Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Danish Lifestyle
You'd be forgiven for thinking the Danes are pretty much perfect. Not only are they impos-
sibly good-looking, they're famously civic minded, egalitarian, and masters of mood light-
ing. What makes these Nordic role models tick? And just how perfect are their enlightened
Scandinavian lives?
The Happiness Index
As if those perfect cheekbones weren't enough, Denmark wowed once more in 2013 when a
report published by the Earth Institute at Columbia University proclaimed it to be the
world's happiest nation. Taking into account six factors - including real GDP per capita,
healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom from corruption, and generosity - the coun-
try scored a total of 7.693 on a scale from 0 to 10. Fellow Nordic nations Norway and
Sweden also made it into the Top 5, a long way off from the US at 17 and Britain at 22.
So, what's the secret? According to
Det er et lykkeligt land
(It Is a Happy Country), a
study released in 2013 by Denmark's Institut for Lykkeforskning (Institute for Happiness
Research), the nation's high happiness rating is driven by its robustly democratic civil soci-
ety. Most Danes feel genuinely empowered to make changes and improvements, both in
their own lives and in the communities in which they live. The result is a general sense of
collective satisfaction.
Research also points to the Danes' high level of trust. Globally, only one in four people
feel that they can trust others. In Denmark, the figure is three in four. This remarkable
abundance of trust in one's fellow citizens goes a long way in explaining the common Dan-
ish sight of infants left snoozing in their prams while mum or dad pop inside to buy grocer-
ies or sip a coffee. Less time worrying about the negative leaves more time to focus on the
positive.
Denmark's love of civic mindedness is mirrored in the Danish board game Konsensus. In it,
players are required to put themselves in the mindset of other participants in order to work
out what they are thinking and give the same answer to win points.
