Ganbatte vs. Good Luck: What Living Between Cultures Taught Me About Motivation
#58 A German-Vietnamese Perspective on Effort, Identity, and the Power of Intentional Words
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Growing up in Germany as a Vietnamese definitely had an impact on how I perceived the world. Without realizing it, I would compare not only food and media but also traditions, values, and mindsets—constantly thinking about what would suit me better.
Sometimes the differences were clearly visible—let’s take traffic, for example.
Germany is known for its structure and order. We have thousands of traffic signs, and everyone sticks to the rules as soon as they hit the road.
Vietnam’s traffic is more like a real-life Mario Kart game—constantly trying to avoid crashes and finding shortcuts.
Living Like a Light Switch
I would not say that I identify with one way of driving. When I am in Germany, I drive like my teacher taught me, while in Vietnam I join the race… well, with a maximum speed of 45 km per hour because that’s all I’ve got with my e-scooter.
There are many other examples besides driving, where I basically just adapt to the situation that I am in. Living like a light switch!
But during my trip to Japan, I had an eye-opening experience that made me question my way of adaptation.
The Power of “Ganbatte”
It all started with the book “Ganbatte! The Japanese Art of Always Moving Forward.”
This book talked about the Japanese concept of Ganbatte, which you can kind of translate to “Try your best!”—a certain spirit and way of living that is deeply rooted in Japanese culture.
Whenever Japanese people face a challenge, “Ganbatte” is a way to motivate someone to give their best effort. Regardless of whether it’s a project at work or a presentation at uni—it also means (from what I’ve understood): You worked hard, prepared well—now it is all up to you to do your thing. You got this!
Ganbatte—almost like a verbal cheerleader that roots for you until the very end—reminding you that it is all up to you. Try your best!
Western Words vs. Eastern Encouragement
In Germany, we also have our cheerleaders (aka friends and family) that support us in various ways when we face challenges.
Again—regardless of whether it’s at work, in school, or in your private life—there are some precious people that will be rooting for you and wishing you the best.
But what do we say in Germany (and also in many other Western countries) when someone faces a challenge?
“Good luck!” (in German: Viel Glück!)
…is probably the most common answer. And up until recently, I never had a problem with those two words.
But to me, there is a very subtle difference in meaning.
“Ganbatte” focuses on your own effort to overcome challenges.
“Good luck” is wishing someone external support (maybe from the universe?) that things will go well.
Even though no one actually interprets “good luck” as “You suck and are not prepared at all, but maybe you’ll be lucky and it somehow will turn out fine”—I couldn’t help but wonder whether being intentional with my words could lead to an increase in self-confidence.
Rediscovering “Cố lên!”
After I read this chapter in the book, I immediately realized that the concept of “Ganbatte” is not only used in Japan, but also in Vietnamese.
My parents would motivate me by saying: “Cố lên.” And similar to Ganbatte, there isn’t really a fitting translation into German or English. I guess I would say: “Try your best” or “Put your effort into it.”
When I was younger, I never realized the meaning behind those words, but purely saw them as a trigger to study.
Now I hear those words with love, kindness, and a reminder to believe in yourself—a reminder that you can actually decide your own fate and don’t have to leave it up to “luck” or the universe.
#mydailylearning
I’m actually not quite sure if I make up all this stuff and there was never this meaning behind the words “Cố lên”—but instead of adapting to the situation or place I am in, I intentionally want to change my habit of saying “Good luck” to “You’ve got this!”
This time I learned that living in multiple countries does not always mean playing according to the handbook. Sometimes, it is a conscious decision to live in a way that I find suitable for me.
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