Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Jante loven (The Jante law)

Lately I have been thinking a little about bloggs and different ways of expressing oneself and being visible to the public.
You see I have also been calling my blog "my little exhibitionistic diary" and that has led to some discussions. Also I have been getting comments about my blog on mail and in one to one chats from people who have been reluctant to do comment in the blog itself.
I am sure a lot of people have very good reasons for not wanting to "go public" with their opinions, but I am in the belifs that also a thing very well known here in scandinavia called "Janteloven" or "the Jante Law" as it would be in english is laughing in the background.
The Jante law is taken from a book written by Aksel Sandemose which is called "En flyktning krysser sitt spor" (A very negative and pessimistic book which I never got through trying to read it at the age of 15)
But here in scandinavia the book is not as well know, as the law itself and what it stands for.
These opinions floods through our society in conscious and subconscious manners, and they are one of the largest threats to acceptance and respect between people, because as I see it , they are the basis of such things as rasism and predjudice etc...
It`s also an important facto in the supression of the expression of the free individual.

Here is a translation to english from norwegian:



The Jante Law - by Aksel Sandemose


1. Thou shalt not presume that thou *art* anyone [important].

2. Thou shalt not presume that thou art as good as *us*.

3.Thou shalt not presume that thou art any wiser than *us*.

4.Thou shalt never indulge in the conceit of imagining that thou

art better than *us*.

5. Thou shalt not presume that thou art more knowledgeable than *us*.

6. Thou shalt not presume that thou art more than *us* [in any way]

7.Thou shalt not presume that that *thou* art going to amount to anything.

8.Thou art not entitled to laugh at *us*.

9.Thou shalt never imagine that anyone cares about *thee*.

10.Thou shalt not suppose that thou can teach *us* anything.



The best thing would be to make the anti-Jante law - and spread it widely over the world :D

4 comments:

  1. Alternate theory: it could be that people aren't leaving comments because:

    a) they feel that you said it all already and are striving not to be redundant
    b) they are utterly unable to top your wit and don't want to suffer by comparison
    c) they're complete and utter wankers unable to come up with anything more interesting that "wow ur hot!" and when pushed to actually express themselves in a non-monosyllabic manner they simply fold like a balloon under 3000 feet of water
    d) they feel the need to share their opinions with you in a more private manner, either due to abject shyness or unimaginable egotism

    Personally I find c to be the most amusing... and unfortunately the most likely. :)

    Dave

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  2. Ha ha ha!
    Well, you sure managed to break through all of that ;)

    ....and leave a witty and smart impression.
    And you actually made me laugh a couple of times there too...so....
    ;)
    Aasa

    PS: You are most welcome to comment some more in the future.
    I am 100% positive you will make me laugh some more - and one cannot get enough laughs!
    XXX

    ReplyDelete
  3. .....but I am positively sure that those who read my fabolous blog (Oh, yes, I am soon goooood at being modest)
    are very intelligent and most eloquent too...some have proven that several times already
    XXX
    :D

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  4. Why would people quote it so often when you buy a new car and have it battered? Because it is in force: Jantelov really subtracts the light most scandinavians I know refrain from showing.

    I have a Danish friend, a most special friend. But she suffers the damned curse of Jantelov: it's only her who does not see the beauty inside her own self. I hate Jantelov, and fortunately she is starting too.

    ReplyDelete