Bötschi asks Peter Schneider "On bad days I could hardly manage to go shopping"
Psychoanalyst and satirist Peter Schneider suffered from Long Covid. A conversation about perseverance, US President Donald Trump's second term in office - and his fear of death.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Peter Schneider studied philosophy, German studies and psychology. He lives in Zurich and works there as a psychoanalyst and satirist.
- For 20 years, the 67-year-old answered questions on social issues for the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper that went beyond good manners whenever possible.
- Schneider was also heard for many years as the narrative voice in the Sunday radio play "Philip Maloney" and on the satirical program "Die andere Presseschau" on SRF3.
- "I would even say that, by and large, I've grown into the age I've more or less always felt I was. What is bad, however, is that my best friend died a year ago. That was a terrible experience. The grief doesn't get any better," says Schneider in an interview with blue News.
Peter Schneider, I'm going to ask you as many questions as possible over the next 30 minutes. And please answer as briefly and quickly as possible. If you don't like a question, you can also say "go on".
How many questions are there?
Why do you want to know?
So that I know how many times I can say "go on" (laughs).
Black or white?
Black.
Mountain or valley?
I prefer valleys.
Zurich or Berlin?
Zurich.
How hair-raising was your start to the year?
Medium hair-raising. My father, who is 93, was admitted to hospital.
Have you already seen the new SRF series "The Hair-raising Cases of Philip Maloney"?
No. I'm not watching TV or Netflix at the moment. I think I've been suffering from overload since the coronavirus pandemic. I watched quite a few series back then.
For years, you were the narrator of the Sunday radio plays by detective Philip Maloney on SRF3 radio. How cool do you think it is that the radio play has now become a TV series?
I've heard that Marcus Signer is very cool as the main character Malony.
About the author: Bruno Bötschi
blue News editor Bruno Bötschi regularly talks to well-known personalities from Switzerland and abroad for the question-and-answer game "Bötschi fragt". He asks them lots of questions - always direct, often funny and sometimes profound. It always remains open until the very last question as to where the fast-paced ping-pong will lead.
Do you still get mail from people who are in love with your voice?
I've never received that kind of letter. Every now and then, however, I am asked in everyday life whether I am not the voice of Malony.
Have you made any resolutions for the new year?
I never do that.
What do you think of the renunciation fetishism in January?
Nothing, although it's probably healthy to drink less alcohol or none at all.
Is less really more?
No. I once conducted an experiment on this topic during a conference. After the majority of the audience thought that less was more, I let a box go around. In it, people were asked to get rid of all the superfluous things: jewelry, money and all those things that are held in low esteem. The result was interesting.
Why?
The box contained nothing but worthless odds and ends.
What is your greatest talent that nobody knows about yet?
I'm afraid I don't have one. I'm good at muddling through, but that's well known.
What role does humor play in your work as a psychoanalyst?
Humor plays the same role in my work as it does in my everyday life. But I'm not a forced humorist. And between you and me, the glorification of humor in psychotherapy makes me rather depressed.
Is it really true that partnership, children and career are particularly meaningful?
If these three areas of life work reasonably well, then this statement is true. But of course, a partnership can also be unhappy, children can go wrong and careers can fail ...
A good life: What do you think that consists of?
Not always worrying so much about what a good life consists of.
Is it okay to say you just want to have fun in life?
That's perfectly fine. The only problem is that there is also unsustainable fun - like when it ends in a hangover.
What do you wish you had known when you were 18 that you know today?
Whew ... I can't think of anything specific right now. The most I could say is: everything I know today, I wish I had known back then.
You did"Die andere Presseschau" for Radio SRF 3 for 30 years.
That's right.
You ran a column in the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper for 20 years in which you answered questions from readers.
That's also true.
You wrote your column in the "Sonntagszeitung" for 18 years. Where do you get your stamina from?
It may have something to do with the principle of "perseverance". The longer a person does a job, the more experienced they become - and in my opinion, the better they get at it. In my case, there was also no reason to stop. I have always earned good money with my journalistic work.
When was the last time you ran out of breath?
Literally, almost exactly a year ago, when Long Covid caught me. Back then, I regularly had to take a break from climbing stairs. On particularly bad days, I could barely manage to go shopping.
What does writing give you?
Mostly money. But of course it also has to do with fulfilling a certain urge to communicate.
You stopped working for the media last year. How many publishers have asked you since then whether you will now write your autobiography?
Not a single one. And that's a good thing.
If I've researched correctly, you first appeared in the Swiss media on September 22, 1986.
That could be the case.
At the time, you wrote about "The new wishful fathers" in "Schweizer Illustrierte".
This story doesn't sound familiar to me. Incidentally, I wasn't even a father at the time.
Perhaps you will remember the text when I read you the lead: "Wilhelm Busch would be amazed: becoming a father has become more difficult for some men today than being a father. Their role as spectators causes them grief - they would like to be able to give birth themselves."
There are a few other people in Switzerland who are also called Peter Schneider (laughs). But I don't want to completely rule out the possibility that this text is mine.
Is it still an issue among men today that they would like to carry a child to term?
I don't think so. This topic only experienced a brief hype in the 1980s - much like the question of whether some men would suffer from childbearing envy.
You are 67 years old. Are you more ageist or age-radical?
I find ageism embarrassing. I always think of Jean Ziegler or other people who claim to be in retirement.
And mellow?
