John SMITH
9 February 2015

When tasked with this assignment, I was not sure what to expect and what reactions I would get from asking a relatively personal question to strangers. However, I was pleased to find that almost every individual was enthused to answer my question and gave a thoughtful response. I learned that everyone has a different perception of the Law of Jante, but I believe each individual’s perception of the definition differed as well. The millennial generation believed the Law of Jante was a negative influence and was no longer present in their community, while the middle to older age citizens believed it was a positive aspect of their culture that they noticed almost on a daily basis. However, it seemed that the millennial generation perceived the definition of the Law of Jante in a different manner. The first Dane that I approached was a relatively young woman named Anna. Her immediate response to my question about her perception of the Law of Jante was that “it’s bullshit”. Later in the day, I asked another woman of roughly the same age, named Ida, the same question, and I was astonished that she had the exact same response. Both women went further into their beliefs of the law, but tended to have a negative connotation with the theory. On the contrary, many individuals, mostly older, thought the law showed a sign of respect and added a submissive humbleness to Danes and their culture. Rasmus, a middle-aged man who was very enthusiastic and enlightening with his response, stated that it was a reputable theory that was seen and apart of the Danish culture, but also stated that it hindered individuals from talking about the success in their life. Even though it was not apart of the assignment, I went ahead and asked a few individuals who were not Danish their perception of the law and once again found another perception. These individuals applied the Law of Jante to the Danish people as a whole and not to the individual, and they even had the perception that Danes as a whole thought they were better than others, while still having a positive perception of the law. Through my findings of the perception of the Law of Jante, I believe the law is a prevalent term in Danish culture that may never fade; however, the law does not pertain to the millennial generation living in Copenhagen. I believe the Danes have the courage to gamble and be successful; they just do not need to boast about it like many individuals from other countries. As the years go by, I believe the definition of this law will continue to change and be misperceived, but the Danes will continue to thrive. It seems like the millennial generation has not let this law hinder them in any way, and tend to ignore the law while knowing it’s a common phenomenon in their culture.