>borderline verboten in German culture. The typical German will rarely engage in spontaneous conversation I spent a year in Germany as an exchange student. I

>borderline verboten in German culture. The typical German will rarely engage in spontaneous conversation I spent a year in Germany as an exchange student. I still return every few years to visit friends and just because I'm in love with the place. I have so many random conversations with strangers there about all topics. These take place in trains, pubs, parks, etc. IME, contrasted to America, German "leisure" is more about experiencing and valuing downtime. IME American leisure involves tentatively exchanging anxieties, butt-sniffing to see who's on what side. This may be skewed bc I'm an American who can speak German somewhat well, so I'm a bit of a curiosity over there. I miss that German mode of relaxation. Of course, there are plenty of people on both sides of the pond whose relaxation involves equipment, gear and challenges. But in Germany, I find people much more comfortable enjoying downtime, doing little to nothing at all, staying open to experiences, wandering and talking to strangers about random topics. IME, they tend to be more confident and less blustering than Americans when asserting themselves. It's as if they aware of the depth of subjective experience and feel safe presenting themselves. Whereas in the U.S., I feel people entering that mode preface their presentation with implied threats. It gives me the feeling that I can't authentically respond, not with a threat. I'm thinking of biker/right-wing types as well as skittish soccer parents here. They're not open; they're spreading their tribe. It seems to reflect a humble image of one's self and country as part of a bigger whole, whereas in the U.S., the bigger whole is simply one's tribe and its competition with others. This may all be skewed by my own insecurities around strong persona... Are you German? perhaps you're more aware of internalized social anxieties and pressures than I experience as a visitor there? I've got a more or less Zen mind, but also great curiosity and impulse to communicate, so I probably draw out the social ones. Of course, I do encounter many "grumpy" Germans who don't want to talk, but the same is true in the U.S.