5 Keys to be "Happy as a Dane"

Pursuit of Happiness: 5 Keys to be ‘Happy as a Dane’

Fabienne Broucaret

24 May 2015

updated the 6 October 2015 à 23:07

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Happy as a Dane: Finding your place
"My teachers taught me something irreplaceable: the idea that everything is possible, that there is a place for everyone and that, yes, you can become what you want. This is for me one of the greatest teachings of the Danish school system. At school, the objective is to develop the child's personality and reveal his talents. All competence is valued."
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Happy as a Dane: Achieving a balance between work and family
"In Denmark, people greatly value the balance between work and family. Working time is set in a way so as to not sacrifice the family. Leaving work at 4 or 5 or to pick up one's children from school is not aberrant. And, of course, fathers are no exception here."
3/5
Happy as a Dane: Having realistic dreams
"The Danes love the simple things in life. They have little materialistic ambitions, and no delusions of grandeur. The absence of pretentiousness is best described by Margrethe II, Queen of Denmark, who said, 'We are very proud of our modesty. It's our inverted megalomania. It's very sophisticated.'"
4/5
Happy as a Dane: Having a clear idea of happiness
"There are so many illusions about happiness! In particular it could be permanent, easy, guaranteed by 'check boxes' in one's life (nice house, good job, handsome husband) or simply as something inherent to a nationality."
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Happy as a Dane: Finding the courage within optimism
"If this little book was to have only one message, it might be this: for and against all, have the courage to be optimistic."

Ever wondered why Scandinavians always kept a smile on their face? Here are some of their secrets revealed and how you can be as happy as a Dane too.

Malene Rydahl was born in Denmark but she has lived in France for the past 20 years. What stayed with her though, was how the Danes kept a smile on their face, which led her to author Heureux comme un Danois (Happy as a Dane).

With precise anecdotes, honest personal memories and reliable statistics, her small book makes an apt manual of our well-being in everyday life. In other words, you can count on this book for pointers on your pursuit to happiness. Before you go searching for the book, we’ve collated snippets of it in our gallery for your reading pleasure.

Fabienne Broucaret and Natasha Gan

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Pursuit of Happiness: 5 Keys to be ‘Happy as a Dane’

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