“German Angst”? German be brave

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The Germans have so little Fears, such as since 1993, not more, says a long-term study. A good Portion of “German Angst”, however, remains. Especially in front of Strangers you fear in this country.

It’s the fear is one of the few words that made it from German into English:. As a “German Angst” is world famous as the Volkswagen, a brand character and a unique feature.

Two world wars, then escape and expulsion, and finally the construction of the wall has this people in the 20th century. A century, collectively fearful of the system, according to the conventional theory. The forest to die? Nuclear missiles? Hole in the ozone layer? Offered sufficient occasion, about the sinking of the world to think.

The Terror and the Trump

In this century, the fear of the economic crash, against terrorism, and US President, Donald Trump, which was German, it was rather. All the R+V has found out insurance, one of the largest insurance companies in Germany. Since 1992, they asked the Germans to their Fears – after all, insurance of the fear and worry of life.

The decline in their fear-Index to 39 percentage points this year have surprised you, says Brigitte rö  mstedt of R+V in an interview with DW. “Because there are still pressing problems such as climate change. But we see that in the years in which indeed, before the fear was very large, eventually, relaxation occurs, and this is what happened in this year.” In addition, the good economic situation of recent years have had a positive effect, so rö  mstedt more. “The fear of unemployment, for example, is as low as never before.”

More fear of refugees

Especially great is the fear that the state is overwhelmed by a high level of Refugee is in this year. 56 percent of Germans fear the square one in the Worries Ranking. Close behind is the fear that it is due to the further influx of foreigners to the voltages to be ranked.

“Very few people actually have personal, unpleasant experience with Refugees, you might be terrified,” says Ulrich Wagner, Professor of social psychology at the University of Marburg. In addition, the number of new refugees has declined since 2016 is steadily increasing. “It is, rather, the debate in politics and the media on this topic, which will trigger such fears and Anxieties,” says Wagner of the DW.

The fear sits deep in the East

How intensely a topic is discussed, determined, therefore, how much we care. “In the latest data, the fear of terrorism, for example, is very significantly decreased in comparison to last year,” says Wagner. “We just don’t talk as much about some of the threatening events and makes people safer.”

Another result of the study: women are slightly more Worried than men. This had not changed since 1992, says Brigitte rö  mstedt of R+V. Serious another difference, however, is: “In the East of the country, the Fears are up to ten percentage points higher than in the West.” This should also explain why the right-wing populist “Alternative for Germany” can collect in the East, especially a lot of votes – most recently in the state elections in Brandenburg and Saxony.

As the Alien loses its terror

Rö  mstedt explains this difference by saying that many people felt in the East suspended, because they earned less money than in the West. For the social psychologist Wagner, the lack of experience also plays in dealing with Strangers a role.

“The Paradox is that in Eastern Germany fewer people with a migration background and less Refugees than in the West of Germany, and yet the fears are higher.” Who do personal experiences with Strangers, not by Horror-to put messages about Refugees in uncertainty, says Wagner. “And the people in the East of Germany simply have less possibilities to make experiences with Refugees.”

Unusual events scare more

The biggest fear would have to have the Germans actually before the heart attack and cancer diseases. They are the number one Killer. Or from being in a traffic accident injured. This fate every year, about 400,000 people in Germany. And yet the little people seems to be of concern. Every day, millions of people are rising in this country in metal boxes, the speed up to more than 100 kilometres an hour.

“Traffic accidents are not average events,” says social psychologist Wagner, “you are outstanding. And they affect us in our Fears much less than unusual events.” These errors in the human information processing must be correct to try. You could try again and again to make it clear that a terrible event is horrible, however, little influence on the own life.

Fears are also important

The results of the R+V study indicated that excessive Fears, decreased in Germany, slowly, says Wagner. A complete lack of Fear is, however, desirable. “Fears have, of course, quite a function. If I know that certain things are actually dangerous, then it makes sense-after all, that I can Dodge them.” His Fears altogether, was therefore reckless. A bit of “German Angst “may be.