny improvements to achieve the very best you can get while an iPhone basically consists of several stolen developments from universities, put together and then sold as a unique product that either is perfect from the start or goes out of business immediately.

it is a different culture and industries: When you can hold a screwdriver in the US you are a technician - when you know how to use it you are an engineer ... buy a bucket and soap and you are a detailer - get a handy man in the US he will probably be proud to being able to spell his name - over here he will be an educated person ... Either way, it's your opinion which is better ... And all of this makes a difference of how to plan life ....

I'm a German, who moved to Silicon Valley 25 years ago, and I approve this message! 😅

Nalf, I think this a culture thing between Europe and the US, working for several years in the US as a plant manager, Americans are always applying for jobs their education cant sustain, in hope off striking it lucky, which would not be the same in Europe! In a recent interwiew by American news channels with danish students : the answers was Dont place the bar to high, so you cant reach it!! Which pretty much nailed it.

Good video. Being an Ami and having lived in Germany previously for several years, I think you hit the nail squarely on the head.

Having lived in both countries this observations rings 100% true. I really enjoyed the "get up and go attitude" of Americans and the spirit they brought while I lived there. It was like I had never experienced anything like it and while I am still german I now try to just add a little american spice to my life and its reviving. So as you say: one or the other is not better but its good to see how things are done elsewhere. Also the "starter home" idea was so funny. I got in a youtube argument that we are a country of renters and some dude was like "buy a starter home" instead and he did not believe me that this is not a thing. We buy usually for life. He could not grasp it. The extremes of both ends are usually where it get crazy: Americans living by the "just do it" Motto like a friend racing 100Miles on almost no training?? But then Germans acting like they have zero control over their life and just shrug and keep complaining about their situation instead of doing something, like ANYTHING? I would sometimes like to shake them up and have them just do something but their comfort exactly predictable but miserable life is more important.

I'm constantly distracted by the scenery. I really think the Fremdenverkehrsamt of Schwäbisch Hall should be sponsoring your videos.

I really watch a lot of vlogs about german and american culture differences, but indeed I never have seen someone bringing up that issue. Very interesting with a convincing research!

I like the graphics which you draw in your videos by using walls, steps, corners and so on. It is no need to improve these, because they are perfect. Something you can be content with, really. Cheers from Austria!

Hello Nalf, regarding the houses, you must not forget that the “additional costs” in Germany are incredibly high. Notary, court, broker can quickly make up 15% of the price. For a house worth half a million that would be €75,000. If you then change every 8 years, that amounts rise to almost €300,000 for the 4th house after 32 years. Are there such high additional costs in the USA?

These differences come from our specific pasts, I think. The american Tradition of constant self improvement is based on the dominant philosophy of the european protestants. It's based on their belief, that god is only with the successful, and that therefore your goal is to constantly strife for selfimprovement. The nonsense of getting oneself up by your own bootstraps is typical for this way of thinking. Funny thing about that is, that every surway shows, that social upward mobility is much higher in Germany. It's easier to become richer during your lifetime in Germany than in the US... ...but that's only the facts. In Germany we are very much influenced by the experience of the 20th century and the big catastrophy of 1945, when about a third had to flee their homes regions. Like my father. Born 36 he had to flee with his mother, who had been freshly raped by soviet soldiers and therefore traumatized. The rest of his life, he only cared for his place in life, and the house he built was the place where he finally could devellop the roots, they took from him on his ninth birthday. Ask around: many Germans have some kind of refugee issue in their family. I spent a week in Poland last year, because in a way, I had to see, where "we" come from... They say it takes 3 generations for those traumas to disappear...

I am an american and i travel to mexico for the winter months. The spanish speaking countries use a phrase when asked, "How are you?" Their response can be "estoy contenta"... I'm content. I appreciate that response and have learned to incorporate that in my lifestyle. I am content....imagine that! Lovely

Great video!

