Northern Europe’s Nordic region has long dominated the upper rankings of the World Happiness Report. This year, once again, three of its five primary countries—Finland, Denmark and Iceland—took the top three slots, with the other two—Sweden and Norway—following close behind in seventh and eighth. (The rest of the Nordic members, which include the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland, are not populous enough to be included in the rankings.)
Beyond cold weather, strong social safety nets, and long winters, there’s a specific cultural element that ties these countries together—one which may help explain why the happiest places on earth look at their careers through a different lens. It’s called “Janteloven” in Danish, or the “Law of Jante,” and it refers to ten rules that enforce a strong sense of humility, mutual respect, and empathy.
Originally developed by the Danish-Norwegian author Aksel Sandemose for his 1933 novel A Fugitive Crosses His Tracks, the fictional town of Jante’s ten commandments were intended to capture the Nordic region’s very real disapproval of rugged individuality.
Read more here https://www.fastcompany.com/90961739/this-old-nordic-philosophy-makes-for-happier-workers
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