It seems like there are a lot of misconception about the Law of Jante. It's not that you shouldn't be successful, but in short, if you are successful, don't be a smug peace of s*** about if
This fits in with Native American culture. The hurt of one is the hurt of all; the success of one is the success of all. I can see why my Norwegian ancestors fit in and married my Native American ancestors.
"individual success is discouraged and, in many cases, considered inappropriate." this is patently false, individual success is not discouraged or inappropriate, but if you are successful, it is looked down upon if you think you are better than other people, this is rooted in the fact that no man is an island and everyone needs some kind of help or cooperation to find success.
Basically it is that your wealth, your high IQ or education don't impress me (I'm Norwegian btw), how you act and what you do however might impress me or tell me what kind of person you are. thats why norwegians are really individualists and even that we have a king and even a boss/leader .. we might not think he knows best all the time and in many times just plain out don't do as they say. One way you can see how it works is that we don't use Mr. (last name) on our superiors ... we use their first name ... same with teachers, we are in many ways on what we call it "Dus" (like in du ? ... not de ... ) like we say Du to our leader, or just their first name. So we don't brag about our achievments, we might think its cool and all, but don't brag about it as it does not come out nice towards other to do so.... and they probably would not be impressed about it anyway.
Claiming you are a perfect fit, would get you canceled. You need somebody already established to claim "you act just like a Norwegian". And then you need to claim something like" no I do not, but thank you for thinking so".
I'm from Norway, and can tell you that his understanding of the Law of Jante is very wrong. It's not that you shouldn't be successful, but in short, if you are successful, don't be a smug peace of s*** about it
Fantastic video... American here living in Sweden and we have Janteloven here also. I am noticing a trend among some of the millennial and younger now (me being a millennial myself). I am seeing more starting to challenge these concepts. It will be interesting to see what comes of this in the future.
As a Norwegian I find this to be a really good explanation of Janteloven in relation to business. People disagree about what the law means. Some feel like it's a statement of humility, while others feel like it's oppressive and limiting their potential. There's probably some truth to both of those. Either way this video has my Norwegian stamp of approval.
I would like to moderate this one slightly; I wouldn`t be jealous at ALL, if a person said that he/she was Olympic champion or if he had two ph.d`s (I have "only" one MA degree). I expect that these things would come up in a situation where we would talk about these things. I don`t suffer from inferiority complex in front of people who are wealthier than me or has a higher degree.. I don`t care. They have probably worked hard, so they deserve it. On the other hand, I also don`t look down upon someone who "only" has secondary grammar school, he/she may be absolutely brilliant in other fields and/or a great person in many ways.
@@bjrnjensen7074 Telling/informing and bragging are different things but sometimes it can be difficult to know where the line goes. Often it depends on the tone and body language.
@@daghugowilhelmsen5660 Sure. But mostly I would just ignore it, if they were really bragging.. On the other hand, I don`t think that I`ve ever come across a person that was really bragging, the way I interprete the word. Also, it wouldn`t exactly bother me if I was someone`s home, and their entire wall was covered with diploma from various universities, I would probably just think "okay, good for him!"!.
I had that list in my office. Many would say that the "You are not to thinke we care about you is harsh'" Like "knowonw cares about you as a humn being. What it really means is "No one wants to hear your boasting. My take is that it is all about modesty.
No its made up by assholes in Scandinavia with huge control freak egos. It denounces ambitions or creativity for the sake of conforming to values you dont agree with. The most lamest cultural value in these countries. The guy who wrote it isnt at fault though, he simply wrote what people back then was thinking is all
I think it has it's share of advantages and drawbacks. Yes, it enforces a sense of humility and reservation in society, however many can come to find it opressive at times. There have been socio-political movements to try to kill the law of Jante. I believe it is a part of our heritage that reflects a long history of a comunal society, which can from time to time clash with modern global individualistic norms and expectations. Norwegian society has, like most european cultures, been impacted by western media, often produces almost exclusively in America which is a largely individualistic culture, and has served to imbue a small degree of "americanization" into Norwegian society and culture. This is usually not that noticable, but these new and old norms and expectations can at times clash. I also feel compelled to point out that, unlike what others may have inferred, the law of Jante was never really "made up". If anything the law of Jante is an attempt to explain a social phenomena found the amongst the nordic countries, which may have evolved out of a shared history of isolated small communites where everyones survival depended upon close cooperation and sacrifice for the community as a whole. For example, if your father was a blacksmith, the only one in the village, but you wanted to become a tailor, you would be expected to become a blacksmith anyway because that is what the community needs and is your station in life.
