The Nordic and Scandinavian Manifesto: The Nordic Theory of Everything
Just wanted to share my thoughts and revelations on the success of the Nordic and Scandinavian countries in becoming a few of the happiest countries in the world.
I had been binge reading loads of books on Hygge, Lagom... basically books related to how Nordic and Scandinavian countries like Denmark, Finland and Sweden are leading the way to a happy life for their citizens. I could not help but note a few differences in the way their societies are structured compared to ours or the rest of the world. Anu Partanen's 'The Nordic Theory of Everything' was a great read and compared typical American and Finnish societies and attitudes.
Freedom.
The power or right to act, speak or think as one wants.
The state of not being enslaved or imprisoned.
When we think of the word 'freedom', many of us define it as being able to make our own choices or not to be tied down.
If you are already familiar with how Nordic / Scandinavian societies work, you will know that they provide free healthcare and education (until university) for their citizens. Additional perks include paid year-long materinity / paternity leaves. In return, these countries also require its citizens to pay rather high taxes, however, this seems to be no longer the case.
Taking the example of the US or most other countries, everyone chooses their own medical and hospitalisation insurances. Healthcare costs are often exorbitantly high. There are even sayings like "it's better to die than be sick", but even dying has a cost. It is because of these high healthcare costs that we scramble to buy insurance policies, hoping that those can help us defray some of the healthcare costs in the event that we require major operations or hospitalisation. On top of feeling terrible when being ill, we still have to worry how to pay medical fees.
However, in Denmark or Finland, all this has been covered by the government. One can go to any clinic or hospital and not worry about the costs. Their citizens can just focus on the most important thing: getting their health back.
In terms of education, everyone is covered in Nordic / Scandinavian countries. Everyone has equal opportunities to share the same quality of education all through university, regardless of family background and income status. Unlike in most countries, where more well-to-do families could pay for their children to attend private schools or extra lessons to give them an edge over the others. Some less well-to-do families may have to worry more about the next day's meals and children may not even attend school altogether. How many of us were 'forced' to choose a certain specialisation / course or job simply because it pays better? And it's not just about the money, in Finland, teachers are a very well-respected profession and undergo rigorous training to maintain their standards. This allows all public schools to provide quality education to all the students.
Taking into consideration that healthcare and education are two of the most major costs that everyone will incur in their lives (other than food and lodging), by setting up their citizens well for these two aspects, Scandinavian and Nordic countries allow their citizens to live a more carefree life. They still need to work, of course. Taking pride in their work is definitely a strong part of Scandinavian / Nordic culture, but at least one does not need to worry about saving enough money for healthcare and children's education costs or even parents' healthcare costs.
One may point out that being subject to such a system reduces the freedom to choose. But look, you can choose what you like to do and love to do and are passionate about, without worrying about saving enough for a rainy day. It is also a kind of freedom.
Comparing to the case where we need to buy our own health insurances, incur student loans from university, worrying about whether we or children will not do well enough in future if we didn't attend a better school. Being in such situations makes us a slave to our circumstances, and when we make decisions we have to take all these into account, such as whether the pay is enough, whether we can afford the insurance, which neighbourhood to stay.
That being said, of course nothing is perfect, and someone will always have something to worry and complain about. But still, it's great knowing that I never have to worry about paying the bills when I can barely stand with a 39 deg C fever or a nose dripping like a tap. It's great knowing that everyone can have equal opportunities regardless of their circumstances.
I also believe that it is also because of these reasons, that Nordic and Scandinavian countries are built more on trust. There is trust because you will not think that the next person will edge you out because of some amazing wealth or background. Ok perhaps they still will. But having less to worry about definitely makes people more relaxed.
Other than worrying about money, one can spend more efforts on having a better life, being more cultured, acting with grace and therefore building a better and more inclusive society for everyone to be in.
A little note on The Nordic Theory of Everything by Anu Partanen
I must admit that I felt a bit intimidated by the tone of the book at first. It seemed a bit angry, lashing out at the American welfare system. However, as I read on, I started to see and understand the correlations. I read some books on Hygge, Lagom... all these somewhat 'cheery' ideas. I saw then was perhaps only the tip of iceberg in understanding the culture of Nordic and Scandinavian countries. But through this book I saw that the actions of these governments was not simply to blindly benefit its citizens, but knowing that giving these benefits would bring society to a whole new level and change the mindset of the people. And I can't help but feel amazed and awed at their efforts and forward thinking. Just in case you are still thinking all these discussions are just castles in the air, the book has a 35-page bibliography.
