Comments on: Janteloven: Norway’s Unspoken Social Norms Explained

By: me

me — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 12:37:18 +0000

In reply to Jim Eves. I'll trade you...

By: Nigel Hill

Nigel Hill — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 23:51:09 +0000

In reply to Henrich. Messrs Ohm, Birkeland, Eyde, Michelsen. All good scientists. Grieg was from a Scots family, Greg. Mr Ibsen, very good indeed. These are the exceptions to the rule. The Jantefolk really do have things nailed down especially in Rogaland. They would all be starving if it were not for the oil and gas, just like they used to before they emigrated.

By: Natalia

Natalia — Sat, 27 Jan 2024 22:11:40 +0000

It seems to me that the negative sensations and also the consequences of Jante’s laws lie in their incomplete understanding or understanding in the wrong direction.
These laws encourage the development of humility. Humility is a benefactor. It shifts the ego from its central place, and thereby forcing people to avoid conflicts and recognizing equality in front of law and so serving the development of effective relationships. But humility itself is not valuable unless it is used to achieve some goals, for example, high results in sports, work, etc. We know how valuable it is if a person can humbly accept that to achieve a goal he needs to work hard or needs to sacrifice some
pleasure.
Developing effective relationships is essential for achieving high team performance results.
I propose to consider the laws of Yante and the development of humility, as a base that can serve to develop the ability of understanding other people. This is a very important aspect that is often overlooked when discussing these laws. And you will see how they can become less harsh and more accepted.
10. You’re not to think you can teach us anything
To master understanding of others, it is useful to think that every person can teach you something. You can learn from both other people’s mistakes and positive experiences. For your own personal benefit, it will be more useful to learn yourself than to teach someone. Those teachers are good who are able to teach and learn simultaneously and main process by their consideration is process of self learning.
9. You’re not to think anyone cares about you
If you persist in caring for others and expect to be answered in kind, you will always remain dissatisfied with injustice. Nobody knows you better than yourself. That’s why you’ll take better care of yourself than anyone else. So that you are not outraged by injustice in the future and not to accumulate resentment towards other people, do not try to take care of them without a compelling need. Knowing this, it is easy to accept from others the same position of non-interference as a benefit for youself.
8. You’re not to laugh at us
It is better to learn to laugh at yourself than to make fun of the failure of others. Only a person, who is comfortable with who he is and who he is not, can allow yourself to joke about yourself. Essentially, it’s like an indicator of your self-confidence.
7. You’re not to think you are good at anything
Looking at yourself realistically and recognizing your strengths and weaknesses is the key to your success and happiness. That’s why think that you are good at everything
it means being blind to your reality.
6. You’re not to think you are more important than we are.
No matter how important your actions and knowledge are, the ability to always see and recognize that someone in some situation may become more important is a very valuable skill for establishing trusting relationships.
5. You’re not to think you know more than we do
3. You’re not to think you are smarter than we are
The ability to recognize the globality and breadth of knowledge in some anothers opens up horizons for you, just as the failure to do so sets limits on your development.
4. You’re not to convince yourself that you are better than we are
Recognizing the successes of others and being able to enjoy these successes as much as your own frees you from the stranglehold of envy.
2. You’re not to think you are as good as we are
Seeing in the aspirations of other people what you love, value, admire and strive to be like is a very good skill. More important keep the best before your eyes, what you strive, rather than the worst, what you need to avoid. So, believing that you are surrounded by good and even better people than you is more useful than vice versa.
1. You’re not to think you are anything special
All people are cut from the same cloth and no one is made from anything special.
We have common nature and it is the basis of our mutual understanding. If we can see ourselves in others, then we can find mutual understanding with them.
Whatever human manifestations you encounter, it is important to feel them within yourself, even those that we call devilish. If you are well acquainted with them in yourself, you understand their background, then you can control the primary sources in the direction you need, if you deny their existence, then they control you without your knowledge.
We can differ from each other. We differ in how we manage ourselves, how we achieve our goals, what values we prioritize and how honest we are with ourselves. These very differences will greatly affect the success of building effective relationships with people.

By: European

European — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 02:05:43 +0000

In reply to Tim D. Try the Netherlands. It has many immigrants, but still a sense of egalitarianism.