@@thunderyeti8476 You could certaintly say it has contributed to the modern wellfare state, in the sense that it is accepted as normal that everyone should contribute to take care of everyone
Biggest problem I have with janteloven is that it creates a culture of mediocrity as you're not supposed to be better than the other person. I remember reading this article about a prodigy who finished college in the US at the age of 17. Somebody wrote that it was a good thing she wasnt born in Norway. Then she would have been dimmed down and forced to be like everyone else, quite fitting. Also I think that janteloven creates so much jealosy in people. A jealosy that at the end of the day is just hypocrisy. People critisize others who do well economically and say they should contribute more to society, yet they would never do the same if they had the same success.
Do you think the Law of Jante is a good thing? It operates across all Nordic countries, not just Norway. I find it very limiting and the culture very conformist.
It’s a good thing to keep a society under control and safe. However it’s a bad thing if you’re an ambitious person or have different views. In business it certainly holds back both companies and individuals from producing outsized results.
Yes, as the results speak for themselves, ...But if you value your individual status higher than others, then go to the US. This report sums up why the Nordics countries are the best in the world for their Citizens; worldhappiness.report/ed/2020/the-nordic-exceptionalism-what-explains-why-the-nordic-countries-are-constantly-among-the-happiest-in-the-world/#fnref1
@@WorkingwithNorwegians Different views such as what? That everyone should be equal to one another? If someone doesn’t want to be equal to the others, and want to be special, why is that a good thing?
@@k.c7655 Well take sports for example, if you are equal in performance or results then the system of competitive sports doesn't work. Everyone can't be first place. Although in Norway sports is actually one area where the laws of jante are not as strict. In business, it's a bit different and janteloven applies everywhere you look. If you outperform your colleagues it can actually be a bad thing in Norway. It's a society that wants everyone to get both equal respect but also put in equal effort. That's different than say America where high performers in business are elevated (Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, etc). You don't get these types in Norway and as a result, the country is not creating large global brands or new technology on par with other developed countries.
Me too I wish I could live there. 💜 I don’t fit in the work vibe of my home country or USA because I don’t like peacocking. Of course too much of a good thing is bad, and precisely because of that I think our side of the world could learn a lot from places like Norway and improve our relationships and even mental health at work. I saw another video where they say Norwegians love meetings hehehehe maybe there I don’t agree but the concept of thinking for yourself, being actually humble (not saying “how humble you feel”), and not bragging at all is a great foundation for being a good professional and a good person. Maybe one day I will retire in Norway. That would be AMAZING …. one can only dream, the perfect combo for me is life in Norway and winter in Costa Rica. I really think those two countries are just great for people’s mental health, the US is feeling a bit like a comfortable numb prison and my home country is a total mess right now so can’t go back! …. But we need visas so …. :(
This is why any people saying "the west" or "western culture" as a vague umbrella term to describe white people living west of Russia as a whole is so ridiculous. There is no such thing as "western heritage" to protect against something. It's all mixed up. I find so much similarity in Jante's law what I can see in my country's culture(I'm east Asian) although there are many details that makes all the difference.
@@WorkingwithNorwegians Sandemose was as far as I know of the opinon that this was universal. "Jante" was Nykøbing, Mors, Denmark where he was born and raised. If you wish to believe in it, don't let me keep you from that. He later added the 11th. law.
@@floro7687 Yes, Jante Laws come from his literal work, and they are exaggerated and even satirical (not all Scandinavians take them word by word), but they originate from egalitarian values that Scandinavians have developed over the centuries and are very real! p.s. I'm not Scandinavian, that's just my impression living and working with them..
@@Sleepery22 Well, if you read Sandemose's work you will deduct that the townspeople definiitely were not for equality! Do you think he murdered a man in "Misery Harbour"? His son published an intriguing book on his father's many strange traiths a few years ago.