Und ich dachte immer das liegt daran, dass die Amis kein Wort für Gemütlichkeit haben 😄 immerhin singt Balu da nur von baer necessities statt.. wie war das.. contentment. Aber unterschätzte niemand die Ambitionen der Deutschen nen guten Platz im Biergarten zu finden um dem contentment zu frönen. 😊

my personal observation when it comes to ambitions or lack thereoff, job-wise, is that ambition doesn't pay off as much as it did in previous generations. Our parents and grandparents tried to teach us to work hard and thus work ourselves up the ladder because that's how it was. But nowadays, if you excel, chances are high you're no longer earning a promotion but establish yourself in the current position, because promoting you and replacing you and your acquired skills with someone else is too expensive for the company. Therefore, vacant postions "up the ladder" are filled with external hires rather than promoting current staff.

There as to be a balance. Constantly being in pursuit of more (whatever it is) is tiresome and draining. At some point we have to give it a rest and enjoy what we already achieved, otherwise what is the point.

"To shrug it all off and wipe it clean-every annoyance and distraction-and reach utter stillness." Marc Aurel, meditations 5.2

fascinating!

Very interesting topic...a few things come to my mind, The American Dream, keeping up with the Jones's, social security in the Eu vs VS eytc Will into Quiver! Seems very interesting!

i remember Feli's video when she was discussing her German friends vs. American friends. She told them she was starting a you tube channel. Her American friends were excited telling her how great the idea was. German friends were more like, why would you do that? May not be a relevant comment, but I found that opinion very interesting.

You nailed it, those are the giving cards to live with

At first I thought the video was about Americans not shaving their armpits.

One thing I'd like to add to Nalf's topic is this. I noticed more older people from the 40's and 50's (in America) tend to have had the mindsight that this is our home for life. Many of my friends parents still do or did live in their homes for 40 and 50 years. My own folks still live in the same home I grew up in and it's been 53 years. I do agree that the mindset has shifted to apartment, starter home, bigger home etc. Just another added thought. Cheers! AB (PS - Schwabisch Hall looks beautiful. Reminds me of my visit this summer. Thanks for the city pics.)

Interesting points! My experience has a lot to do with attitude. Americans place a lot of status in pretending to be busy, while in much of Europe, it is status in also having free time. In East Africa, where I also live, it is very low status to be busy. If you act as if you are busy, people will look down on you. The idea behind it is thought to be that if you have resources and skills, then you don't need to stress. A guide said that Americans often stress with "when will the lions be there", when on safari in Serengeti, Tanzania. He would try to explain that they do not have specific office hours, but it did not calm them down the slightest. I think the answer to these differences lies in the goals of what people do. If the main purpose of doing a safari trip, for instance, is to have pictures and "stories" from your one-week trip to wild Africa, as it seems most Americans are motivated by, then it is a lot of stress to see all the "Big Five", and no interest in grasping the atmosphere of the nature there and understanding how we evolved there some 300.000 years ago. Oh yeah, so many Americans believe Earth is 5.600 years old created by God or something... Funny! I really enjoy your laidback and thought-provoking videos. It is very clear you have learned how to do this, as you said in one of your early videos. When was that? Two-three-four years ago. When you played football. Keep up the good work!

"Dissatisfaction is the engine of progress". That is my quote to that topic. When you are young, you should be dissatisfied with your wage, your job, your knowledge, your life.... This will move you forward. When you are getting older (middle age), you should harvest your seeds, you made and later you should think about to achieve satisfaction with your life, because if you didn´t achieve high goals, they may be out of reach for you. There are two different ways to improve: the inner way of improving skills, mindset, experience in job, with people, .... and the outer way: get better jobs, get more money for what you are doing, better houses, .... In general, I believe, that Germans value safety over chances. "Der Spatz in der Hand ist besser als die Taube auf dem Dach"" The sparrow in the hand is better than the pigeon on the roof"

My view is as an American, Nalf your personal vision to better yourself, or reach a goal is not quite driven by the typical American drive. You are content so your desire to improve is internally driven. In the US, the drive unfortunately comes more from external sources and therefore, we are less content no matter how much is achieved. At least that is what I see. As for Germans and starting a business…We have family and friends both who have started their own businesses. My son who just achieved Abi, has also started his own business with a friend. They are doing quite well. The drive is there and what do I see in these people? They are in fact less content. It is a difficult and constantly shifting struggle that they are fighting internally more so than the average person.

