In Denmark, we have a concept called "Janteloven" or more often translated as "The Law of Jante". If you say "Janteloven" to any Dane, they will immediately know what you are referring to. And most of us have felt the influence of this "law" during our life in Denmark.
What is this "Law of Jante" you ask? And why on earth am I bringing it up in one of my blog posts as part of my story? "The Law of Jante" was first introduced in 1935 by author Aksel Sandemose in his novel "A Fugitive Crosses His Tracks" (footnote: I also saw a translation that said "A Fugitive Covers His Tracks" which not as accurate as the former.) In it, he describes the lead character Espen Arnakke's experiences living in the small provincial town of Jante. In this town, the inhabitants have kept each other down, generation after generation, with envy and narrow-mindedness. It is these unwritten rules that Sandemose has translated into the ten commandments in the "Jantelaw". They are:
Sandemose spells out exactly how the city operates and how the inhabitants think. The city's self-suppressing lower class and the petty-bourgeois who want to be so better-than-thou, teach their children inferiority and distrust of the outside world from a young age, all to make themselves feel better. It does come across rather two-sided. On one hand, this community is suppressing their peers with these 10 commandments, yet at the same time, them saying "don't think you're better than us" is expressing exactly that they indeed think they are. I enjoyed this conundrum immensely. The thing I do love about the story, which is not an easy read or even all that enjoyable, is that the lead character finally does muster up his courage to break out and sail the seas, something that in my experience doesn't come easy when met with this kind of deprecating forced inferiority. I do think Sandemose was making a rather flamboyant sarcastic attempt at showing the small towns in Denmark just how silly this whole concept is, but I think his point fell to the wayside and the concept was adopted. He finally put into words what was already there. So why does this book belong in my story? Well, growing up in Denmark, this book has made its impact. I don't think the Law of Jante came from a book, I think the Danish community saw itself in these commandments and thought: "yes, that's exactly who we are and what we do". I think of Aksel Sandemose as someone who put into words something we all were seeing and feeling around us, and this whole concept was then made famous as "The Law of Jante". It belongs in my story because this written, yet unwritten law has been an interwoven part of my culture for as long as I can remember and has been there, well-enforced for generations. I'm sure you can imagine what happens to a little girl, with a big voice and wilder than wildest dreams when she is presented with 10 commandments like this and told, this is a part of your culture. Not only that, but I felt the spirit of these writings intertwine in my daily life, I saw it when I was told not to shine too bright. When I was proud of an achievement, I saw it. If I ever felt like I was going to do something special, I felt it. I don't think this concept is reserved for the Scandinavians, I believe it is a small town syndrome. I have seen many examples of trying to explain this type of "community culture". One is "Crab mentality" or "Crabs in a bucket syndrome". The urban dictionary describes it as: "When a single crab is put into a lidless bucket, they surely can and will escape. However, when more than one shares a bucket, none can get out. If one crab elevates themself above all, the others will grab this crab and drag'em back down to share the mutual fate of the rest of the group. Crab bucket syndrome is often used to describe social situations where one person is trying to better themself and others in the community attempt to pull them back down." This is exactly what the Law of Jante is for me. I am sure many communities have their version of this behavior, we are pack animals and this fear of falling out of the norm did once upon a time mean literal life or death. I'm sure the crabs are just trying to keep each other safe! But when we use this kind of fear against each other to hold each other down, there's a problem. Then it is no longer beneficial. Especially in a time where there is no need for this kind of conditioning. I do think there is one key difference to the Scandinavian version of "Crabmentality". In Denmark, we owned it. Almost to the point of being proud of it, as something that was innately Danish, that made us who we are. It was never presented as a bad thing, just something we had or even worse something we were. Like a little guideline for how to act in society once we were all grown up. To some, it may not make a difference one way or the other. But to me, it was devastating. Every time I wanted to sing or step on a stage, every time I excelled at anything, every time, I would be discouraged and feel like I was making everyone else look bad, embarrassed or mad. Here's another kicker: as a person who moved to the US there will still be people who think I am badmouthing Denmark or being disloyal to my roots. I mean in no way to be disrespectful. Here's the way I see it: if the Law of Jante never made you feel the way it made me feel, then you're good! Denmark is the place for you. Have fun and live out your wonderful life. Just don't let other people tell you how bright to shine or how far to reach. I did what was right for me. Only YOU know what is right for you. Here is the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Fugitive-Covers-His-Tracks-ebook/dp/B07F8Z62RV Side note: I planned to re-read the book in Danish when all this crazy quarantine stuff set in. Since it will be a while before the book can get here from Denmark I had to settle for the translated English version.
