WHY ARE DANES HAPPY? (REVISITED). I posted earlier on research which claimed that Danes are happier than others because they have lower expectations. Dick Weisfelder commented on this post that the Swedes have a concept of having enough called “lagom” which suggests that you need not strive for excessive wealth. He also pointed out the advantages of the Scandinavian social model. This BBC article asks “What can the Danes teach us about happiness?” The answers in the comments are familiar: shorter work hours, the safety net, lower expectations. Additional suggestions are that lots of cycling makes people happy and that the beauty of the Danish women makes the men happy.
Categories
Archives
Recent Comments
- ADAPTING GATSBY. (1)
- Mary Jane Schaefer: I think these are crucial, important decisions, what to leave out of any literary work, maybe any...
- DAMIEN HIRST—AN ART MARKET BUBBLE?. (1)
- Kate Bush: I hope you enjoy my visit to the Damien Hirst show as much as I did The Technical Impossibility of...
- THE MOST IMPORTANT EPISODE OF THE SIMPSONS ? (COMMENT). (1)
- Nick: Homer does has success as the team’s best hitter until Mr. Burns places a bet with a rival factory owner...
- THE “RIGHT TO EDIT”. (1)
- Lee: A relevant Simpsons clip.
- ULYSSES—VIRGINIA WOOLF LIKED THE BOOK, DESPISED THE AUTHOR. (3)
- A DEFENSE OF INVASIVE SPECIES. (3)
- Dick Weisfelder: Today’s Toledo Blade has an article on the importation of live Asian carp to Canada to serve...
- Lee: The downside is that red squirrels are way cuter than their gray cousins. Hitchens on the subject.
- THE OLDEST FANTASY BASEBALL LEAGUE STARTS ITS 32ND SEASON. (COMMENT). (5)
- frank martin: Have been in a an Al only Roto league since 91… started at Ohio University were we all went to...
- DEATH OF A BUMBLEBEE. (1)
- Nick: By contrast, I remember witnessing the entire thing. I was surprised by Annalisa’s reaction and...
- ANOTHER VOTE ON UMBRIDGE. (1)
- Dick Weisfelder: When I look back at one of the Potter books, it’s usually this one. There are just a lot of...
- THE SCARIEST VILLAIN IN HARRY POTTER? (1)
- Dick Weisfelder: Didn’t we all meet her somewhere in grade or high school?
- ADAPTING GATSBY. (1)
Meta
Lower expectations about what? The article never really says. Their standard of living is as high as ours though their energy consuption per capita is half ours.
Perhaps it’s the high cost of living in Copenhagen. Now that the bridge-tunnel to Malmo is complete, Danes are buying back Sweden one apartment at a time and commuting daily.
Lower expectations about anything, I suppose. The argument goes that it is better to be surprised by joy.
Pingback: THE WISDOM OF THE DANES (AND THE SWEDES). | Pater Familias