D iscovering Denmark for the first time, we were left in awe of its cities, parks, culture and tradi- tion, but perhaps most of all its way of life and people. As Danes have been proclaimed the happiest people on this in- creasingly sad planet of ours in countless surveys and global research for years, we tried to“scratch the surface”for a little hap- piness, but also to take the recipe home. When you ask them, politely and kind- ly, if they are happy, Danes are slightly con- fused. I would say that they don’t think about that too much, because it’s simply implied. When they realise what you ex- pect of them (I asked them for the reci- pe for happiness), they start laughing. It’s funny to people as everyone knows that happiness is a state that appears momen- tarily, which is not kneaded, baked in the oven or planned for dinner. It happens a
Jedan Martin iz Odensea sišao je sa svog bicikla kako bi nas odveo do rodne kuće Andersena jer smo se mi malo izgubili, pa smo ga usput pita- li kako je… A kako bi bio? Mlad, lep, bez ijedne brige na ovom lepom be- lom svetu! Živi sam, radi subotom u nekom kafiću, što je dovoljno da ima za džeparac, jer mu je država Dan- ska, kao i svakom studentu u toj ze- mlji, obezbedila stipendiju i novac koji ne mora da vrati. Martin još ne zna šta će raditi posle studija, ali o tome ne brine. On nimalo ne sumnja da će posao naći, malo nas podozri- vo gleda onim plavim očima, iskreno iznenađen što ga to uopšte pitamo. Kad smo već kod posla, koji je, naravno, više nego bitan za sreću i životni stil, ovde žive ljudi koji su u najvećem procentu zadovoljni na radnom mestu. Kako i ne bi bili, kad je kod njih na nivou poslodavaca za- ključeno da prekovremeni rad još ni- kome dobro nije doneo. Danci, ve- rovali ili ne, idu kući oko četiri po podne. Em se sve otvara tek u deset ujutru, em ako radi do pet po pod- ne, eto radosti. Ni najprometnije šo- ping ulice nisu izuzetak. U šest sati nema baš nigde nikoga, sve zatvo- reno, otišli Danci da se druže s po- rodicom i uživaju svoj hige. Ipak, ključnu reč ponudio nam je jedan Johanes u Roskildeu. Ka- petan broda otkriva glavni danski sastojak za sreću. Ta čarobna reč je poverenje. – Ovde smo veoma povezani, bri- nemo jedni o drugima na mikronivo- ima, tipa porodice, susedstva, grada, a svi zajedno verujemo u institucije ove zemlje, imamo poverenja da dr- žava brine o nama. Ostaje nam samo da u takvom okruženju učinimo naj- bolje za sebe – kaže Johanes. Ljudi jednostavno znaju da su svuda bezbedni, a to značajno dopri- nosi osećanju sreće, kažu nam dve nasmejane devojke u vozu za Hel- singer. Nana i Ida, rumene i slatke, nasmejane i bezbrižne, tvrde da se u Danskoj ljudi osećaju toliko sigur- no da ostavljaju torbe bez nadzora. Da, Danci umeju da uživaju u malim stvarima poput kupanja u suncem okupanom morskom zali- vu ili vožnji biciklom s decom u kor- pi čak i po kiši... Lako je njima u ta- kvom sistemu, možda ćete reći. Ali ne zaboravite da je jedan deo njiho- vog zadovoljstva povezan sa filozof- skim pristupom životu. Probajte ma- lo taj hige.
While we are already discussing work, which is naturally extremely important when it comes to happiness and lifestyle, here live the highest percentage of people who are satisfied with their job. Any why wouldn’t they be, when it’s been conclud- ed at the level of employers that overtime doesn’t anyone any good? Danes, believe it or not, go home at around four o’clock. First, everything only opens at ten in the morning, then they only work until five in the afternoon, that is joy. Even the bus- iest shopping streets are no exception. At six o’clock the streets are abandoned, everything is closed, with the Danes hav- ing left to socialise with their families and enjoy their hygge. Nevertheless, the keyword for hap- piness was offered to us by one guy in Roskilde called Johannes. This ship’s cap- tain stated clearly and succinctly what the
little every day, you do not think about that, you just allow it... And what is more important than those moments of happiness is perma- nent satisfaction with life. The ability to enjoy it or their famous hygge, a concept that means you make every moment of your free time warm, comfortable, re- laxed. You burn candles, wrap yourself in blankets, chat with friends... Martin from Odense dismounted from his bike to take us to the birthplace of Hans Christian An- dersen, as we got slightly lost. Along the way we asked him how he was... And how would he be? He is young, handsome, with- out a single worry in this beautiful world! He lives alone, works just on Saturdays in some café, because the state of Denmark has provided him, like every student in the country, with money that he doesn’t have to pay back. He still doesn’t know what job he will have after he completes his stud- ies, but he has no doubt that he will find a job. He looks at us a little suspiciously with those blue eyes, sincerely surprised that we are even asking him.
main ingredient for Danish happiness is. And that magic word is trust. - We are very connected here, taking care of each other at micro levels, like fam- ily, neighbourhood, city. And together we all believe in the institutions of this coun- try; we have trust that the state takes care of us. All that remains is for us to do the best for ourselves in such an environment – says Johannes. People simply know that they’re safe everywhere, and that contributes signifi- cantly to the feeling of happiness, we are told by two smiling girls on a train bound for Helsingør. Nana and Ida, rosy-cheeked and sweet, smiling and careless, say that in Denmark people feel so safe that they leave their bags unsupervised. Yes, Danes know how to enjoy little things, like swimming in a sun-bathed sea bay or riding a bicycle with children in a basket, even in the rain... It’s easy for them in such a system, you might say. But don’t forget that one part of their satisfaction is related to a philosophical approach to life. Try that hygge a little.
JOHANES: Mi verujemo u
institucije ove zemlje, imamo poverenja da država brine o nama. Johannes: We believe in the institutions of this country; we have trust that the state takes care of us.
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