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 Why Danes Are So HappyPosted on Jan 22, 2007Multiple studies have suggested that Danes are the happiest people on the planet, but an article in the medical journal bmj.com goes one step further and attempts to understand why. Most likely reason they’re so satisfied: low expectations.
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By Happy Dane, September 27, 2009 at 9:50 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
hmmm.. I don’t want to rub it in but even reading all
of you americans trying to understand why danes are
happy makes me happy.. but if you really want to
understand the core to our happiness you have to listen
to this and drink some beer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHuAphI4yUo
haha :b
Report thisBy S. K. Snow, July 20, 2008 at 11:59 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Over thirty years ago, the Danish government began working on alternative energy sources due in part to the high costs of fossil fuels.
One of their innovations was burning garbage for energy, but the ramifications were higher disposal and damage to public health, more environmental degradation (including contaminated agriculture; higher pollution with increased mercury and dioxin concentrating and collecting in fish and livestock, which build up in human fetuses and destroys the health and lives of people and animals.) Coal and oil almost as polluting as energy from trash.
Energy costs due to fossil fuels kept rising. Danes turned to increased use of alternatives to fossil fuels including harnessing the wind! Now over 20% of energy comes from wind power and that is increasing.
Harnessing foot power eliminates the high cost of building wider roads. Bicycle roads and footpaths reduce energy costs and create a healthier lifestyle making for healthier, slimmer, stronger, and friendlier people. There is even an indoor parking garage for solely bicycles in Copenhagen.
When people exercise, they are happier. When health care costs are lower (due in part to taxpayer funded programs) including a healthier, sustainable environment, people are healthier. When livestock and produce are grown with the organic method, which does not use petrochemicals for pest controls and toxic fertilizers or genetically modified organisms, people are healthier. A healthier environment means healthier and happier people!
Report thisBy Tra..., February 25, 2007 at 11:23 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Well said Bluestocking. As an American I can admit to being a bit envious of the Danes. I achieved what most would consider a comfortable place very early in life and never really got to enjoy it because of the constant “Well, what now?” nonsense I was hearing from friends, family, etc. “Are you going back to school?”, My response was usually “For what? I already have all I need”. This culture tries to make you feel like an “underachiever” if you don’t have an MBA from an ivy league university and aren’t pulling in a 7 figure salary as a CEO of a Fortune 500 company by the time you’re 35. I’ve lost much of what I had materially (life happens) but fortunately I’m far more content today because I know that the only thing that really matters is peace of mind. America constantly drills “self-reliance” in our heads, but nobody on this planet is completely reliant on self - this is delusional imo…we have a global inderdependency and people need people and especially love.
Report thisBy why do their expectations have to be low?, January 23, 2007 at 1:49 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Are they all such losers? Perhaps low is the wrong word for Danish expectations. Maybe you mean they don’t EXPECT anything, but aim for what they want anyway, and if they fall short, everything is beautiful, right and good.
Report thisThat makes better sense to me.
By Christopher Robin, January 23, 2007 at 11:53 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Comment #49177 by Louise on 1/23 at 8:41 am
^^ Right on Louise!....and the Danes don’t have the largest population per capita behind bars either.
At no expense of course.
Not to mention growing homelessness.
Europe was 30-40 yrs ahead of the US on Social Security and Unemployment insurance.
Report thisIt took the Depression to bring those advances to the United States.
By anonymous, January 23, 2007 at 9:44 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Comment #49081 by Richard Roe on 1/22 at 4:57 pm:
“Denmark.
Home to Amsterdam, Legalized drugs and legal prostitution. Socialized medicine & Exemplary education.
Maybe theres something there America is missing?”
like geography?
Report thisBy Louise, January 23, 2007 at 8:41 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Well lets see ...
They don’t have to worry about the cost of higher education, so more are educated.
They don’t have to worry about health care so more are healthy.
They don’t have to worry about pay inequality, child care or care for the elderly, so both parents can contribute to the family income, if they choose. Which all translates into higher taxes.
But with NO INFLATION, NO NATIONAL DEBT and NO TRADE DEFICIT, one hundred percent of their income has buying power.
Denmark is notably absent corruption in business and government, “Evangelical” activity and large oil reserves. Denmark produces far less oil and gas than Europe’s two leading producers, Norway and Britain. Forcing the Danes to develop alternate energy sources and a better functioning electricity market. Which probably goes a long way to explaining a sense of well being. The government of Denmark is deeply vested in the people. The people of Denmark are deeply vested in the Government. That seems to have produced a situation where the best interests of the people are placed above the intrusion of major Global Corporate influence. And that’s got to be a good thing, I think.
The absence of fear, hate and insecurity must be a major reason these folks are SO HAPPY!