I honestly always have the urge to scroll up because of your Video Ratio.

Excellent! This is great observation of the difference between the typical German and American mindsets. This triggers two thoughts. The first being a quote from Karl Valentin: I am happy when it rains. Because, if I am unhappy it rains too. (Ich freue mich, wenn es regnet. Denn wenn ich mich nicht freue, regnet es auch). The other issues on being versus having. You should read To Have or to Be? by Erich From (Haben oder Sein) to get a longer treatment on this.

Well put

According to the Hofstede Country Comparison Tool "Motivation towards Achievement and Success" is quite similar. The explanation given is much more detailed for the US though. In both cases it is asserted that they "live to work". "Being successful per se is not a great motivator in American society, but being able to show one’s success", is also something curious that is mentioned here.

Maybe in the US young people are less content because they have to pay back their student loan and they have to BUY a house to start a family because renting is not common. So they are more under pressure to earn a lot of money. This ambition becomes a habit and then they can't switch it off when they have that house, family etc.

Maybe it has to do with "external" expectations. The US society expects you to be not only ambitious, but overzealous, to pursue the objective to gain ever more individual wealth. The German society also expects you to have some ambitions, but not necessarily related to increasing individual wealth, but rather happiness, e.g. by raising children, having an active social life not circling around career alone. In some aspect German society may also be more sated, not as hungry as the US.

You always find interesting subjects ... I have to think a bit longer 'bout this one.

At 1:20.. you had me... Finland has the "happiest" people...I lived in Finland for about 8 years, and they know about "contentment" vs. run, run, run.... In the USA, people are led to believe that they can be anything that they want, which just isn't true, or realistic. If you start out poor, you don't meet the "right people", you don't get great health care, you don't get a decent education. What you do get is frustration, even anger, even rage, and look for someone to blame, because, after all "you can be anything you want"...

I absolutely agree!

I wonder if the different perceptions reflect the different realities - and necessities.

Indeed, an interesting assessment... I'm an American, and I didn't reach a level of contentment until my later years - when I'd satisfied my life goals (education, family, home, career, etc.)

people in Germany also improve their homes, but they work on their original one instead of re-buying all the time. It’s more respect for the resources culture instead of a buy and trash it culture

I will cite just one figure that supports this view: In Germany, 85% of all managing directors are the children of managing directors. That is the glass ceiling for everyone else. With few exceptions, careers are inherited; without the right pedigree, you won't get anywhere. And another thing: once you've gone bankrupt in Germany, you won't get a single penny from anyone - it's different in the USA. And you won't get money from any bank to start a business unless you can offer collateral such as a house, land or similar - or you are so rich that you don't actually need the loan.

My son was there for two weeks for work and he love that city

There once was a German from Austria who was very ambitious. His story now serves as a cautionary tale in German history lessons. Maybe that's why we try to not get too overly ambitious. (I'm from Germany).

Austrian here. I believe that the difference in overall social standards and systems play an important role in this. Underpaid jobs and/or crippling student debts, etc. forcing the US American to never slow down. The starting point of many middle Europeans is where many US Americans strive to get. And the lack of social security, where a medical issue can make you bankrupt and living on the streets in a heartbeat has them keep going and going. They can't afford to relax.

Very interesting!

Reminds me of Robert Frosts poem: Two Tramps in Mud Time "My object in living is to unite My avocation and my vocation As my two eyes make one in sight. Only where love and need are one, And the work is play for mortal stakes, Is the deed ever really done For Heaven and the future's sakes." Loving your work is better than loving the pay!

Nicely done NALF. I am a dual citizen US/German. I recently retired. I have spent most of my american life in the Rat-race and worked as an engineering professional/manager most of my life while doing many entrepreneurial ventures in between. As we get older and get to retirement we finally are wise enough to live our life with less and step out of the Rat race and be content with what we have. I am currently with my wife in the Philippines, a land of extremes. Extreme rich and extreme poor. And yet most people here are the happiest I have ever seen. As you explained they have learned to live with the hand they were dealt and are very content. Not to say that they yearn for better. That is a human trait I believe. I think finding the balance that you seek between ambition and contentment is the wise. I feel, that I am in the same place. I think the world would be a lot healthier and safer if we could teach our kids to find that balance.

