Saturday, November 16, 2019

Use of 'Besserwisser'

Just my humble opinion, but I think that twenty to thirty years ago....Germans just rarely used the word 'besserwisser' in their regular vocabulary.  Today?  You might bump into a several people everyday now....that use the expression at least once or twice a day.

What's besserwisser mean?  In the German mind, it's a blunt, direct, and somewhat derogatory term....meaning 'know-it-all'.  Germans can direct it at intellectuals, journalists, politicians, company managers, and just about anyone who goes to correct them on their understanding of things.

Use in political dialog?  Well, it's getting more common....that Germans grumble about the amount of political news dished out to them daily, and how they are told things which just don't make sense, or seems to be in a world of illusions.

You'll see Germans who use the term on kids within the Greta-movement.  You'll use of besserwisser for discussions on pension reform.  You will see besserwisser used within the area of immigration and migration. 

In a lot of these besserwisser cases or uses.....you stand there looking at the situation that developed, and how the statement 'Society's needs come before an individual's needs' fits into the discussion. 

Is this all leading to more conflict....more arguments....more frustration with the world around us? 

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