By: Tim D

Tim D — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 08:25:51 +0000

The concept of Janteloven may be somewhat workable in a homogenous society with a small population where practically everyone is of the same ethnicity and culture but, for better or for worse, it simply would not work at all in a multicultural society like the U.S. Additionally, few people who were raised in societies where individualism is valued and celebrated (such as the U.S.) would tolerate the lack of freedom inherent in such a society. Also keep in mind that in Norway (which is the country where Janteloven seems to be most prevalent) the extensive social welfare system and the bulk of economic wealth was built on fossil fuel extraction, which makes the propensity of (some) Norwiegians to lecture the world about sustainability rather interesting to put it kindly. The real danger of Janteloven in my view is that it can cause citizens to cede to much power and control to the government, resulting in a loss of liberty. As an American, I know that our society is far from perfect and there are a few parts of Janteloven that would be beneficial our society. but I personally would much rather err of the side of too much individuality than enforced conformity. History is replete with many examples of enforced conformity leading to disasterous outcomes, especially when conformity is enforced by government.

By: Ima

Ima — Sun, 01 May 2022 16:10:00 +0000

In reply to Dennis. As an American. I see no reason why any Nordic citizen should ever envy or emulate us. All Nordic countries and territories taken together have about 25% more billionaires per capita than the USA. Many Western European countries including the UK have about 1/3 that of the USA. Moreover, the combined Nordic productivity (GDP per capita) is greater than the USA. While UK productivity is only 70% that of the USA. All that Nordic wealth is far more equitably distributed than USA wealth. You Nordic folks have demonstrated that wealth can be built in a socially responsible way and entrepreneurs don't need to be egotistical boosting assholes such as Elon Musk. Be careful of what you wish. The comments describing serious cultural abuses in Nordic countries deeply sadden me. Those however pale in comparison to the rampant fear, distrust, and exploitation we experience in the USA. History demonstrates Nordic culture can change without losing Nordic trust. The comments that see beyond Janteloven's coercive belittling language give me hope this will continue. If anything, we Americans should emulate you and adopt the Nordic model. The last and only time that happened was FDR's New Deal in the 1930's. That gave rise to our large, prosperous middle class which has severely eroded over the past thirty years. If we're unable to set our differences aside, trust one another and work together as you do, the USA may go the same way as the USSR.

By: Jim Eves

Jim Eves — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 04:11:57 +0000

In reply to Mitch.

I have lived in Norway for nearly 50 years now and my conclusion is that this society is totally stuffed-up because of the dominance of the all suffocating JANTA LAW which is only a cover-up word for this peroquial society with a chip on its shoulder with members watching over others and letting them knowthat they MUST not do anything from their own principals(ideas) especially if it means that a Norwegian could say “I” can’t or don’t dare to do it.
I conclude that this “screwed-up”principle/attitude , comes from the 400 years of Norwegian domination by Denmark who held and chose the leaders of society in this period….. until the whole Norwegian nation was “given-away” to Sweden after Denmark “backed the wrong horse” namely Napoleon…..
Just reflect over the CONTRAST, of those great Norwegians ,who at one time ruled over the WHOLE of the Viking world,to the jealous SUBJECTIVE peoples of Norway today.
Yes I conclude that this society is probably the WORST and MOST OPPRESSIVE culture for a person from a FREE COUNTRY to live under…. and if I hadn’t mistakenly BUILT my adult life here with all my economical investments and friends and family,I would be out of here ,” like a shot” to ANY other country,possibly ANYWHERE, for a foreigner with a FREE sence of principles away from here, the dominating JANTA LAW LAND…

By: Lasse

Lasse — Sat, 22 Jan 2022 00:29:09 +0000

In reply to Milton Norman Franson. We are like every other person on this earth. Like you said, if you are from a small town in Norway i might agree. The world is a like, and we think the same. Social media connects the world and Nations cant be put in a box like you are like and you are like that because of nationality. Be who u are, and connect to who u want to connect to. Janteloven is Old and something that’s fading away in Norway.

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 02 Nov 2021 10:10:03 +0000

In reply to Alan. this.... even after living in Norway for 7 years and only recently stumbling upon reading of Janteløven has it explained a lot of the workplace politics and barriers which I've experienced that make it very difficult not only to integrate, but to thrive (financially, I'm fine...)

By: Gita Madhu

Gita Madhu — Tue, 13 Apr 2021 04:34:29 +0000

Thank you. While I recently came to know of this phenomenon and find that it seems to be behind the excellence in output from the Nordic nations, the way it appears to be criticized within these communities is also a part of the whole thing – anything that becomes worship worthy needs to be examined critically and the laws seem to offer the basis for this. Things like this are signposts but humans want to worship or crucify things without any effort to think.

That said, among the articles that discuss the laws, here is one that is that calmly tries to present what is as is.