I didn't wait to the end, because I can understand it. For my own path, I have already defined how far I would like to get at least and what would be optimal to achieve. I have already reached my minimum and that is expressed in an attitude towards life that has arrived. I'm content, yes. So much so that I sometimes miss the times when I was ambitious and think that I have lost something. But then something good or bad just has to happen, and I forget about it again and am happy with what I have.

The problem with buying houses in Germany is, each time you pay an enormous amount of money to the state.

That's really interesting. I think, I'm on a spectrum here, having a own business for some time but now being employed, and also upgraded my home recently. But I'm also very contempt with my live, ever been. There is, of course, always space for improvement, but nothing that I'm planning on or with. I'd rather sit in the spring sun on an after work afternoon, then trying to improve my state of living.

Maybe ambition is different in Germany. Germans like to stick with what they have and improve it. We Germans are those who invented the car and improved it and the combustion engine for about 100 years. Same with homes: you only have one house but it does not stay the same over time. So Germans may be more content, but how they will it express is: "I cannot complain." Which means, they notice the details, which can be improved.

I guess it depends on how you define ambition. In the US its mostly about material gain: big house, big cars, designer clothes, expensive make-up etc. Keeping up with the Joneses. In Germany, not so much. It's mostly evident in dating: In the US, even in 2024 the man is still expected to pay for everything and a lot at that, even if the woman earns the same or has an even higher salary. Feminism basically goes out the window as soon as the bill arrives. In Germany, bills have been split on dates ever since what, the 80s? Because the worth of a person is not measured in dollars. At least not here.

As a German who has lived in the US for a year, I have two things to add to that: 1. Due to the various support systems in place in Germany (workers' rights, consumers' rights, health care, free schools,...), _contentment is an option_ here, while the huge insecurities in the US _require_ constant struggle to amass the one thing that can provide a similar measure of safety there - money. It's like being in the water with a life vest, or without: With a vest, you may not swim quite as fast as without, but you can also just float if your strength gives out, or you simply so choose. Without, you will drown the instant you stop moving, and no matter how many tell themselves they are swimming, most are barely treading water. 2. Houses in Germany are built much more sturdily than in much of the US (no wooden or dry walls, all stone due to e.g. the climate), and therefore significantly more expensive. Also, Germany is a third of the US' total population living in an area half the size of Texas. If you compare real estate prices between both, that will end up like buying a motorcycle vs. a car. Hence, buying a house is not really an option here until quite a bit later in life than Americans would expect to. 🙂

I believe John Bogle told the story of an author being invited to a fancy party of the rich and famous in the U.S. After listening to a few of the other guests listing their achievements, properties and wealth, he was asked about what he had. He answered that he surely didn't own nearly as much as any of the other guests, yet he had something that nobody else there will likely ever have: He had enough.

I think it's interesting that youstarted out by saying that someone might be offended by what you are about to say. For you, personal ambition does have a very positive connotation - and you probably think that's like that for everybody. But why should it be? If ambition, for instance, means personal instability (moving to different areas, leaving friends and family and so forth), then this positive value will not be shared by everyone. I think the major diference is not the amount of personal ambition, but the different points of view about it.

when i moved to the us i was shocked how frequently people there change jobs. and it's totally accepted. in germany if you had 10 different jobs in say 15 years your potential employer would think 'there is something wrong with this guy, he can't hold a job'. now that was 25 years ago so i don't know if this attitude has changed in germany.

"Es irrt der Mensch, solang er strebt." ("Man errs as long as he strives.") _from the play "Faust" by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe_

Quite true regarding age and "maturity". With those, contentment becomes a more important life aspect of "success" in life.

Thanks, enjoyed the video. The theme reminds me of a The School of Life piece on "Countries for Winners. Countries for Losers." U.S. and U.K. at top of "countries for winners" list. Germany near top of "countries for losers". However, the piece is meant to be counter-intuitive, since the implication you're supposed to take away is that the "countries for losers" are better places to live. Worth searching for the text version of that piece on internet, or video version on youtube.

