The Jante Law (Danish and Norwegian: Janteloven; Swedish: Jantelagen; Finnish: Janten laki) is the Nordic version of the tall poppy syndrome.It was named and described by the Norwegian/Danish author Aksel Sandemose in his novel A Fugitive Crosses his Tracks.

There are ten 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.

  1. Don’t think you are anything.
  2. Don’t think you are as good as us.
  3. Don’t think you are smarter than us.
  4. Don’t fancy yourself better than us.
  5. Don’t think you know more than us.
  6. Don’t think you are greater than us.
  7. Don’t think you are good for anything.
  8. Don’t laugh at us.
  9. Don’t think that anyone cares about you.
  10. Don’t think you can teach us anything.

Later in his book, Sandemose adds an 11th rule, formulated as a question: 11. You think I don’t know anything about you?  This is rather a threat than a question.

To me it seems that this is a very accurate description of Democracy as it is practiced now. It means simply: Mediocrity and cowerdice. And because of this mediocrity and cowerdice it is possible that some more decided people can impose their laws to great numbers of people – as it happens again and again in history. At the same time the ducking down people are not as save as they hope to be by knuckling down. The best they can get is being simply extremely dull people. The worst they can get is dictatorship and war.

So, what can I say… This is the exact contradiction to how reality is. Each individual is of unmeasurable value. The world would not be the same without him. The Universe would not be the same. Discover your value.  Nourish your value. Dont’t hide your light under a bushel. Appreciate yourself. Believe in Yourself and nothing but in your SELF.

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