The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss - Latest Comments in 6 Reasons to Visit the World’s Happiest Country

Re: 6 Reasons to Visit the World’s Happiest Country

Marcus — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 13:05:05 -0000

If you're looking for beauty in Denmark, I would recommend travelling to mid-Jutland (The "nose on Jutland :) It's called Mols), northern Sjaelland or Lolland.
And for christs sake, do it in the summer. Our winters can go to hell! :[

Re: 6 Reasons to Visit the World’s Happiest Country

Garry — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 07:45:52 -0000

hahaha that scottish pub next to the square in copenhagen - what a laugh! They have a moose head on the wall. A moose! Last time i saw one of them in scotland was before the last ice age. Thanks for all your nice words of encouragement! Garry

Re: 6 Reasons to Visit the World’s Happiest Country

Gnawer — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 07:40:17 -0000

@Garry

Oh, you're Scottish. Hehe Well, I that shouldn't be a problem either. People will probably just ask you, if they don't understand what you're saying. No big deal. ;)

I used to play a game with a Scottish guy living in Aarhus (2nd largest city in Denmark) and he didn't seem to have any problems even though he didn't know more than a few Danish words.
And a lot of Danes actually find the Scottish and Irish accents amazingly cool. lol Myself included. :P
Scottish (and Irish) pubs are also popular in Denmark and a lot of them seem to hire English speakers as staff. Hehe "Highlander", "Tartan Pub" etc. are pretty common names in that business. ;)

It doesn't really matter where people are from, I think. My advice would still be to move here and THEN learn the language. Well, having some English skills would probably be required. Or German might do in the southern part of Denmark. :)

Re: 6 Reasons to Visit the World’s Happiest Country

Garry — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 19:19:19 -0000

thanks for those tips @gnawer. re: Most people just aren’t used to an American accent in the Danish language. I'm Scottish, so I'm pretty much used to people not understanding what i say ;)

Re: 6 Reasons to Visit the World’s Happiest Country

Gnawer — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:04:43 -0000

@Garry

If you really want to move to Denmark, I would suggest to just go for it and learn the language once you're here. :)
Like Tim said, the vast majority of Danes speak English and it shouldn't be hard getting by in Copenhagen using the English language.
The advantage of learning the Danish language in Denmark is the ability to practice it on a daily basis and listening to how people pronounce the different words. That's a lot harder when learning from a book or using some online language website.
A lot of people claim that Danish is a hard language to learn and I think that's mainly because of the lack of "rules" to remember. We have some of them but nothing like German etc. where they have easier ways for remembering when to use "Der, Die or Das" for example. Sometimes the Danish "rules" just seem to be "That's just the way it is!". :P
Another hard part could be that a lot of our words have one than one meaning.. Kinda like how the word for a female dog in English also has another meaning. ;)
We also has some "silent letters" or whatever they're called in English. I'm sure that doesn't help either. Here's an example:

A heart = Et hjerte. (We don't pronounce the H)

An example of the "That's just the way it is!" (if it really existed) rule could be:

A man = En mand. (We don't pronounce the D)

Monday = Mandag. (We do pronounce the D)

Why is it like that? I've got no idea.. And I'm Danish. Hehe That's why I think it's a lot easier learning the language once you're in Denmark. You can just ask people if you're pronouncing the words correctly and listen to them pronouncing the words. :)
Of course some people may find your accent funny but don't let that bother you. Most people just aren't used to an American accent in the Danish language.. Just like people from New York or whatever might find the Danish accent funny. ;)

Re: 6 Reasons to Visit the World’s Happiest Country

timferriss — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 03:22:44 -0000

@Garry,

I'm afraid I don't speak Danish! It's easier for them to speak to me in near-flawless English than suffer though my Tarzan attempts at their language. Ah, well.

Good luck!

Tim

Re: 6 Reasons to Visit the World’s Happiest Country

Garry — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 21:21:06 -0000

How about giving some tips on how to learn Danish. I've read this post,

http://www.fourhourworkweek...

but seeing as you are a Dane it would be nice to have some help ;-)

København is a city that feels like home to me. I think it might be time for a move. Any help would be appreciated.

Re: 6 Reasons to Visit the World’s Happiest Country

Gnawer — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 08:09:59 -0000

Well, I'm from Denmark and it's pretty amusing to read some of these comments. The "happy list" isn't a contest that really matters. lol So of course it's not "rigged" in any way. ;)

I think it's true. We have lower expectations than Americans for example. We don't have lower hopes and ambitions though. We aspire to get as good as we can but we just don't start out with the "I will be number 1!" attitude so we don't get that disappointed if we don't make it to number 1.
You can see the same kind of attitude from a lot of the Europeans posting here. People are happy to be in the top 10 etc. while I suspect a lot of Americans would focus more on the disappointment of NOT being number 1.
The American dream is a great way of thinking as long as you remember to keep it realistic. Otherwise you're going to get disappointed. :)

I saw some linking to the Danish "Jantelov" and that's true. Some people have that mentality but I don't really see it as a bad thing. All it really says is "You're no better than anyone else." and I see that as a healthy mentality. Why should anyone see themselves as superior to others? Some people try to argue that "Janteloven" is all about keeping others down but that's simply not true because it applies to EVERYONE. Myself included. I'm not better than you and you're not better than me.