Fun fact: Compared to the US social upward mobility ("dishwasher to millionaire success") is significantly higher in most western European nations.

keep in running. the channel😊

Very insightful👍👍👍 I don't have the data to support this, but I have a feeling that this ambition vs. contentment mindset difference also explains how the two countries view (financial) success. In the US, people tend to congratulate those who "have made it." They think that successful people work hard and/or work smart and thus deserve what they've earned. Other people's success also inspire those who are not there yet to think that they themselves can one day get there. Jealousy certainly exists, but it's far from being the norm.

The poll was interesting because it’s higher than even other places in Europe. That mentality is worth investigating more.

The study at 3:30 is quite interesting because 1. it shows a possible difference in society. Maybe it is true that success is more in your hands in the US than in Germany. But 2. It mainly shows the difference in how people view the world and what they are told to believe. Maybe young adults in the US are told from a very young age: "Work hard to be successful..." And in Germany the public discussion is often about how you have less chance to succeed when you have a certain background in society. That might lead to a different approach. Of course both is true. You are responsible for your life. But also: Your are not in complete control of all the influences on your life. You can't control if you are born rich or poor. You can not control the talent you are born with. You can not control many of the external factors in your life, like accidents, general economic developments, much of the influence people or organizations try to have on you or your environment. But you can make the best within this external factors, or you can try to escape this factors. If you are not talented at school, you might be talented in other fields. Or you are very persistent and hard working. If you are not rich, you might be creative and inventive. Life is not what you are, but what you do. How you approach life, how you define success. For some people it is more important to have a stable family life than a "successful" career. The question is, how big is the pressure to fit into a certain lifestyle or a perception how life should be. Are you able to stand your ground and define your own idea of success or will you try to fit in. And are you able to stand up again after life hit you down. For some people the American way of life is the right thing, for others it is not. And the same is true in Germany. And that might change in life. For me the study shows mainly that people believe what they were told as they were kids. Many people might disagree: My parents are idiots ... But, when it comes to values and how they approach life, parents and kids are often similar. In Germany many people want stability. They are willed to work hard, but not to enslave themselves. They don't believe in the sudden fortune. Why? Because that's what their parents did and what they learned growing up. Work hard and keep your head down. I mean, in the past there were time when you were different, you were dead or in jail. In the US is: Welcome to America! Man forges his own destiny. If you fail, better fail big. The people that left Europe hundreds of years ago were desperate but also adventures, willed to take a risk. And that's how the country was build and how society was formed.

Nalf..... sehr gutes Video..... du hast uns durchschaut.... alles GUTE für dein Leben unter den Süddeutschen....

Man this city looks amazing. Nalf is living in a disney movie. Thx for sharing

I just think about two famous card games in both countries: - US Poker - DE Skat (Doppelkopf, Schafkopf...) In the US you have only a few cards of the whole game and not even all cards are used and you make a guess if your cards are good or not. In Germany, all cards of the game are used, while you have about a third, so has each of the other two players. Everyone bids on getting the chance to play alone. While in Poker there is a huge amount of variables, like cards that not have been used for this game, that are outside of the control, many professional players will claim, that this is just mathematics. Skat is played with much more control to the cards, and you usually count all cards that are played and calculate the risk first, before you play the game alone or will play together with one other player, while the money used to play this game is usually cents on a point. So there are professional players for Poker, while there is a high uncertainity, while with Skat, where you have a quite high control about who has which card, this is played usually for fun, and some even claim Skat would be a sport, rather than gambling.

Absolutely right, Nalf! Take it from a German living in the US, and the heat with humor! 😄

I WANT THAT ENDING MUSIC SO BAD!!! 😭

The different histories of the US and Germany are part of it too. Germans who lived through Nazism and WWII, and the East Germans who experienced reunification as adults can tell you that outside influences determine much of your life. I don't know what percentage of Americans either has had those experiences or is aware of their influence.