@@floro7687 It's irrelevant. It's mostly fictional literary work. What I'm saying is that Scandinavian sense for solidarity has developed over the centuries as result many factors: plague, depopulation, famines, little ice age, etc. In general: harsh living conditions. So I believe that, even without Jante Laws, Scandinavians would be more egalitarian society than most of other Europeans. But maybe a bit less weird sometimes.. ;)
It is more realistic to put that flag on to Denmark. After all that is where this Jantelaw started. That said: If you look at the Jantelaw in contrast to Americans, it`s very healthy. Lots of Americans need to live that way for awhile :) You know.. The jantelaw can go to far, just like flashing off how great you are can go to far. So in a way.. The balance point between Danes/Norwegians and Americans would be the middle ground. A place I live :) Just go over to Canada and you`ll find a milder version of it :) Now I`m going to try an be the oposite of the Jantelaw haha. We are Norwegians and yes we discovered North America 500 years before Columus ;) yeaaahhhh! Great! And by the way that was after we had been to England partly changing up the language :P You do know where England is right? Its in Europe where you`ll find Norway... So when did you guys start to speak English over in the states.. Must be hard not having a long history over there like we have. And why is your standard of living so low ? ;) Have a great day hehe :)
The law of Jante was written down in Norway by a Danish author who depicted Danish small town life. He did not invent the law, he put it into words. The description fits Norway and Sweden as well as Denmark, and you probably have to know how difficult it was to survive that far north a hundred years ago to understand that it was an important factor in a society where everyone had to contribute to the survival of a long winter.
I'm from Norway, and can tell you that his understanding of the Law of Jante is very wrong. Firstly, it's not an actual law, just a social norm, and it's not that you shouldn't be successful, but in short, if you are successful, don't be a smug peace of s*** about it
The Law of Jante just is by António Gramsci's phrase: "We do it this way (cultural revolution) everyone has become communist." In fact, By adopting ideologies collectivist, the Scandinavians follower Moscow's orders religiously and following the Lenin's booklet. Also, by deifying the state, they have followed orders in Nazi-fascism. in the words of Benito Mussolini: “Everything in the State, nothing outside the State, nothing against the State.”
I'm from Norway, and can tell you that this video is very wrong about the Law of Jante. It's just a social norm, and it's not that you shouldn't be successful, but in short, if you are successful, don't be a smug peace of s*** about it
Not by socialism, more by Christianity. After Scandinavia was Christianized, they couldn't go around anymore to raid other Christians, so they had to relay on their own limited resource. Centuries of struggle to survive, developed collective sense of common good and egalitarianism. Jante Laws and Social-Democracy came much later.
This cultural aspect is much older than Socialism. And this explanation is saturated, but there are fragments of truth in it. It depends on what business you are working in, but people who are bragging about them self is still awkward.
Acting self important or as if you were of a higher standing will cause norwegians to dislike you, because they know you're not a superhuman, you're not more important, you are not worth more than you are. Appeals to class or ones social standing is frowned upon as being rude or deluded and trying to oversell yourself makes you seem insincere, like a liar or a fraud.
You are completely wrong. Janteloven is everything that's wrong with the Skandinavian society. When I diss you, as I do know, I am a proponent of Jante. That's not good. Jantte is a place. A place you should never move to. It's WASP and Moral Majority. Your understanding of us is just off.
I feel your pain, it must suck being 'cocky American' in Norway.. ;) Few remarks: 1) I'm sure they give you a bit benefit of a doubt, first cos you are foreigner, second cos (I think that) most of Scandinavians have slight cultural bias towards Americans. If you were let's say 'cocky German' or 'cocky Russian' it might be even worse.. :D 2) Maybe Jante Laws are not your only issue in company meetings, but also lack of experience in consensual decision making process? Which is not unique for Scandinavians, though they can be extra difficult with it. 3) If you think that being one (or few) foreigner in Scandinavian company is difficult (I thought so too), imagine challenges working in company that has very strong Scandinavian working culture, but majority of the employees are NOT Scandinavians and come from very diverse backgrounds! :D
These three words are highly valued by induviduals in Norwegian workplaces; "recognition, responsibility and praise", as long as it given from others. Thanks for uploading your videos. I like your style.
