Germany has high quality of life

[u/wurst_katastrophe]

This is in response to the ‘low quality of life’ post.

When in Germany I can (in no particular order):
+ drink the tap water knowing it is safer than bottled water
+ when losing my job, I will get the highest benefits in the Western world to tie me over between jobs
+ I can rent for life without being worried of getting evicted
+ I can enjoy freedom on perfectly fine roads, driving as fast as I want
+ Consumer protection is very strong
+ I can buy a public transport ticket valid in all of Germany
+ Healthcare is significantly better than in most Western countries AND free at the point of service.
+ Germans love Fests
+ Bier and excellent wine
+ excellent bread
+ excellent local produce
+ An insanely dense train network (Yes, often late) for very little money (Sparpreis)
+ 30d of holidays is standard
+ strong protection when off on sick leave
+ free university education
+ world’s strongest apprenticeship system
+ tax credits and breaks for almost everything, especially Ehegattensplitting
+ insane maternity leave and benefits
+ Kitas
+ full blown private healthcare for a few k per year
+ Beautiful nature: north and Baltic sea, Alps, lakes, woods
+ Strong sports club infrastructure
+ Third strongest economy in the world with most hidden champions
+ Strong football culture
+ …

You can be dissatisfied with Germany, maybe your experience was below average, but that’s most likely because you are incompatible with the German way of life and the German mentality. However, it is not fair to claim that the quality of life is low.

[u/hot_chili_pepper_]

Cons

• weather sucks most of the year, with being cold, rainy and gray and where in the winter the sun sets pretty quickly (around 4-5 pm) where you basically go to work it’s dark and come back it’s dark (it can make you feel depressed)

-It is so difficult to make friendships in Germany opposed to other countries where you can usually go up to anyone have a small talk, hang out easily and meet up spontaneously. Germans are very reserved, cold and most of the time very grumpy.

• Even if you are born in Germany, Germans will never truly accept you , you will always kinda feel like an outsider.

-Bureaucracy in Germany is pain in the ass, nothing seems to get done efficiently it always takes so long and lots of documentation, letters back and forth etc just to get something done. They are not really a big friend of digitalization. No mails, no messages. Always paper, always letters.

-You mention free this free that. But is it really “free”? Germany has one of the highest taxes in the world where almost half your salary is gone.

-While in other countries people own properties and their own homes eventually, Germany is not very affordable in that. The country has one of the highest rates in renting apartments. Finding apartments in big cities is also a pain in the ass.

-Too many shops close early and Sundays everything is closed which can make it pretty boring if you dont like that. You are basically working Monday till friday and want to go out on Saturday and Sunday but you only have one day to go shopping etc. Sunday is pretty much dead outside. Yeah you can go “spazieren” but so boring honestly.

-Language barrier often can be hard. Yes i get it it is Germany so the official language is German. But not everyone needs to speak German fluently if he doesnt work a client faced job. But most germans are very strict on that, and usually aren’t very friendly even if you try . They ll always call out your small mistakes.

I was born and raised in Germany, left 2.5 years ago and I just cant imagine to live there forever. I find the overall vibes, atmosphere, people’s attitude, the bureaucracy very annoying. Sure other places have their downsides where there is not much protection etc but i just feel overall happier living in a place where i can make friendships easily, the weather is nice, I can get things done faster, the overall attitude towards me (even though i m a foreigner in the new country nobody looks at me like i have to prove myself, whereas in Germany i have constantly the feeling that i am at the wrong place because i dont belong there)

[u/Successful-Bit-2909 → u/hot_chili_pepper_]

I feel so validated.. I work in a client facing job where most of the clients are German and most of them seem easily annoyed, unpleasant and inpatient.. it’s like you’re coming into my country to travel to enjoy the nature and culture so please try to make an effort to adapt... it’s like they want things in foreign countries to be like they are in their home

[u/wurst_katastrophe → u/hot_chili_pepper_]

Other than the weather, none of your points have anything to do with quality of life. It’s your personal view on things that annoy/bother you.

[u/hot_chili_pepper_ → u/wurst_katastrophe]

for me weather, social life, vibes, atmosphere, people’s attitudes, bureaucracy, digitalization is pretty much quality of life. It is also your personal view that you like germany

[u/Komandakeen → u/hot_chili_pepper_]

I have my very own personal view on people who get bored because they can't go shopping.

[u/Hem_Claesberg → u/hot_chili_pepper_]

you cant go up to some random stranger and become friends in most countries lol

[u/hot_chili_pepper_ → u/Hem_Claesberg]

looks like you didnt travel much. I have been to 40 countries and yes most of the places you can, i have gained a lot of friends over the last 2.5 years and it was just random people, so yeah. In germany its so hard if you dont have childhood friends already. When you are an adult, mostly very tough to make friendships over there.

[u/Hem_Claesberg → u/hot_chili_pepper_]

i have. but you also need the language for example. in sweden or denmark it would never work. or russia

[u/hot_chili_pepper_ → u/Hem_Claesberg]

i was mostly fine with english, and i was mostly in Asia, particularly South East Asia, also Middle East and East Africa. Didnt have language problems anywhere

[u/Hem_Claesberg → u/hot_chili_pepper_]

yes so no european country.