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I have the sense that this COVID-19 epidemic is a stepping stone to something greater. That we can learn something, a lot of things, from this situation. I'm not saying it's crappy, it really, really, sucks to be canceled on and have your pay cut and being told to stay at home. Especially for people like me, and other artists who rely on social gatherings to make our living.
I'm not sure what will happen. We have all lost, some more than others. I have lost some significant shows, and it's not fun. I know there are people out there hurting a lot more than I am. So why do I say this is a stepping stone to something greater? I certainly am a silver lining kind of person, but I truly believe we have things to learn from this crisis. If only we choose to learn the lessons put in front of us. Lesson one: Use the internet. We live in a world where the internet rules us and we can't last 5 minutes without asking google or Siri a question. So why is it so hard for us all to "go virtual"? I think this is an opportunity to show schools and employers that yes, you can, in fact, trust your students and employees to get a good days work done from home. Some are more efficient even than with the constant interruptions they face at an office. Granted, there are plenty of jobs that can't be done from afar, but let's take a look at those that can. Can the businesses cut overhead costs if they don't need to house so many employees? Think rent, utilities, and for god's sake TOILET PAPER! How about utilizing the many brilliant software solutions that can help with meetings, task management, and time management? Maybe even go so far as to realize the format of our schools is outdated and needs some re-thinking. We are not creating worker-bees like we were in the 1900s. When you were being trained to be able to join a factory workforce or a typing squad. The world has changed and maybe the schools will realize we can use the internet to re-think the format of the schools. As for the creatives, I believe we artists have been ready for online concerts for some time. But it has been my belief that the public wasn't ready. I'm not saying, once this nonsense is over we don't go back to our social activities because there is nothing like a live show in front of a live audience. But let's use the internet, and keep streaming it. If we are lucky, this pandemic will open up the eyes of the general public and artists alike to the usefulness of the technology in front of our noses. Lesson two: Get creative. I have seen a bunch of creativity in the wake of this quarantine. My yoga studio is hosting live classes that you can stream in the comfort of your home and do alongside your teacher. How cool and creative is that? I know of singing coaches who not only took their lessons online, using Skype or something similar but who also said, "this is my opportunity to make those online courses I've been talking about". I know many of us are thinking mainly of survival at this point, but if you have a little forced free time on your hands, how about putting some stuff up for sale on eBay or taking that online course you've been meaning to do but haven't had the time for? Think about the opportunities you may have, to make the money back once this crisis is over! My husband and I got creative with our food. We looked at our freezer and pantry and started making plans for how many meals we could make out of what we already have. Turns out, we have a long way to go before we run out of necessities. We are one of the families low on toilet paper, but hey! I have a bunch of old rags that, if it comes down to it, I am happy to use in the meantime. (I know, sorry the visual of that is a little gross, but you get it.) Lesson three: Stay healthy. If the only thing that comes from this is that we all learn to wash our hands and stay sanitary, I think that's a win. I would like to think we as humans (because this is worldwide, which is not often we get to have a shared experience as a species) will come out as better creatures after this. Sometimes, getting a good shake and a scare can make us wake up. Jessica Lynne's new single "Crazy On The Outside" will be released on May 9th - pre-save today on Spotify!
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