As of 2025, Copenhagen is the most livable city in the world, and Scandinavian and Nordic countries account for five of the top seven happiest countries around the globe. Europe’s northern region is often associated with a high quality of life, but many people in countries like Denmark and Sweden aren’t living in fancy houses or toting around flashy bags. And yet, they’re among the most satisfied people on the planet — thanks, at least partially, to one Scandinavian law: Janteloven, or the Law of Jante.
Arrogance will get you nowhere in Scandinavia
The Law of Jante (“Janteloven” in Danish and Norwegian, “Jantelagen” in Swedish, “Jante laki” in Finnish, and “Jantelögin” in Icelandic) isn’t an actual law. Rather, it’s a concept from the 1933 satirical novel “En Flyktning Krysser Sitt Spor,” or “A Fugitive Crosses His Tracks,” written by Danish-Norwegian author Aksel Sandemose. The book outlines 10 commandments that make up Jante’s Law, including, “You’re not to think you are anything special,” and, “You’re not to think you are good at anything.”
Okay, ouch. Consider the law a fierce lesson in humility — something that permeates throughout society in Scandinavian and Nordic countries today. Outside of the 1930s novel, Janteloven has come to represent not showing off or thinking too highly of oneself, and it’s become a symbol of the region’s signature humility. Just look to Oslo’s tourism ad (below) that questions if Oslo is “even a city” or Sweden’s humble ad that reminds travelers that it’s not Switzerland.
With humility comes happiness?
The Law of Jante, in essence, promotes staying grounded and remembering that you’re not superior to others, something that is evident in Scandinavian countries’ social laws and services. And besides public services, being okay with being average might be one reason for Nordic nations’ impressive happiness rates. For one, Janteloven is pretty much the opposite of hustle culture and discourages people from working hard just for personal gain or to get ahead of their peers — so basically, you never have to worry about keeping up with the Joneses or flaunting your worth. You can just kind of… be.
That doesn’t mean people in Denmark, Norway, and neighboring countries are lazy or unproductive. But when they do accomplish something, they’re not likely to boast about it, and they probably aren’t motivated by one-upping others the way that go-getters in more competitive societies sometimes are. This can create a happier, more peaceful culture for everyone, regardless of class or status.
How Jante’s Law actually looks in Scandinavia today
The original Janteloven may have come from a fictional, satirical story, but people in Denmark and beyond began embracing it, and over the last 90-something years, it’s had a huge impact on the local culture. Even kids learn humility and to not think too highly of themselves from a young age, both explicitly and implicitly.
But these days, most people don’t abide by Jante’s Law to a T, and you’re unlikely to actually hear people saying, “You’re not to think you are good at anything” or some of the other (kind of intense) commandments in “En Flyktning Krysser Sitt Spor.” If Jante’s Law was originally about being average and not standing out too much, some selectively abandon the law in modern-day life, like when dressing in the Scandi style aesthetic. Individuality is celebrated in some ways in Scandinavia, as long as it doesn’t come at the expense of someone else.
Above all, Jante’s Law, for many people living in the Nordics today, simply means remaining humble, recognizing that everyone has equal worth, and quelling social hierarchy. And that might explain why Finland, Sweden, and other northern countries are among the happiest in the world.
