The Importance of Friendships in German | Episode 57 | Easy German — Transcript

Full transcript

1. 0:00Lukas, I have to tell you something, something personal. Of course, Anna. I'm listening.
2. 0:07What's wrong? I met up with my best friend last week. We hadn't
3. 0:14seen each other in a long time, and it was strange. Strange? Why? What happened? I had nothing to say.
4. 0:23We sat there, drank coffee, and it was quiet. We used to be able to talk for hours. That
5. 0:31's sad, Anna. Friendships can change. Lukas, I wonder, what makes
6. 0:38a good friendship? Why are friends so important, and how do you maintain friendships? Those are
7. 0:46very good questions, Anna. And that's exactly what we're talking about today on the Learn German Podcast. Really? That
8. 0:53's our topic. Yes, today we're talking about the importance of friendships. Why do we need
9. 0:59friends? What makes a good friendship? And how do we maintain friendships? That's exactly
10. 1:05what I need. I want to understand what happened to my friendship. You're listening to the Learn
11. 1:11German Podcast, learning German for level B1, and today's topic is friendship: why we need it and how
12. 1:19we keep it. Let's get started. So, Lukas, let's start from the very beginning. Why are friendships
13. 1:27important at all? Friendships are important because we are social beings. We need other
14. 1:33people. Social beings? What does that mean? It means people can't live alone.
15. 1:40We need contact, exchange, closeness. It's in our nature. So friends aren't just nice,
16. 1:47they're necessary. Exactly. Research shows that people with good friendships live longer.
17. 1:53They're healthier, they're happier. Really? Friends make me healthier. Yes,
18. 2:00friends reduce stress. They give you emotional support. They help you in
19. 2:05difficult times. That's true. When I lost my job, my friend Lena was
20. 2:11there for me. She listened to me. Exactly, that's the value of friendship. Someone who listens. Someone
21. 2:18who doesn't judge. Someone who understands you. What makes a good friendship? Three things are
22. 2:25especially important: trust, honesty, and time. Trust, honesty, time. That sounds
23. 2:35simple. It is simple, but it's not easy. Trust takes time. Honesty takes courage,
24. 2:43time requires priorities. Maybe I haven't invested enough time in my friendship. Anna,
25. 2:50we need to talk about different kinds of friendships. Different kinds?
26. 2:56There isn't just one kind. No, there are childhood friendships,
27. 3:01school friendships, work friendships, and friendships from hobbies.
28. 3:07That's true. I've known my school friend for 15 years. I've only known my work friend for two
29. 3:14years. These friendships are different. Childhood friendships are deeper.
30. 3:21You've experienced a lot together. Yes, my school friend and I went through
31. 3:27elementary school together, our first loves, our first problems. Work friendships
32. 3:33are different. You share the daily grind. You understand each other's professional problems. That's true.
33. 3:39My work friend understands my stress with my boss. My school friend doesn't understand that
34. 3:45as well. Every friendship has its own value. You don't have to treat every friendship the same,
35. 3:52but you do have to nurture each one. How do I nurture friendships? That's a
36. 3:57good question. Nurturing means investing time. Showing that you're there. Showing that you
37. 4:04care. I haven't called my best friend in a long time. Maybe that was a mistake.
38. 4:11It's never too late, Anna. Call her today. Tell her you're thinking of her. Lukas, there's
39. 4:18something I need to tell you. Of course. What's wrong? Two years ago, I went through a really tough time.
40. 4:25I was very alone. I felt like nobody understood me. That sounds difficult.
41. 4:32How did you get through it? [clears throat] Through my friend. She called me every day.
42. 4:38She told me, "You can do this. I'm here for you." That's a true friend, Anna.
43. 4:45Friends like that are worth their weight in gold. Yes, and I've neglected her lately. I've been so
44. 4:53busy with my job, with my problems. That happens, Anna. Life is stressful sometimes,
45. 5:00but true friendship can withstand it. Do you think my friendship can withstand it? Yes, Anna,
46. 5:08if your friend supported you during your difficult time, then she'll support you now, too.
47. 5:12I'll be there for you. I'm calling you today. I want to save our friendship. That's a good
48. 5:19decision, Anna. You know, Anna, friendships are like plants. Like plants? What do you mean?
49. 5:27A plant needs water, light, and care. A friendship needs attention,
50. 5:33time, and rest. If I don't water the plant, it dies. Exactly. And if you
51. 5:40don't care for your friendship, it dies too. It dies slowly, but it dies. I have
52. 5:47n't watered my friendship. Maybe it's already dead. Maybe not. Maybe
53. 5:54it's just withered. A little water and it can bloom again. A little water.
54. 6:00A phone call, a meeting. Maybe that will be enough. Yes, Anna, try it. You'll see that
55. 6:08friendships are strong. I'm going to tell you a story now, Anna. A true story.
