I live in Berlin, raised German. The city is a wild mix and what you are describing I would argue is only applicable to a subset of people. Yes, many people here might seem cold and mechanical. That’s what I and this article have been trying to describe, people with an eastern heritage appear to outsiders this way. To me they do not appear this way, I’ve grown accustomed to this attitude.

We perceive Americans often as overly talkative and artificially happy. They’re not, it’s just the way they express themselves.

They might not smile as much in public but they do know how to love, be generous and laugh their asses off, just as westerners do. You’d see that once you get to really know these people.

But on the other hand I have barely ever seen a place that is also inhabited with very hedonistic people who laugh and feel openly. It’s quite a weird place to be honest.

Besides my German roots I’m also half Egyptian. Often when western people observe Arabs, they’re gonna think that they are constantly angry. I thought so myself when I was little. But it isn’t true. They have different means of communication and are some of the most welcoming, caring people I’ve ever met.

All comes down to acceptance. Once you accept the cultural differences you got with that other person and adapt to them, you will not feel them as cold or mechanical.