Language
2025-12-25: Be nice!
Happy Holidays, everyone!
Just a quick reminder: being nice doesn’t cost a thing. Really, it’s free.
If you get on a bus at the front, say hello to the driver — even if you have a season ticket and don’t have to. Just do it. From my experience, about half the time you’ll get a friendly nod, a wave, or a smile. (I live in Berlin, where bus drivers have a reputation for being grumpy — but honestly, they’re not that bad.)
Say hi to the cashier at the supermarket. You don’t need a long chat — it might even feel awkward if there’s a line — but a little kindness goes a long way.
Thank the person at the petrol station when they hand you your receipt. Sure, it’s their job — but it doesn’t hurt to be polite. It’s free, remember?
Everyone you meet has their own ups and downs. They have partners, friends, kids, parents, bosses — just like you. Maybe they just got married and are on cloud nine, or maybe they’re going through a rough divorce. A small act of kindness can remind them they’re seen and appreciated.
Being nice costs nothing, but it can mean the world to someone else.
So be kind — not just for the holidays.
[This text was improved by ChatGPT from the original version. I really think it is an improvement.]
2018-11-07: 6-P in English are 5-V in German
I just realised that the 6-P rule in English (many variations, also with a different number of P’s, exist; I’ll go with “proper preparation prevents piss-poor performance”) actually translates pretty well into German as the 5-V rule: „Vernünftige Vorbereitung verhindert völliges Versagen“ (which translates literally as “reasonable preparation prevents total failure” but that’s close enough for me).
