Differences in mentality

Mental differences between New Zealanders and Germans

New Zealand is, to exaggerate, an island at the other end of the globe. On the surface, however, the country is dominated by Australia but also by its own English past. But New Zealand, where everything is a touch more relaxed than in other countries, is somewhat isolated from the rest of the world because of its location. This also means that the people approach their life differently than in other continents. If you go on holiday to this beautiful state, you’ll quickly realise that things aren’t quite the same here as they are back home.

When comparing Germany and New Zealand, it is mostly the bureaucracy and the German sense of accuracy that characterize the two different mentalities. The Kiwis, the New Zealanders, are rather laid-back, which means nothing else than “relaxed”. People are less stressed. They take things as they come, are sometimes not in a hurry, which may not be easy for impatient Germans to accept in certain situations. The bureaucracy is also not as pronounced. Suppose a hire car has been booked, but there are problems not seen before, perhaps because the data was not taken over correctly. All may not be resolved as quickly as hoped. However, also in New Zealand the worldwide known hire car companies have branches and actually the usual international service should be guaranteed. Every traveller should know in advance that there is left-hand traffic in New Zealand, which is of course unusual for Europeans. In any case, it is a wonderful possibility to get to know this country and its nature with a hire car. The road network is very well developed. In case of accidents there will be no unforeseen problems, also because there are no ambiguities in terms of language.

New Zealand is not as prosperous as neighboring Australia. Many New Zealanders go abroad for this reason if they want higher salaries. This is especially true for young people. Which perhaps says something about the mentality. Of course New Zealanders love their nation, but what is important is that they are doing well as individuals. It may well also be true that Kiwis see themselves as something better than the guest workers, i.e. the Asians and Indians who came to the country. The treatment of the indigenous people, the Maoris, can also certainly be criticised. In the end, I guess it’s the case that New Zealanders are open-minded about travellers, but have problems with people they think are taking something away from them.

And be it the workplace. New Zealand has a kind of social complexity that you don’t encounter in other countries. It’s a small isolated country that has a European feel to it. Tourism is very important, which is evident in the fact that the locals are very nice to their guests. They meet them without prejudices. Of course, Germans are less expected, but more Australians or Americans and maybe Englishmen. Nevertheless, the Kiwis probably have certain ideas about the German mentality. The points punctuality, reliability and diligence could be mentioned. And of course the worldwide popular German cars, which can’t be counted as a mentality, but as an effect of it.