I'd say I'm more serene today than I was in my early years.
What did you think when the "Nebelspalter " wrote about you last October: "Anything can happen: Peter Schneider has a firm opinion on the matter, and the journalists still like to ask him because he speaks when you press the button. It doesn't really matter what comes out of it."
Well, why should the right-wing "Nebelspalter" like me? Although I've never really been out to polarize over the years. On the contrary, I've always thought that practically everyone could like me. But when I read comments like these, I always realize that this is not the case after all.
The criticism in "Nebelspalter" also didn't hurt me because it's simply not true. It's simply not true that I comment or would have commented on every piece of shit. But you know what, I definitely left X last Saturday. I'm just waiting for my collected Twitter works to download.
Why did you leave X?
The content on this social network is unbearable. I admit, I settled into my very nice bubble there for a while. But the longer I stayed, the more I realized that I could no longer stand this right-wing to right-wing extremist ranting.
Has your success on social media made you addicted?
X was my extended press review for a long time. However, I didn't just express my outrage there, but also occasionally simply recommended certain articles from the press.
What criticism hurts you?
When I am fundamentally misunderstood.
Did input from the public occasionally prompt you to make changes?
That has happened time and again. The most serious case was when someone said to me at a panel discussion that he really enjoyed listening to "Die andere Presseschau" for Radio SRF 3, but that he thought the speech "Dear listeners on the loudspeakers" was getting a bit hackneyed and out of place. I then omitted this speech from the next recording.
Why?
It had become an old-fashioned dad joke that I'm no longer proud of. These gender jokes have long since degenerated into reactionary signals to the audience.
When is outrage appropriate?
About inhumanity, this new kitsch of the inhuman.
Does the thought of Donald Trump's second US presidency make you hateful?
The thought depresses me and I'm more desperate than angry.
Donald Trump has narcissistic traits. He likes to celebrate himself, doesn't tolerate criticism and is vindictive. What should heads of state look out for when dealing with him?
It's difficult to say because Donald Trump is an unpredictable personality. I think it's important to stand up to him as resolutely as possible and not respond to his constant threats. As a counterpart to the new US president, you shouldn't allow yourself to be lulled into complacency, but should deal with him coolly and objectively, even if that will be difficult.
Christoph von Marschall, correspondent for the "Tagesspiegel", says: "We must learn to deal with Trump more soberly, not join in every fuss, and develop a strategic course on how to deal with him"?
On the one hand, this statement is quite understandable, but on the other, it is also a trivialization discourse.
Would you expect more?
Yes, these really are dark times. Elon Musk's election recommendation for the AfD is part of this darkness. I would love to say that everything is only eaten half as hot as it is cooked. But unfortunately that's not the case.
When I think about how much energy some people put into getting upset about topics such as "screen time" or "calluses in sandals", I find it extremely strange that people shouldn't get upset about Donald Trump.
Have you read the home story about Alice Weidel in the NZZ am Sonntag?
I only skimmed the text. The scary thing about this story is that it is part of a normalization. It's almost comparable to the documentary film "So wurde bei Hitlers daheim gekocht" by German TV journalist Guido Knopp.
When was the last time getting older felt really good?
I haven't had any really big problems with getting older yet. However, my Long Covid disease gave me an unpleasant foretaste. I would even say that, on the whole, I've grown into the age I've more or less always felt like. What is bad, however, is that my best friend died a year ago. That was a terrible experience. The grief doesn't get any better.
Are you more afraid of death today than when you were younger?
I was already very afraid of death as a child.
Why is that?
While children today are given a tablet for entertainment, my mother used to turn on the radio when she didn't have time for me. Among other things, I listened to medical history radio plays and learned a lot about deadly childhood diseases. As a result, whenever I had a sore throat, I thought I had diphtheria and was about to die.
You should know that my mother was seriously ill for a long time during my childhood. She also died at an age that I have already passed. Death has never been something I have been able to reconcile myself with.
Do people's problems with getting older perhaps have to do with the fact that we are becoming more and more aware of the finite nature of life?
I think so - not least because of the finiteness of the people around us.
What do you think of funerals?
They offer comfort. Grieving together is easier. That's why I'm a proponent of funerals (laughs).
Do you have a will?
I thought I made one once, but unfortunately I can't remember where I put it. I will therefore draw one up again soon.
Lasting power of attorney - yes or no?
No.
Living will - yes or no?
Yes. I have even left a copy with my family doctor.
We are slowly coming to the end and thus to the self-rating test: you rate your own talent from zero points, no talent, to ten points, maximum talent: gardener?
I give myself three points because I don't have green fingers. At the same time, I love my little plants on the balcony more than anything. I even have a gardener come by twice a year to look after my weeds that have flown in.
Cook?
I'd say I'm pretty talented at the level of solid everyday cooking. But I'm not a cookbook reader, not a cooking course participant and not a Gault Millau restaurant devotee.
Another score, please.
Nine points ... well, eight and a half.
What are you cooking tonight?
There's still some chicken ragout left. I think there's also some meatballs and I'll make a pizza when I get around to it. Because I can hardly manage it during the week, I usually cook in advance at the weekend.
Drawer?
Very different. In my youth, I was briefly very talented at drawing nature. Back then, I would have given myself seven points.
And today?
Three points.
So you've forgotten how to draw?
I don't know, it just suddenly disappeared.
Footballer?
A solid A, without any reservations.