It is not a law though. Innovators and successful leaders are higly respected. Look into Kjell Inge Røkke. Back in the days he was a bit too «Trump» but he learned the lesson of how to behave.
So is my son gonna be discouraged from being good at math? What if he’s good? Am I supposed to sit here and let people talk him down because they don’t want to feel inferior. People in life can follow what they specialize in. If I want my house to look nice, I’m not gonna make other people stop cleaning their front porch just so mine looks good by comparison. Individuals NEED to strive, and I’m not letting some author tell me otherwise. I’m not sorry at all for being better than someone at something, and I’m not gonna brag about it, but that won’t change my drive to improve. I’m not gonna shame a buff guy for being stronger than me. I’m not gonna slap a child with a ruler because they’re successful in school more so than others. Push people up, don’t pull everyone down with your own fucking insecurities. I’m not sorry.
No that’s not really how it works. You can encourage him and tell him he’s great, but if you followed this way you wouldn’t compare him to others. For instance you’d say he’s great at math but you wouldn’t say he’s best in the class.
It's not at all how it works here. We do have people who are best in math, funniest, smartest or kindest, but even though you might be the best at something, you should never be full of yourself. It's a country of humble people. It doesn't mean they aren't successful. A child will always be encouraged to do their best!
You have gotten it completely wrong. If such a talented boy was surrounded with a bunch of idiots who tried to bully him, because he was soo superiour in his field, it would be any teachers duty to STOP them. However, I don`t think this is a major problem, the biggest problem is probably that some talents are bored/understimulated, due to the fact that they may be way above the rest. Which is why I am a huge fan of private schools, as a supplement, and/or more differentiated teaching, to stimulate the talents that are there, just like they are giving special education for those students who may be lagging behind in some subjects. People are different, and teaching should reflect that.
I think you've heavily misunderstood the law. Being good is always encouraged. Saying you are good is not. Your success should be displayed by what you do, not what you say or own.
No, it's quite opposite. I have a lot of Scandinavian friends who are extraordinary good in what they do, and they are getting even better every day. But they don't push that in everybody else's face. Scandinavians also recognize skills of others, they might even give you a benefit of doubt if you are 'cocky foreigner', especially if they see these skills beneficial for entire collective.
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It seems like there are a lot of misconception about the Law of Jante. It's not that you shouldn't be successful, but in short, if you are successful, don't be a smug peace of s*** about if
No, the tips targets idiots, not professionals.
No
This fits in with Native American culture. The hurt of one is the hurt of all; the success of one is the success of all. I can see why my Norwegian ancestors fit in and married my Native American ancestors.
"individual success is discouraged and, in many cases, considered inappropriate." this is patently false, individual success is not discouraged or inappropriate, but if you are successful, it is looked down upon if you think you are better than other people, this is rooted in the fact that no man is an island and everyone needs some kind of help or cooperation to find success.
It is, if you do it, without the approval of the correct people.
Basically it is that your wealth, your high IQ or education don't impress me (I'm Norwegian btw), how you act and what you do however might impress me or tell me what kind of person you are. thats why norwegians are really individualists and even that we have a king and even a boss/leader .. we might not think he knows best all the time and in many times just plain out don't do as they say.
One way you can see how it works is that we don't use Mr. (last name) on our superiors ... we use their first name ... same with teachers, we are in many ways on what we call it "Dus" (like in du ? ... not de ... ) like we say Du to our leader, or just their first name.
So we don't brag about our achievments, we might think its cool and all, but don't brag about it as it does not come out nice towards other to do so.... and they probably would not be impressed about it anyway.
Is it likely that celebrating an achievement could be seen as bragging?
What a loser country
@@Torakan1
And you are from...?
@@markussmedhus9717 Haiti
@@Torakan1
A land of pirates.
Super useful! Thank you.
I am a perfect fit to Norwegian society and culture. Can i move in now?
No
@@salg2145 That's not for you to decide, lol
Same here, my friends who live in nordic countries tell me i will be good there😁
Claiming you are a perfect fit, would get you canceled.
