ABOUT THE LAW OF JANTE


MAY 28:
You now and then hear, also from international studies, that the Danes are the happiest people in the world. If it is true it is, of course, good 😊
The interesting and necessary question then is:  Why is it so?
The Danish-Norwegian author Aksel Sandemose wrote in 1933 a novel, where he tries to find the answer.  The title of the novel is:  A fugitive crosses his tracks.  It describes what many consider to be the Danish-Nordic caution, moderation and modesty. Others say that they aspire to be average.  All this should - according to some - give happiness.
Sandemose is writing about life in a small provincial town, he calls JANTE.  And he describes how people, incl. the young, are influenced by living there. 
He puts the rules of life into a law with ten commandments.  It is called the LAW OF JANTE.

Here they are:

  1. You're not to think you are anything special.
  2. You're not to think you are as good as we are.
  3. You're not to think you are smarter than we are.
  4. You're not to convince yourself that you are better than we are.
  5. You're not to think you know more than we do.
  6. You're not to think you are more important than we are.
  7. You're not to think you are good at anything.
  8. You're not to laugh at us.
  9. You're not to think anyone cares about you.
  10. You're not to think you can teach us anything.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_Jante



The big question is, if this law is more universal? Not only in Denmark, but everywhere?  A good topic for reflections and discussions.
Many years have gone by and much wine been enjoyed since 1933.  So maybe it’s upon time to make a new, modernised version of the Law of Jante. 
More about that tomorrow.




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