Man zeigt nicht mit dem nackten Finger auf Leute

Germans are known to be precise, punctual, correct. Überkorrekt. Because we can build great cars and machinery (and maybe because our soccer Nationalmannschaft is relatively good—sorry Brits, it’s two world wars and one world cup VS three world cups and three Euro cups), we think we can do almost everything better than almost everyone else, even within our own country and vis-à-vis our Landsmänner (compatriots—oh, and to be politically and gender correct, I should also add Landsfrauen). We call these people Besserwisser, know-it-alls. You think you know your stuff in some weird niche hobby or field of study? Wait until a Besserwisser comes along. Even if you are quite well at what you’re doing, the Besserwisser will not, or at least have a hard time to, acknowledge that you are almost up to his Wissensstand. Rather, he will point out every little mistake or slightly incorrect thing you do, so you should try to be sehr genau. Übergenau. Maybe he or she also goes by the name of Korinthenkacker, Dippelschisser, or whatever Region s/he is from.

And because these people like to point out (alleged) mistakes and Verfehlungen (wrongdoings), they will point and point and point, just to feel superior and better. Look at that guy on TV making a shitload of money with talking or selling Scheiße to the people. Look at that guy with the brand new Mercedes-Benz, how did he pay for that? Do you see that girl—she dresses like a Schlampe (slut). Maybe there is at times ein Körnchen Wahrheit, a grain of truth in something when people mit Finger zeigen. Yes, maybe that TV guy makes tons of money by giving the people what they want—which would indeed be BS (just watch five minutes of Privatfernsehen). But he makes money, and because mostly likely the people pointing fingers do not make as much, they are just Neider, envying him. That’s the way Germans are—if someone is successful at what they are doing, Germans gönnen ihm die Butter auf dem Brot nicht (or even das Schwarze unter den Fingernägeln)–they do not concede people something. Therefore, many a person feel they have to rechtfertigen, to justify their success or klein reden it (yes, it’s a new Mercedes, but not with the full luxury Ausstattung/configuration).

Moreover, as Germans have dealt with their history (or so some would like to believe), especially the 12-year Tausendjähriges Reich between 1933 and 1945 (the [in]famous Vergangenheitsbewältigung), some Gutmenschen think they can tell others how to deal with their history. I would also call it the Armenian Genocide by the Ottoman Empire in 1915, but that does not mean I have to rub it in into every Turkish person’s face every time I buy a Döner (although I have some trouble understanding why even third generation liberal-minded Deutschtürken need to be so defensive about the issue—but maybe that is because they are always confronted with it. Any American who visited Germany during the George W. Bush administration might know the feeling—“Did you vote in 2000 and 2004? If yes, did you vote for Bush?”). Rather, I am happy that during my visits to the Staaten (States) or conversations with English-speaking people in Germany, they did not constantly or at all point out the Nazi Vergangenheit (past) of my Vaterland.

But then, Americans and British are usually not as direkt as Germans …