There’s a rumor going around that Germans stare.
Is it true?
Hey everyone! I’m Dana and you’re watching Wanted Adventure Living Abroad.
I’ve been living in Germany for about 8 years now, and one of my favorite things about
living here has always been how walkable the cities are.
I love being able to walk places rather than take the car to get there, and Germany
is great for that.
Something interesting though: from the very beginning I noticed quite an interesting phenomenon
that I hadn’t experienced walking around other countries.
The phenomenon of the staring German.
Okay, lemme set the scene for you.
You’re going down the sidewalk, minding your own business, when another person comes
walking toward you.
You don’t know this person, so you just kind of keep your eyes focused in front of
you, but then as they get closer, you feel it; the gaze of the another person upon you.
Or maybe it’s just your imagination playing tricks on you.
So you dart your eyes toward them and then quickly back again to find that no!
You’re not imagining things at all.
The other person is definitely looking right at you.
Not just glancing your way.
Not just giving you a quick once over.
No, the person is staring right at your face, as if trying to drill deep into your soul
and discover all your greatest fears and joys in life.
Now, this definitely does not happen with every person that I walk by in Germany, but
it has happened enough times that it's became a "thing” that I've noticed here, and when
I talk with other people who also moved from another country to live in Germany, many of
them have also reported noticing this unique experience as well.
So, my curiosity piqued, over the years I’ve done a little unscientific research here.
Does the staring happen when I’m: Plugged into my earbuds, listening to music?
Yes, it does.
Not listening to music?
Yes, it does.
Walking alone? Yep. Walking with someone else? Yep.
Running? I don’t know I’m always going to fast to see! I'm so fast. Just so fast.
I'm not fast at all.
As I said, no this does not always happen, but it happens enough that it’s something
I’ve taken notice of.
Now, in the U.S. when you go by someone on the sidewalk, depending on how many people
are on that sidewalk and where in the U.S. said sidewalk is located, there’s a pretty
good chance that you might exchange a quick hello with the person that you just went by,
or at the very least maybe do one of those wordless, closed mouth smile and nod things.
So I thought maybe that’s what the starers were after; just some kind of little interaction.
So I put my scientist's hat back on, and tried that out a few times, both saying
hello and giving the smile and nod.
I think that once or twice I got a quite startled "Hallo!" in return, but most of the time, nichts.
Lately I’ve been trying something that brings me all the way out of every bit of comfort
zone that I’ve got, and that is staring right back.
Oh my God, it is so hard to for me to do!
We’re walking towards each other. I feel the gaze upon me, so I meet it.
I stare right back at the other person’s face.
Which leads to our eyes becoming locked.
They are locked and it is terrifying.
Don’t look away, don’t look away, I will myself to hang on just a little bit longer.
Who. Will. Look. Away. First?
It’s always me. It is always me who looks away first. I cannot stand it.
All of the hairs on the back of my neck have stood up on end, and I get goosebumps and
shivers in the very core of my body.
I hate it so much.
I am always the one to look away first.
So my question for you is: Okay, I have so many questions here!
First of all, have you noticed this phenomenon in Germany or anywhere else in the world...
are you, yourself, perhaps someone who does it?
Next, do you have any idea what the staring is all about?
What does it mean, and what am I expected to do in response?
Stare back? Look away? Burst into tears and go screaming in the opposite direction?
I don't know.
Please let me know in the comments below!
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Until next time, auf Wiedersehen!
At your face. As if trying to...
How am I supposed to not crack up laughing.
I just saw you do that.
And if you heard that laughter, that was Mr. German Man laughing behind the camera.
I'm glad I made you laugh.