56. 6:14I love stories. Tell me one. There are two men, Max and Paul. They were best friends since
57. 6:21childhood. Max and Paul. What happened to them? They studied together,
58. 6:29partied together, went through tough times together. They were inseparable. And then
59. 6:36Paul moved to Australia with his family, thousands of kilometers away. Oh no,
60. 6:44that's far. Many thought, "The friendship is over, it's so far away, we can't see each other."
61. 6:51And did the friendship die? No, Max and Paul talked on the phone every Sunday. Every
62. 6:58Sunday for 15 years. 15 years. Every Sunday. That's incredible. They tell each other everything. They
63. 7:08support each other. They're still best friends. That's a beautiful story.
64. 7:14They nurtured their friendship despite the distance. Friendship knows no distance.
65. 7:21Friendship knows no time. Friendship knows only love and attention. Then
66. 7:27I can save my friendship too, even if we see each other less often. Exactly, Anna,
67. 7:32you can do it. Lukas, what about friendships on the internet? Are they real friendships? That
68. 7:39's a good question. There are online friendships and offline friendships. Is online friendship
69. 7:46less valuable? Not necessarily. Many people find real friends online,
70. 7:52people with similar interests. Can you really get to know friends online? Yes, in forums,
71. 7:59on social networks, in online games. People share their thoughts, their problems,
72. 8:06their joy. My sister met her best friend online. They
73. 8:12only wrote to each other for two years. And then they met in person. Yes, after two years they met
74. 8:18in real life. It was like old friends, instantly comfortable. That's a beautiful story.
75. 8:26Online friendships can be real. They just need time and trust. So it's
76. 8:31not important where you meet. It's important how you meet. Exactly, Anna. The quality of the
77. 8:38friendship counts, not the place. Anna, I want to talk about something. Something that many
78. 8:43people forget. What is it? Tell me. It's something important. Some people always give,
79. 8:50they always help, they always listen. But they never accept anything. That's me. I always help
80. 8:57others, but I have a hard time accepting help. That's a problem, Anna. If you never accept help,
81. 9:04your friends feel useless. Really? My friends feel useless. Yes, friends want to
82. 9:11help. It makes them happy to help. If you never accept anything, you take that joy away from them.
83. 9:17I never thought about that. So let your friends be there for you. Say, I need help. Say,
84. 9:25can you listen to me? That's not a weakness, that's friendship. So I have to learn
85. 9:32to accept help. Yes, and that's an important lesson for all friendships. Lukas, I have another
86. 9:39question. Of course. What would you like to know? I don't have many friends, maybe three or four.
87. 9:47That's perfectly enough, Anna. It's not about the number, it's about the quality. Really? Three
88. 9:54friends are enough? Yes. Research shows that three to five close friends are ideal. More isn't
89. 10:01better. Really? That puts my mind at ease. One close friend is better than 20 superficial acquaintances.
90. 10:09Deep connections are more important than many contacts. So I don't need to have 1,000 friends on
91. 10:15Instagram? No, Anna. Instagram friends aren't real friends. Real friends are
92. 10:22the people you call when you're feeling down. I have that. I have my best friend.
93. 10:27Lena. Then you're rich, Anna. Rich in true friendship. So, Lukas, let's summarize what
94. 10:35we've learned today. Point 1: Friendships are important for our health. They reduce
95. 10:42stress and make us happier. Point 2: Good friendships require trust, honesty, and
96. 10:49time. Point 3: There are different kinds of friendships from childhood, school,
97. 10:56work, and hobbies. Point 4: Friendships are like plants. You have to nurture them, otherwise they die.
98. 11:04Point 5: Online friendships can be real. It's the quality that matters, not the location. Point 6:
99. 11:12A good friendship requires give and take. Accepting help is not a weakness. Point 7:
100. 11:19Three to five close friends are ideal. It's about quality, not quantity. And now for
101. 11:26your task, dear listeners. Yes, your task for this week. Call a friend
102. 11:34, someone you haven't heard from in a long time. Ask, "How are you?" Listen, show
103. 11:41interest. That's the first step in nurturing a friendship. Write in the comments who
104. 11:47you called and how it went. And now for this week's challenge. A challenge? I
105. 11:54'm ready. Write a letter to a friend. A real letter, handwritten
106. 12:00. It's a wonderful task. A handwritten letter is something special. And
107. 12:07don't forget, true friendship is one of the most precious things in life. Nurture it. Thank
108. 12:14you for listening, dear learners. We hope this episode has given you food for thought.
109. 12:20And now I'm going to call my best friend. Lena will be happy. That's a good decision,
110. 12:26Anna. Have fun. Thanks, Lukas. Bye everyone. See you next episode. Bye. And remember,
111. 12:34a friend in need is a friend indeed. And now off to the phone. Bye.