You need somebody already established to claim "you act just like a Norwegian".
And then you need to claim something like" no I do not, but thank you for thinking so".
I would never ever adapt to such culture. This is not the way I understand the world.
I'm from Norway, and can tell you that his understanding of the Law of Jante is very wrong.
It's not that you shouldn't be successful, but in short, if you are successful, don't be a smug peace of s*** about it
Fantastic video... American here living in Sweden and we have Janteloven here also. I am noticing a trend among some of the millennial and younger now (me being a millennial myself). I am seeing more starting to challenge these concepts. It will be interesting to see what comes of this in the future.
As a Norwegian I find this to be a really good explanation of Janteloven in relation to business.
People disagree about what the law means. Some feel like it's a statement of humility, while others feel like it's oppressive and limiting their potential. There's probably some truth to both of those. Either way this video has my Norwegian stamp of approval.
Barbara Spectre needs to learn these rules
Janteloven seems so similar to "Nail that sticks out gets hammered down" culture in Japan.
It just say dont brag, if you are good other will say that you are good. No one likes a person who tells how great he is.
I would like to moderate this one slightly; I wouldn`t be jealous at ALL, if a person said that he/she was Olympic champion or if he had two ph.d`s (I have "only" one MA degree). I expect that these things would come up in a situation where we would talk about these things. I don`t suffer from inferiority complex in front of people who are wealthier than me or has a higher degree.. I don`t care. They have probably worked hard, so they deserve it. On the other hand, I also don`t look down upon someone who "only" has secondary grammar school, he/she may be absolutely brilliant in other fields and/or a great person in many ways.
@@bjrnjensen7074 Telling/informing and bragging are different things but sometimes it can be difficult to know where the line goes. Often it depends on the tone and body language.
@@daghugowilhelmsen5660 Sure. But mostly I would just ignore it, if they were really bragging.. On the other hand, I don`t think that I`ve ever come across a person that was really bragging, the way I interprete the word. Also, it wouldn`t exactly bother me if I was someone`s home, and their entire wall was covered with diploma from various universities, I would probably just think "okay, good for him!"!.
Number 10: You are not to think you can teach us anything:
Teachers: ...
LOL. Not, in such literal sense.
More like: 'You are not suppose to step above your group / collective and try to teach them lessons'
@@Sleepery22 Oh that makes a lot more sense. Thank you.
I had that list in my office. Many would say that the "You are not to thinke we care about you is harsh'" Like "knowonw cares about you as a humn being. What it really means is "No one wants to hear your boasting. My take is that it is all about modesty.
Law of Jante sounds so peaceful
It's more like cultural mob rule to me.
No its made up by assholes in Scandinavia with huge control freak egos. It denounces ambitions or creativity for the sake of conforming to values you dont agree with. The most lamest cultural value in these countries. The guy who wrote it isnt at fault though, he simply wrote what people back then was thinking is all
I think it has it's share of advantages and drawbacks. Yes, it enforces a sense of humility and reservation in society, however many can come to find it opressive at times. There have been socio-political movements to try to kill the law of Jante. I believe it is a part of our heritage that reflects a long history of a comunal society, which can from time to time clash with modern global individualistic norms and expectations. Norwegian society has, like most european cultures, been impacted by western media, often produces almost exclusively in America which is a largely individualistic culture, and has served to imbue a small degree of "americanization" into Norwegian society and culture. This is usually not that noticable, but these new and old norms and expectations can at times clash.
I also feel compelled to point out that, unlike what others may have inferred, the law of Jante was never really "made up". If anything the law of Jante is an attempt to explain a social phenomena found the amongst the nordic countries, which may have evolved out of a shared history of isolated small communites where everyones survival depended upon close cooperation and sacrifice for the community as a whole. For example, if your father was a blacksmith, the only one in the village, but you wanted to become a tailor, you would be expected to become a blacksmith anyway because that is what the community needs and is your station in life.