I generally would agree with the main arguments of your video. Now i haven't been to america but I know a lot of americans that I talk to almost everyday. And my experience pretty much confirms what you say. However if you wanna talk about ambition you could also try to define ambition first. You will sooner or later find yourself asking what success even is. I don't really like work too much. I'm not interested in economical success all that much. As long as I can afford food and spend some time with my friends and family I feel like I'm successful. I don't have any ambition to become rich tbh. But I have all the ambition to enjoy my hobbies and spend as much time with my family as I possibly can. It's very personal imo and I don't believe there is a wrong answer to the question what success means.

At 2:38 Anthony, Joey, Mikey and Andy out for a walk, followed by the Nalf strut at 2:40.

Starting at 3:42 "I think when you feel like you have no control over the success of what happens in your life, it’s easier to..." like soccer.

I don't know how these sayings got into my brain: 1) If you want things in your life to change, you have to change things in your life. 2) Life doesn't suck, the way you're living it does.

First: thank you for this brilliant video! I've spend a lot of time in the US, made some really great experiences and nearly wanted to emigrate to the "country of endless opportunities", but I couldn't get a Green Card. Meanwhile being in my 50s I'm very glad and satisfied that I didn't do that move. Weighing up the pros and cons in both societies I really prefer being in Germany. Especially when you're getting older, having more health issues but also want to preserve a certain quality of life and work-life-balance. What drives me crazy in the US is this permanent American Hustle. If the rest of the world would life the American way we needed the ressources of 3-4 earthes. Unfortunately the US has due to globalization and over 800 overseas military bases a world wide cultural impact on local traditions. I personally came to the conclusion that being in a foreign country enables you to discover the values of your own origin. Meanwhile I really appreciate the so called "German Virtues", which are unfortunately on the decline, but more and more people are fighting to preserve it, because it really makes a difference, e.g. 1)Geradlinigkeit (straightforwardness) 2)Ehrlichkeit (honesty) 3)Fleiß (diligence) 4)Zuverlässigkeit (reliability) 5)Gerechtigkeitssinn (sense of justice) 6)Opferbereitschaft (readiness to make sacrifices) 7)Pflichtbewußtsein (sense of duty) 8)Redlichkeit (integrity) 9)Zielstrebigkeit (determination) 10)Unbestechlichkeit (incorruptness) 11)Sparsamkeit (thriftiness) 12)Toleranz (tolerance) 13)Pünktlichkeit (punctuality) 14)Sauberkeit (cleanliness) 15)Ordnungssinn (sense of order) 16)Gewissenhaftigkeit (conscientiousness) 17)Organisationstalent (organizing ability) ... and some cute German expressions like "Gemütlichkeit", "Vorfreude", "Weltschmerz", etc. that don't exist in the anglo-saxon culture, where most things are only valued by the US Dollar. This brings it to the point, Rammstein's song "Amerika": kzfaq.info/get/bejne/iNhon82DzMmufoE.html

Fellow American here who has lived in Hamburg for the past 5 years. I definitely agree with your observation and also see myself becoming more contented with my present situation and day-to-day life as opposed to constantly striving for improvement or feeling like I'm part of a rat race. That being said I still have a personal project, like yourself, from which I derive a sense of fulfillment and ongoing development. Here's my take on why Germans are more content: better (social) infrastructure here has led (in many cases) to cities and towns that are more enjoyable to live in. If a person already feels like they can get what they want and need out of life from their community, there's less of a need for "seeking the next level". However, due to America's car dependency, the communities in which many people find themselves offer less and feel more isolated, leading to an increased inward/individualistic focus. In short, how can I better my own situation because I'm not getting what I desire already from the community.

I'm an American who has lived in Germany for nearly 20 years. I find areas where my American side comes out like when I wanted to start a business selling my photography. But on the other hand, I'm content with the things I own. I'm driving the same car for 7 years which I bought new. My tv is 10 years old. I don't feel the need for a new one until it goes out. But I have heard many Germans say things like, "we don't do that or do it like that." I don't want to feel limited to only doing what is classed as "normal." I'm 51 with MS but regularly hit the weight room. I'm not content with letting myself age or this decease to win.