Danes and Happiness

I just came out from my very last Psychology of Happiness class, so I thought I'd share with you a short essay (and supplementary photos) I wrote about Danes and happiness as part of a portfolio mosaic that we turned in last week.  We were only asked to write two pages, so it's definitely a  topic that could be expanded on, but I also thought it would be a good way to briefly relay my thoughts on the matter to you, the blog readers.  Consider it a blog with references.

On another note, if you want to hear about what's going on with COP15, some of my friends from DePauw are keeping a great blog of updates here!

The Happy Socially Secure Danes:

A Reflection on How Culture Can Beat the Happiness Test

Aside from the original data in the Happiness in Nations report, my observational experience about Danes and their top-ranking happiness waters down to two types of sources: popular media reports with interviews that make causal speculations, and members of the greater internet community who angrily strive to prove the news wrong, listing evidence from personal experiences. On the other hand, my own observations indicate that the people in Denmark are no different from Americans in terms of expressing happiness. I cannot count the possible solutions to these discrepancies, especially with the debates over both the definition of happiness and the question of life satisfaction that the Happiness in Nations report is actually measuring. Nevertheless, we know that they are measuring some difference, and from analysis based on both research and my experience, I believe that Danes report higher life satisfaction ratings due in part to the values they have formed as a national culture—be it a sense of contentment rather than extreme joys, principles of unanimity and community, and even language that supports and emphasizes a pleasant mentality.

There haven’t been too many studies done to crack just why the Danes rated so high on the Happiness in Nations survey, but Kaare et al., who compared Denmark with its northern neighbors Finland and Norway, noted the crucial difference that “Danes have consistently low (and indubitably realistic) expectations for the year to come” (1289). Theoretically, this mindset can keep people from becoming bogged in the disappointment experienced when one fails to reach his self-expectations. Plus, when the threshold is lower, increased instances of exceeding expectations might even improve self-image, however temporarily. It also fits well with excerpts from Knud Jespersen’s account of the formation of Danish national identity and culture, which I read in my Danish class. Jespersen notes that the loss of the German duchies in 1864 did not only whittle the kingdom to its smallest size, but also sprung a change in the collective attitude. Thus, when the Danes acknowledged they were not fit to be a world power with a strong military, the people began to reflect this modest mentality on themselves—working and farming to support the community that they all valued. In short, the attitude became “we don’t have a big world, but we do our best to keep it running, and we are happy doing it together.”

Although Denmark has a western, individualistic culture, this intense sense of homogeneity means that the people also take on characteristics of traditionally eastern, collectivist cultures. In an article on how the self and culture influence subjective well-being, Eunkook Suh explains that people from individualist cultures rate life satisfaction with a locus of internal emotions, while those from collectivist cultures tend to focus on social appraisal. Can the Danes, then, be getting the best of both worlds—satisfied not only with their own successes, but also with the roles they have secured within their tight communities? There is also the fact that the mutual understanding within the homogeneous community and the work to support it economically are two factors that have directly fed the welfare system (Jespersen), which in turn supports people with basic needs and allows them to devote more attention to eudemonic concerns.

Lastly, the Danish language has its own contributions to the Danish mentality. In 1928, when linguist and anthropologist Edward Sapir first wrote about what would later be known as the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, he proclaimed that “the fact of the matter is that the ‘real world’ is to a large extent unconsciously built up on the language habits of the group” (qtd. in Joseph 72). In Danish, the existence and frequent use of certain words supports a positive outlook. From arbejdsglæde—which describes happiness in the workplace—to hygge—that cozy feeling of fellowship that is so emphasized both within the culture and as a selling-point for tourists—Danes use a language which puts a focus on happiness and contentment. But it should be noted that hygge also carries the connotation of a group wrapped up in their own fellowship and cares, excluding anyone from the outside. So although hygge’s place as the Danish social ideal promotes coziness, the society pays the price of promoting exclusivity.

As an American, the notion of a universally happy society elicits images of constant joy and elation. It’s an unrealistic ideal, and for the scientifically proven happy society in Denmark, the truth lies more in perception and values than it does in the emotions themselves. Like in any country, Danes are gleeful when they put themselves towards their passions, or they may be gloomy and sullen when they are less interested in their current activity. The mastermind behind their high life satisfaction is the strong sense of national identity and community with other Danes—trusting, respecting, and fostering their neighbors, socially and financially. Danes are not filled with happier emotions, but rather supported and supportive within their tight group. The question left now is if it can—or should—be a formula to repeat these results in other cultures.

Flying Colors

Helsingør, Denmark
29 August 2009

The Three Grouches

Køge Festuge
Køge, Denmark
29 August 2009

Still on the Honor System After All These Years

Samsø, Denmark
20 September 2009

Arbejdsglæde: Happy People Make Happy Beer

Samsø Bryghus
Nordby, Samsø, Denmark
20 September 2009

Works Cited

• Jespersen, Knud J.V. A History of Denmark. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004.
• Joseph, John Earl. From Whitney to Chomsky: essays in the history of American linguistics. Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing, 2002.
• Kaare, Christensen, Anne Maria Herksind, and James W. Vaupel. “Why Danes are smug: comparative study of life satisfaction in the European Union.” BMJ: British Medical Journal: 333.7582 (2006), 1289-91.
• Suh, Eunkook M. “Self, the Hyphen between Culture and Subjective Well-being.” Culture and Subjective Well-Being. Ed. Ed Diener and Eunkook Suh. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2000. 63-86.