@@henrikkjuus90 Hmm... That sounds like socialism in a small community. Nice point of view)
@@thunderyeti8476 You could certaintly say it has contributed to the modern wellfare state, in the sense that it is accepted as normal that everyone should contribute to take care of everyone
Hey thanks! I'm in Sweden right now and a woman talk to me about this law wich i found really interesting to understand the culture here... Thansk!
Biggest problem I have with janteloven is that it creates a culture of mediocrity as you're not supposed to be better than the other person. I remember reading this article about a prodigy who finished college in the US at the age of 17. Somebody wrote that it was a good thing she wasnt born in Norway. Then she would have been dimmed down and forced to be like everyone else, quite fitting.
Also I think that janteloven creates so much jealosy in people. A jealosy that at the end of the day is just hypocrisy. People critisize others who do well economically and say they should contribute more to society, yet they would never do the same if they had the same success.
Janteloven is dead, wakeup.
The law of Jante, is written about a village in Denmark Sandemose wrote this about the place he grew up.
Do you think the Law of Jante is a good thing? It operates across all Nordic countries, not just Norway. I find it very limiting and the culture very conformist.
It’s a good thing to keep a society under control and safe. However it’s a bad thing if you’re an ambitious person or have different views. In business it certainly holds back both companies and individuals from producing outsized results.
Yes, as the results speak for themselves, ...But if you value your individual status higher than others, then go to the US.
This report sums up why the Nordics countries are the best in the world for their Citizens; worldhappiness.report/ed/2020/the-nordic-exceptionalism-what-explains-why-the-nordic-countries-are-constantly-among-the-happiest-in-the-world/#fnref1
@@WorkingwithNorwegians Different views such as what? That everyone should be equal to one another? If someone doesn’t want to be equal to the others, and want to be special, why is that a good thing?
Why is it limiting to be equal to everyone else, and not demand special attention towards yourself? It’s all about giving and receiving equal respect
@@k.c7655 Well take sports for example, if you are equal in performance or results then the system of competitive sports doesn't work. Everyone can't be first place. Although in Norway sports is actually one area where the laws of jante are not as strict.
In business, it's a bit different and janteloven applies everywhere you look. If you outperform your colleagues it can actually be a bad thing in Norway. It's a society that wants everyone to get both equal respect but also put in equal effort. That's different than say America where high performers in business are elevated (Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, etc). You don't get these types in Norway and as a result, the country is not creating large global brands or new technology on par with other developed countries.
The rule number 10 actually cancels the prior laws.
That coffee-drinking dude at 05:20 was nerve-wrecking...
Thanks.
Love the Norwegian culture 🙏🌷🌷🌷
Me too I wish I could live there. 💜 I don’t fit in the work vibe of my home country or USA because I don’t like peacocking.
Of course too much of a good thing is bad, and precisely because of that I think our side of the world could learn a lot from places like Norway and improve our relationships and even mental health at work.
I saw another video where they say Norwegians love meetings hehehehe maybe there I don’t agree but the concept of thinking for yourself, being actually humble (not saying “how humble you feel”), and not bragging at all is a great foundation for being a good professional and a good person.
Maybe one day I will retire in Norway. That would be AMAZING ….
one can only dream, the perfect combo for me is life in Norway and winter in Costa Rica. I really think those two countries are just great for people’s mental health, the US is feeling a bit like a comfortable numb prison and my home country is a total mess right now so can’t go back!
…. But we need visas so …. :(
Are You kidding??
This is trash
This is why any people saying "the west" or "western culture" as a vague umbrella term to describe white people living west of Russia as a whole is so ridiculous.
There is no such thing as "western heritage" to protect against something. It's all mixed up.
I find so much similarity in Jante's law what I can see in my country's culture(I'm east Asian) although there are many details that makes all the difference.
Conform or be punished.
All of these except for #6 seem like they're bs.
Is this man living in a dark cellar without external stimuli? This was about a rural town in Denmark in the 1880ies.
Are you saying Janteloven is not part of society today in Norway? Because, well, lol
@@WorkingwithNorwegians Sandemose was as far as I know of the opinon that this was universal. "Jante" was Nykøbing, Mors, Denmark where he was born and raised. If you wish to believe in it, don't let me keep you from that. He later added the 11th. law.
