obrigkeitsgläubig = lit. in-authority-believing. Trusting blindly in authority. To believe unquestioningly in the infallibility of authority.
#GermanWordOftheDay
“Germany is so dependent on Russian gas that, while Western powers work to suspend Russia’s participation in the SWIFT international banking system, Germany [got] a special carve-out to be able to pay Gazprom [to keep] German grannies from turning into popsicles…” twitter.com/RominaBoccia/s…
Selbstzerstörungswahn = self-destructive-delusion or -mania. As in, Germany is suffering an episode of Selbstzerstörungswahn—how else do you explain the shutting down of perfectly good nuclear power plants when doing so makes your nation more dependent on energy from Russia?
Schuld = Debt/Guilt/At Fault. Are Germans averse of going into debt in part because the German word for being in debt is the same word as being guilty or at fault?
Er hat Schulden = He has debt.
Er ist schuldig = He is guilty.
#GermanWordOftheDay
Befindlichkeit = 'already-having-found-oneself-there-ness'. The ‘there' of being-in-the-world. State of mind. Mood. The aspect of human beings that makes them have moods, feelings, or affects. #GermanWordoftheDay
Read or listen to Carol S Dweck’s book Mindset for practical advice on how to adopt a growth mindset. The opposite attitude—a so-called fixed mindset—makes people avoid challenges because they can make them feel inferior or minderwertig.
Literal translation: Lesser-significance-complex.
As in, one way to overcome a Minderwertigkeitskomplex is to stop comparing yourself to others and adopt a growth mindset instead.
Minderwertigkeitskomplex = inferiority complex. A sense that you’re not good enough. The feeling of being a failure.
As in, not even my Minderwertigkeitskomplex is as good as that of others. #GermanWordoftheDay
Selbstbewusstsein = Self-Consciousness.
Self-confidence/Selbstsicherheit.
As in, having a solid Selbstbewusstsein is the key to success—knowing who you are and where you are trying to go.
#germanwordoftheday
Selbstwertgefühl = self-worth-feeling. Sense of self-esteem. The subjective feeling of your own worth as an individual. As in, it takes a tremendous amount of Selbstwertgefühl to ask for help and set boundaries.
#GermanWordoftheDay
Nachzügler = latecomer, straggler, laggard. A child that is born several years after its siblings. Caboose baby. Afterthought. From Nachzug, which refers to a later-arriving, additional train. 🚂 �#GermanWordOftheDayay
Verbrezeln = assuming the position of a Pretzel. Tying yourself into knots. As in, this yoga class won’t require you to verbrezeln. #GermanWordoftheDay
Rabenmutter = raven-mother. A neglectful, absent mother. Derogatory term to describe a bad mother. Sometimes used against career-focused (working) moms. #GermanWordoftheDay
Schikane = bureaucratic BS. Harassment. As in, COVID-related guidance has been so inconsistent that many people consider it a Schikane. #GermanWordoftheDay
Spracherlebnis = language experience. Language learning experience. As in, it’s much easier to immerse yourself in a Spracherlebnis while you’re present in the country where that language is spoken. #GermanWordoftheDay
Altersstarrsin = age stubbornness. Senile stubbornness. Obstinacy of old age. As in, aging parents can develop an Altersstarrsinn to substitute for their loss of autonomy as they become more frail and dependent. #GermanWordoftheDay
Weltanschauung = world-view. Ideology. A particular view of the world or philosophy of life. As in, liberty is a Weltanschauung that is fundamentally incompatible with seeking to have your basic needs satisfied through the political process/state provision. #GermanWordoftheDay
Mitteilungsbedürfnis = lit. with-sharing-need. The need to communicate. The urge to talk to others. Extroverted communication need. #GermanWordoftheDay
Frohes Neues Jahr, Happy New Year, Boas Entradas…to those in Europe!!
🥂🍾
Skiers here are early to bed to catch that fresh powder in the morning so I like to celebrate the change of year on European time. 😴 ⛷ ❄️ 😇 🌎
How do you know what you actually, deeply want versus what you superficially think you want?
Some strategies for identifying and aligning with your purpose in the new year 👇🏽medium.com/@rominaboccia/…uV
Krankheitswahn = lit. sickness-delusion. Hypochondria. As in, the pandemic triggered a new form of Krankheitswahn where every cough is seen as suspicious. #GermanWordoftheDay
Guten Rutsch = Good slide (into the new year). Happy new year (but only up until midnight, then Germans say “Frohes Neues Jahr”).
Guten Rutsch because we assume you’ll be so drunk by midnight, you’ll slide on your a$$ into 2022…? 🥳�#GermanWordoftheDayay
Zwischen den Jahren: in between the years. Boxing week. The time period between Christmas and New Year’s. Referred to as Altjahrswoche: Old-years-week in Switzerland. #GermanWordoftheDay
The end of the calendar year — usually preceded by downtime over the holidays — is a good time to reflect on what you learned and accomplished throughout the year and the ways you in which you lived up to your higher purpose (or failed to).
Then reset.
I’ve had several conversations about overcoming procrastination and finding your purpose while mentoring students over the past view months. Our Socratic exchanges inspired me to write this piece —>
medium.com/@rominaboccia/…