Basically what it says in the title
I remember reading years ago in some chapter of what I think is a Kurt Vonnegut book, that the Germans have a word for someone you meet who represents who you could become, but would prefer not to, and how that person is significant as a symbol and drives you to become who you should be or want to be.
Did I dream this? What book was it and what was the word?
I’m a native German speaker but never heard ‘Abschreckungsbeispiel’. But ‘abschreckendes Beispiel’ is quite common.
There is a (mean) saying: -Niemand ist unnütz, er kann immer noch als abschreckendes Beispiel dienen ’ - No one is useless, they can still be a bad example.