@@floro7687 Yes, Jante Laws come from his literal work, and they are exaggerated and even satirical (not all Scandinavians take them word by word), but they originate from egalitarian values that Scandinavians have developed over the centuries and are very real!
p.s. I'm not Scandinavian, that's just my impression living and working with them..
@@Sleepery22 Well, if you read Sandemose's work you will deduct that the townspeople definiitely were not for equality! Do you think he murdered a man in "Misery Harbour"? His son published an intriguing book on his father's many strange traiths a few years ago.
@@floro7687 It's irrelevant. It's mostly fictional literary work.
What I'm saying is that Scandinavian sense for solidarity has developed over the centuries as result many factors: plague, depopulation, famines, little ice age, etc. In general: harsh living conditions. So I believe that, even without Jante Laws, Scandinavians would be more egalitarian society than most of other Europeans. But maybe a bit less weird sometimes.. ;)
It is more realistic to put that flag on to Denmark. After all that is where this Jantelaw started. That said: If you look at the Jantelaw in contrast to Americans, it`s very healthy. Lots of Americans need to live that way for awhile :) You know.. The jantelaw can go to far, just like flashing off how great you are can go to far. So in a way.. The balance point between Danes/Norwegians and Americans would be the middle ground. A place I live :) Just go over to Canada and you`ll find a milder version of it :) Now I`m going to try an be the oposite of the Jantelaw haha. We are Norwegians and yes we discovered North America 500 years before Columus ;) yeaaahhhh! Great! And by the way that was after we had been to England partly changing up the language :P You do know where England is right? Its in Europe where you`ll find Norway... So when did you guys start to speak English over in the states.. Must be hard not having a long history over there like we have. And why is your standard of living so low ? ;) Have a great day hehe :)
The law of Jante was written down in Norway by a Danish author who depicted Danish small town life. He did not invent the law, he put it into words. The description fits Norway and Sweden as well as Denmark, and you probably have to know how difficult it was to survive that far north a hundred years ago to understand that it was an important factor in a society where everyone had to contribute to the survival of a long winter.
Very interesting knowledge. Thank you for sharing your experiences and personal stories.
Hi
Those rules seem as if they were made by insecure little men. They’re excessive in my opinion.
I'm from Norway, and can tell you that his understanding of the Law of Jante is very wrong.
Firstly, it's not an actual law, just a social norm, and it's not that you shouldn't be successful, but in short, if you are successful, don't be a smug peace of s*** about it
The Law of Jante just is by António Gramsci's phrase:
"We do it this way (cultural revolution) everyone has become communist."
In fact, By adopting ideologies collectivist, the Scandinavians follower Moscow's orders religiously and following the Lenin's booklet.
Also, by deifying the state, they have followed orders in Nazi-fascism. in the words of Benito Mussolini: “Everything in the State, nothing outside the State, nothing against the State.”
Nah bro, they aren't communists and they don't follow Moscow orders. Iirc their socialist liberals. And their country is far better than America
@@readmarx420 While I don't disagree, I also don't think his comment is worth responding to. Only an ideologue would be insulted.
I'm from Norway, and can tell you that this video is very wrong about the Law of Jante.
It's just a social norm,
and it's not that you shouldn't be successful, but in short, if you are successful, don't be a smug peace of s*** about it
Like everything in Scandevia, us danes had it first
We are the borg
It is horrible
🤣🤣🤣🤣
I dont like #7, I feel like everyone has things they are good and bad at, its the nature of diversity.
Easy for u to say when u don’t live in a culture that has this shit. It’s not nice at all
You are reported, an offence to our Flag.
I love the jante low. I call it jante love
the further north you get, the less the law of jante aplies, here in tromsø we actually respect eachother
Sad to see the viking culture has been destroyed by socialism
Not by socialism, more by Christianity.
After Scandinavia was Christianized, they couldn't go around anymore to raid other Christians, so they had to relay on their own limited resource. Centuries of struggle to survive, developed collective sense of common good and egalitarianism.
Jante Laws and Social-Democracy came much later.
What an ignorant and dumb comment.
This cultural aspect is much older than Socialism. And this explanation is saturated, but there are fragments of truth in it. It depends on what business you are working in, but people who are bragging about them self is still awkward.
