Why are so many slavic people so uptight compared to Germans?
I think it has something to do with the way of life they had, and possibly still have. Being controlled by the communist propaganda, not being able to say anything or to put a foot wrong without the PolitBuro getting on their back – I visited the then Tchechoslowakia in 1972 and saw the fear in the people when we tried to talk to them. It takes a long time to erase this kind of history from the way we lead our lives. Just thinking about the way I was brought up with parents who had been through WW2, with “don’t waste food”, “don’t get into debt”, “we can mend this sock”, “we can modify this dress so you can wear it again but differently” etc etc. It still lives in me, even though I have tried to leave it behind and can do so but not always. Germans can also be quite uptight, I think, but it seems to be more about processes and rules and regulations, not falling foul of the law etc. They have to be seen to work hard. And then again, I think you will find some “uptightness” in a lot of c
