Jante Law

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The Jante Law (Danish and Norwegian: Janteloven Swedish: Jantelagen Finnish: Jante-laki) is a concept created by the Danish/Norwegian author Aksel Sandemose in his novel A refugee crosses his tracks (En flygtning krysser sitt spor, 1933), where he portrays the small Danish town Jante, modelled upon his native town Nykøbing Mors as it was in the beginning of the 20th century.

There are 10 different rules in the law, but they are all variations on a single theme and are usually referred to as a homogeneous unit: Don't think you're anyone special or that you're better than us. The 10 rules are:

You shall not think that you are special.
You shall not think that you are of the same standing as us.
You shall not think that you are smarter than us.
Don't fancy yourself as being better than us.
You shall not think that you know more than us.
You shall not think that you are more important than us.
You shall not think that you are good at anything.
You shall not laugh at us.
You shall not think that anyone cares about you.
You shall not think that you can teach us anything.

In the book, those Janters who transgress this unwritten 'law' are regarded with suspicion and some hostility, as it goes against communal desire in the town, which is to preserve social stability and uniformity.

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Modern interpretation

The "Jante law" has become a set phrase and a symbol of what many residents and also foreign visitors have seen as a permeating cultural code in the Nordic countries: It is frowned upon to appear to elevate oneself or claim to be better or smarter than others. Those who assert to the influence of the Jante law often maintain that the values of the Danish and other Nordic welfare states are to blame for (the persistence of) the Jante law, in particular their stress on social equality and their emphasis on fairness for all. Others point to such traits as protestant work ethic and an early development of a modern central government in the Nordic states.

This kind of communal order has been observed in many areas of the world. It has echoes in the attitude towards others in some areas of England, exemplified in sayings such as "Just who does he think he is?". The "tall poppy syndrome" – cutting off the heads of the tallest poppies – is another expression of the idea, and is a prominent phenomenon in Australia and New Zealand. The Jante law should also be seen in the light of the "smallness" of the individual Nordic nations, which forms an important part of their self-image.

The topic of the Jante Law is quite controversial in Denmark and there is some discussion regarding its purported permeation of the modern Danish character. Many view its influence as quite overstated, as modern Danish society has distanced itself from the rural communities where such views are easily maintained and now mainly comprises urban communities where its influence is lesser.

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