I😃 guess this mean Donald Trump is Norwegian!!!
Collectivism sucks.
i love that japanese philosophy “a nail that sticks out gets hammered”, an address to all arrogant and narcissistic people
Hi
👋🏻
Acting self important or as if you were of a higher standing will cause norwegians to dislike you, because they know you're not a superhuman, you're not more important, you are not worth more than you are. Appeals to class or ones social standing is frowned upon as being rude or deluded and trying to oversell yourself makes you seem insincere, like a liar or a fraud.
You are completely wrong. Janteloven is everything that's wrong with the Skandinavian society. When I diss you, as I do know, I am a proponent of Jante. That's not good. Jantte is a place. A place you should never move to. It's WASP and Moral Majority.
Your understanding of us is just off.
It is such a stupidity it ruins the person making them mediocres without goals or ambitions
Its an insult to see the Norwegian flag used this way.
The 11 law : Perhaps you don't think we know a few things about you?
Haha… so true ….
I feel your pain, it must suck being 'cocky American' in Norway.. ;)
Few remarks:
1) I'm sure they give you a bit benefit of a doubt, first cos you are foreigner, second cos (I think that) most of Scandinavians have slight cultural bias towards Americans. If you were let's say 'cocky German' or 'cocky Russian' it might be even worse.. :D
2) Maybe Jante Laws are not your only issue in company meetings, but also lack of experience in consensual decision making process? Which is not unique for Scandinavians, though they can be extra difficult with it.
3) If you think that being one (or few) foreigner in Scandinavian company is difficult (I thought so too), imagine challenges working in company that has very strong Scandinavian working culture, but majority of the employees are NOT Scandinavians and come from very diverse backgrounds! :D
These three words are highly valued by induviduals in Norwegian workplaces; "recognition, responsibility and praise", as long as it given from others. Thanks for uploading your videos. I like your style.
In short, this is what being a humble person means
It is not a law though. Innovators and successful leaders are higly respected. Look into Kjell Inge Røkke. Back in the days he was a bit too «Trump» but he learned the lesson of how to behave.
So is my son gonna be discouraged from being good at math? What if he’s good? Am I supposed to sit here and let people talk him down because they don’t want to feel inferior. People in life can follow what they specialize in. If I want my house to look nice, I’m not gonna make other people stop cleaning their front porch just so mine looks good by comparison. Individuals NEED to strive, and I’m not letting some author tell me otherwise. I’m not sorry at all for being better than someone at something, and I’m not gonna brag about it, but that won’t change my drive to improve. I’m not gonna shame a buff guy for being stronger than me. I’m not gonna slap a child with a ruler because they’re successful in school more so than others. Push people up, don’t pull everyone down with your own fucking insecurities. I’m not sorry.
No that’s not really how it works. You can encourage him and tell him he’s great, but if you followed this way you wouldn’t compare him to others. For instance you’d say he’s great at math but you wouldn’t say he’s best in the class.
It's not at all how it works here. We do have people who are best in math, funniest, smartest or kindest, but even though you might be the best at something, you should never be full of yourself. It's a country of humble people. It doesn't mean they aren't successful. A child will always be encouraged to do their best!
You have gotten it completely wrong. If such a talented boy was surrounded with a bunch of idiots who tried to bully him, because he was soo superiour in his field, it would be any teachers duty to STOP them. However, I don`t think this is a major problem, the biggest problem is probably that some talents are bored/understimulated, due to the fact that they may be way above the rest. Which is why I am a huge fan of private schools, as a supplement, and/or more differentiated teaching, to stimulate the talents that are there, just like they are giving special education for those students who may be lagging behind in some subjects. People are different, and teaching should reflect that.
I think you've heavily misunderstood the law. Being good is always encouraged. Saying you are good is not. Your success should be displayed by what you do, not what you say or own.
No, it's quite opposite.
I have a lot of Scandinavian friends who are extraordinary good in what they do, and they are getting even better every day. But they don't push that in everybody else's face. Scandinavians also recognize skills of others, they might even give you a benefit of doubt if you are 'cocky foreigner', especially if they see these skills beneficial for entire collective.