Other interesting references:
Happiness Research Institute
https://www.happinessresearchinstitute.com/
Forget Hygge, Lykke is the new buzzword
https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/forget-hygge-lykke-is-the-new-danish-buzzword-a3627416.html
I had been binge reading loads of books on Hygge, Lagom... basically books related to how Nordic and Scandinavian countries like Denmark, Finland and Sweden are leading the way to a happy life for their citizens. I could not help but note a few differences in the way their societies are structured compared to ours or the rest of the world. Anu Partanen's 'The Nordic Theory of Everything' was a great read and compared typical American and Finnish societies and attitudes.
Freedom.
The power or right to act, speak or think as one wants.
The state of not being enslaved or imprisoned.
When we think of the word 'freedom', many of us define it as being able to make our own choices or not to be tied down.
If you are already familiar with how Nordic / Scandinavian societies work, you will know that they provide free healthcare and education (until university) for their citizens. Additional perks include paid year-long materinity / paternity leaves. In return, these countries also require its citizens to pay rather high taxes, however, this seems to be no longer the case.
Taking the example of the US or most other countries, everyone chooses their own medical and hospitalisation insurances. Healthcare costs are often exorbitantly high. There are even sayings like "it's better to die than be sick", but even dying has a cost. It is because of these high healthcare costs that we scramble to buy insurance policies, hoping that those can help us defray some of the healthcare costs in the event that we require major operations or hospitalisation. On top of feeling terrible when being ill, we still have to worry how to pay medical fees.
However, in Denmark or Finland, all this has been covered by the government. One can go to any clinic or hospital and not worry about the costs. Their citizens can just focus on the most important thing: getting their health back.
In terms of education, everyone is covered in Nordic / Scandinavian countries. Everyone has equal opportunities to share the same quality of education all through university, regardless of family background and income status. Unlike in most countries, where more well-to-do families could pay for their children to attend private schools or extra lessons to give them an edge over the others. Some less well-to-do families may have to worry more about the next day's meals and children may not even attend school altogether. How many of us were 'forced' to choose a certain specialisation / course or job simply because it pays better? And it's not just about the money, in Finland, teachers are a very well-respected profession and undergo rigorous training to maintain their standards. This allows all public schools to provide quality education to all the students.
Taking into consideration that healthcare and education are two of the most major costs that everyone will incur in their lives (other than food and lodging), by setting up their citizens well for these two aspects, Scandinavian and Nordic countries allow their citizens to live a more carefree life. They still need to work, of course. Taking pride in their work is definitely a strong part of Scandinavian / Nordic culture, but at least one does not need to worry about saving enough money for healthcare and children's education costs or even parents' healthcare costs.
One may point out that being subject to such a system reduces the freedom to choose. But look, you can choose what you like to do and love to do and are passionate about, without worrying about saving enough for a rainy day. It is also a kind of freedom.
Comparing to the case where we need to buy our own health insurances, incur student loans from university, worrying about whether we or children will not do well enough in future if we didn't attend a better school. Being in such situations makes us a slave to our circumstances, and when we make decisions we have to take all these into account, such as whether the pay is enough, whether we can afford the insurance, which neighbourhood to stay.
That being said, of course nothing is perfect, and someone will always have something to worry and complain about. But still, it's great knowing that I never have to worry about paying the bills when I can barely stand with a 39 deg C fever or a nose dripping like a tap. It's great knowing that everyone can have equal opportunities regardless of their circumstances.
I also believe that it is also because of these reasons, that Nordic and Scandinavian countries are built more on trust. There is trust because you will not think that the next person will edge you out because of some amazing wealth or background. Ok perhaps they still will. But having less to worry about definitely makes people more relaxed.
Other than worrying about money, one can spend more efforts on having a better life, being more cultured, acting with grace and therefore building a better and more inclusive society for everyone to be in.
A little note on The Nordic Theory of Everything by Anu Partanen
I must admit that I felt a bit intimidated by the tone of the book at first. It seemed a bit angry, lashing out at the American welfare system. However, as I read on, I started to see and understand the correlations. I read some books on Hygge, Lagom... all these somewhat 'cheery' ideas. I saw then was perhaps only the tip of iceberg in understanding the culture of Nordic and Scandinavian countries. But through this book I saw that the actions of these governments was not simply to blindly benefit its citizens, but knowing that giving these benefits would bring society to a whole new level and change the mindset of the people. And I can't help but feel amazed and awed at their efforts and forward thinking. Just in case you are still thinking all these discussions are just castles in the air, the book has a 35-page bibliography.
Other interesting references:
Happiness Research Institute
https://www.happinessresearchinstitute.com/
Forget Hygge, Lykke is the new buzzword
https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/forget-hygge-lykke-is-the-new-danish-buzzword-a3627416.html
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