I feel like lately all I've been wanting to talk about is how amazing I think Denmark is, and how my 5 year goal is to move there (or somewhere else in Scandinavia). Thanks to the following two books, I've been reading a lot about the Danes and their philosophy.
Of course, I've long been fascinated with the civility, equality and happiness index scores of the Nordic Countries, but a few things I've learned from the above books that make me so obsessed are as follows:
1) Equality for all.
In Denmark, the tax rate makes all working citizens more or less "equal" as they are all taxed depending on three tiers of income. This means you find people less likely to discriminate against one another because of their occupation and wealth, which I love. Occupation and wealth do not equate to social status, and bragging about what you do or how much you have is seen in really poor taste. In "The Year of Living Danishly," she talks numerous times about how you you will find all types of people mixing in the same social circles, you may have a bakery worker, an executive and a garbage collector and it's natural. Similarly, because of the tax system- you'll find that everyone earns a livable wage and it's not uncommon to find people from all occupations living on the same street. I think this is amazing, because in the US we are so quick to judge one another for things like income, occupation and education. In Denmark- they are less concerned with what you do and how much you make and I think that is an important lesson we could all stand to learn.
2) Free Education for all.
Thanks to the heavy tax rate in Denmark, University level education is free for Danish and EU citizens. For Danes, not only is it free, but students are incentive to go to college because the state actually pays them a stipend to attend. When I think about how many thousands of dollars in debt myself and some of my friends are because we wanted to pursue an education, it makes me ill. Education is a right, not a privilege, and Denmark has this down flawlessly. Because Danes don't go into crippling debt in pursuit of an education, they are more likely to study a field that genuinely interests them, and therefore graduate and take jobs that they really love and enjoy. How many times did you come across someone studying medicine or law "because they want to be well off?" What if we cold all study what we wanted, then work in the field we desired, and make an equal amount? I'd suspect we would have a much happier society.
3) Hygge for all.
Though no direct translation in English, Hygge means something along the lines of "the feeling when you are cozy, comfortable and secure." In the fall and winter, Danes "get Hygge" by lighting tons of candles (Danes are the world's #1 consumer of candles), drinking a comforting beverage (coffee, tea, etc.), relaxing with close friends or family, taking time to put together a delicious meal and slowing down. I implore you all to try to get hygge for a weekend. I've been doing this the past few weekends now and feel so much more CALM. Here's how I hygge- light candle (fall scented or tobacco scented, my favorite), make an espresso, lay by the open window with a good book, or, with some good music on while I take my time to prepare dinner, enjoying the process rather than rushing through.
I could go ON (and probably will, my third book on this subject should be arriving any minute now...) but this is a good start. Up next, my Fall goal list, including visiting Copenhagen to get the authentic Danish expierence!