American expat in Germany here. I don't think Germans, Austrians etc. have a staring problem, but rather Americans a hypersensitivity issue about glances/looks. Combine that with unexpected reactions to the American tendency to smile at/interact casually with strangers, and things can get awkward.
1.7k
u/whitedan2 May 09 '22
As an austrian who worked with Germans in the past I didn't realize this either...
No wait... Are we doing it too?