> The best I'd say is a sense of collectiveness that is somewhat higher than other countries.

I wouldn't say that this comes anywhere close to many other countries in Germany. Societal coherence in e.g. Russia or Norway is much higher than in Germany.

I think it's rather the other way around: The countries you're comparing to might be exceptionally bad at it, and Germany is average.

Can you elaborate on societal coherence in Russia? This in particular piques my interest; what I hear from Russia is that it's a place where any interpersonal conflict is resolved with (verbal) violence.

interpersonal conflict has nothing to do with societal coherence tho... unless it's a social conflict. and let's say that social conflicts in russia doesn't happen anymore unfortunately. they used to be good at it.

> Societal coherence in e.g. Russia or Norway

Russia (with the exception of its ethnic minorities) is one of the most atomized societies in Europe, actually. The Russian dream is a house in the exurbs with a three-meter-tall impenetrable fence around the lot where you can do anything you want inside and no one will bother you.

That sounds exactly like the US.

Can you provide some examples of what germans bind together for the "greater good"? I seem to have missed it.

Almost one million volunteer firefighters (Freiwillige Feuerwehr). These are 96.95 % of all firefighters. (For comparison: the UK quota is 2.31%.)[1] Very popular to participate especially in many rural parts of Germany.

[1] Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freiwillige_Feuerwehr#Deutschl... (in German)

Following and make the most pedantic rules. Germans loooooove setting rules and expect everyone to follow or else they rat you or or sue you even. (see neighbour conflicts about hedges growing too far etc)

Collectiveness?

I can't wait for the new Nigerian immigrant to swing his beer at Octoberfest arm in arm with the second generation Turk from Munich, all while the waitress, a temporary worker from the Czech Republic, rushes on.

It's not going to happen. Social cohesion is very low, and Germany failed to foster a sense of shared values among immigrants.

> I can't wait for the new Nigerian immigrant to swing his beer at Octoberfest arm in arm with the second generation Turk from Munich, all while the waitress, a temporary worker from the Czech Republic, rushes on.

Wait, isn't that what's happening already? I'm pretty sure the temporary worker from the Czech Republic is there, as is the second generation Turk voting for Erdogan. Not fully sure about the Nigerian immigrant though.

Indeed everyone is there. Except that no one is arms in arms with anyone - that was the point I wanted to make. The immigrants mostly live segregated along with their peers, and you rarely have the "melting pot", especially not at the lower socio-economic scale, from what I can see.

And that is not good for fostering a collective spirit. The order-abiding nature of Germans collides with the people from country that are more used to bend the rules, so everyone is stressed and unhappy.

I guess it's what you call immigration made in Germany.

Yes, I agree. There will not be arms in arms carousing..

> The order-abiding nature of Germans collides with the people from country that are more used to bend the rules, so everyone is stressed and unhappy.

Ah, there is a bit of a cultural misunderstanding right there indeed. In Germany, what is not allowed is forbidden. You need a certain rigidity of mind to be able to think that way. In many other cultures, what is not forbidden is allowed. Meaning that a badly defined rule leaves lots of leeway for a bit of creative thinking. Those are two different worlds careening towards an inevitable collision course..