But, that doesn’t mean they don’t have problems. They are well aware of a possible crisis as the working population approaches retirement age. The difference is they are already working on solutions to address that problem. So I guess we can add the absence of putting off dealing with problems to the list.
Do they feel smug? Well maybe they have a right to be.
By the way ...
Report thisAmsterdam is located in the Netherlands (Holland) Located on the North Sea, opposite the UK on the Western border of Germany. Denmark is a tad North and East, on the Northern border of Germany and just below Norway and Sweden.
By Cole, January 23, 2007 at 7:35 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Denmark—home to Copenhagen and neighbor of the Netherlands (Amsterdam, some legalized drugs, etc.)
We can rest easy. Americans are still poor in geography.
Report thisBy Anthony, January 23, 2007 at 6:54 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Reply to comment 49081….
Report thisAmsterdam is in Holland!
By menot, January 23, 2007 at 6:43 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
re 49081: Denmark home to Amsterdam? I am reminded of a video I recently watched on this site about American geographical prowess.
Report thisBy uncleleo, January 23, 2007 at 5:53 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Attn: Richard Roe-Amsterdam is in Holland,not Denmark.
Report thisBy el goocho, January 23, 2007 at 5:34 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Amsterdam is in holland. Although copenhagen does have its very own “little amsterdam” quarter.
Report thisBy an american in berlin, January 23, 2007 at 2:18 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Lowered exepectatiosn notwishstanding, the Des might hope that US readers would place Copenhagen, and not Amsterdam (which is in the Netherlands) in thir country.
After being force-fed a steady diet of self-serving propaganda about the sexy & thrilling risks of an “opportinity society” (= no job security, benefits, or social programs, just homelkessness and rison for “failures”) , Americans have frown numb and stupid.
Let’s connect the dots:
Along with higher living standards than the vast majority of drugged & deluded & brainwashed US-Americans (“But Rush told me having all these video games & gadgets means I’m rich!!”), Danes have more personal and social SECURITY, hence less anxiety, hence greater satisfaction in life.
Duh!!!!!!!!!!!!
Report thisBy Richard Prins, January 23, 2007 at 12:47 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Amsterdam is the capital of The Netherlands, where indeed all those other things can be found as well.
Report thisBy DennisD, January 22, 2007 at 7:21 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
How can there be a country with lower expectations than ours. We used to be number one at everything - especially low expectations for our leadership. I’m mad as hell and not gonna take it anymore. Do the Danes have a Bu$h of their own?
Report thisBy Richard Roe, January 22, 2007 at 4:57 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Denmark.
Home to Amsterdam, Legalized drugs and legal prostitution. Socialized medicine & Exemplary education.
Maybe there’s something there America is missing?
Report thisBy Bluestocking, January 22, 2007 at 3:07 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
This was a very interesting article, especially given the way in which they examined a wide variety of factors which could potentially be contributing to high life satisfaction in Denmark. While it’s clear that it’s not significantly better than or even markedly different from many other European countries on most of these variables, the fact that Denmark is the top-ranked country in terms of income equality seemed noteworthy—particularly since the US seems to be facing growing problems in that area. However, what’s most apparent from the article is that Danes have a particularly pragmatic approach to life—a “this too shall pass” perspective—which strikes me as being very healthy.
The only point of contention that I would make with the authors of this article is that I don’t personally think the phrase “low expectations” is really descriptive of the Danish attitude toward life. While it seems clear that this article was written more for an European market, I think that the phrase “low expectations” suggests to the American mind someone who’s probably not really satisfied but who perhaps pretends to be while settling for less than they deserve or might be capable of achieving—personally, I think a more accurately descriptive phrase would be “realistic expectations”. I tend to agree with the authors of the article that high expectations often result in dissatisfaction and disappointment because more often than not, life either fails altogether to measure up to what we imagine or fails to measure up exactly as we had hoped. There’s certainly nothing wrong with optimism, but one can also have too much of a good thing—and while there are few unavoidable constants in life, two of them are change and trouble. As the article points out, the Danish perspective appears to take this into account with the commonly-used phrase “lige nu” (just now)—it suggests that one should take care to appreciate whatever advantages one has now, because it can’t be expected to last forever. Contrast this with the typical (or at least stereotypical) perspective in our American culture that there’s always something bigger and better to be had, to the point that our entire culture can almost be summed up with the one word MORE. From this perspective, is it any wonder that there are so many people in our culture who are dissatisfied and unhappy—in spite of the fact that many if not most Americans enjoy what many people around the world would consider a life of unbelievable luxury? To at least some extent, there’s truth in the old adage that one is as happy as one make’s up one’s mind to be.
Report thisBy JimmyJim, January 22, 2007 at 2:30 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Interestingly, they are also a world leader in alternative energy.
Report thisBy Skruff, January 22, 2007 at 12:40 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
....It’s gotta be all that danish pastry.
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