I think that the Scandinavian countries are ranked high on the list because we don't have to worry about a lot of things because of our socialist way of running things.
When you don't have to worry about saving for college for your 3 kids, don't have to worry about a corrupt health insurance etc. you get more time to focus on the things that you personally like. And that's an important part of the Danish happiness, I think. :)

Our taxes are high but I think most Danes see it as a price they're willing to pay for the security that it provides the population. Of course some of the new-rich people will cry for tax cuts but oddly enough (sarcasm) they didn't cry about it during their free education. ;)

Danish people don't run around being all happy and whatnot in the streets. Hehe And we do tend to complain a lot. Mainly the whining is about our government but it's actually ridiculously small problems we're whining about. It's not that I see us as bigger whiners than others but we just don't have all the big issues... And people will never stop complaining about something no matter how good their life is. Hehe

Danes may seem a bit reserved but don't let that stop you from talking to us. I actually think we have a "I won't bother others and they won't bother me.." kinda attitude sometimes but if someone asks us something, the vast majority will answer politely. If you're in a bar or something, you can probably expect a longer conversation. A lot of people like to bash Bush these days (like everywhere else. lol) so you can always talk about him. ;)
We're not anti-American though. Not in general anyway. Of course we have some fools here but who doesn't?
Some Americans I've talked to online seem to think that Europeans hate Americans because we make fun of Bush but that's not the case at all. I don't know anyone who hates USA but I know a lot of people who dislike Bush.

Someone mentioned the beer being expensive and that's true. Denmark is not a cheap country to live in. Copenhagen is a lot more expensive than the rest of the country though. A small local bar would never charge 50 DKK for a beer for example. I actually live next to a small bar and a beer is like 15 DKK there so that's quite a big difference. :)

About the good looking thing.. I guess it's all relative. You have to remember that we're used to people looking like this so we don't go "WOW! OMG! WOW!" every time we walk down the street. Haha It's just how we look here. If Americans like that, that's great. lol But Danes would probably find some other nationality more attractive just because it's "new and exciting" to us. :P

Re: 6 Reasons to Visit the World’s Happiest Country

April — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 05:41:48 -0000

Some thoughts and facts from a Dane:

Said: People in Denmark are the happiest in the world, because they don’t have high expectations. Answer: in that respect I don’t think we are different from everybody else. If we really are the happiest people in the world, I believe that the two main reasons must be that we generally feel safe and that we trust in each other and the system.
SAFE: we know that we will never have to starve, that we always will have a place to live, that our children can have whatever education they want for free, that we can be treated if we are sick for free, and that we have the freedom of speech. Some of the listed countries don’t have all those wonderful privileges; in worst case none of them.
TRUST: until recently I didn’t even bother to lock my doors no matter if I was away or at home. That has driven my English boyfriend crazy lots and lots of times, quote: “when we get back, a bunch of xxxxxx will have moved in, and your B&O will be gone, all your furniture and the spoons, knives and forks too!”. Due to gangs of organized thieves travelling to Denmark with no other purpose than stealing, I do lock my doors now. But many, especially in smaller towns, still don’t. We all have our neighbours, and it is very normal to keep an eye on each others houses. Also on the countryside you can find small unmanned stalls along the roads, where you can buy fresh vegetables and fruits, and a box where you pay for what you take. That’s trust.

Suicide. Last available figures from 2006: 643 persons committed suicide. Up to age 59 there were 281 persons, from age 60 to 74 there were 124 persons, and from age 75+ there were 238. Average for the past 5 years, 642, 8 people have committed suicide. Especially elderly men seems to be vulnerable, if they have been diagnosed with dementia or if they are widowed.

How to start a conversation: Danes are NOT reserved. If you want to start a conversation, you could ask about the Danish school system, health system, tourist attractions or whatever subject you consider being of general knowledge, but don’t be surprised if you have a bucket of questions in return, as many people will be curious to hear how life is in YOUR home country.

And yes, we love our beers, and yes, we love to party Fridays and Saturdays. Can’t argue against that, and frankly I don’t feel any need to….

Denmark is a nice country, but so is numerous and numerous of other countries in this world. Every country has its strong sides and not so strong sides; we are different from each other and that’s a very good reason for travelling!

April

Re: 6 Reasons to Visit the World’s Happiest Country

Dana — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:27:16 -0000

The heavy amount of suicides are due to elderly people living long lives and the lack of social stigma due to Denmark being rather non-religious.

Most suicide notes found with the elderly are about the end of physical suffering; nothing to do with social relationships or whatnot. I am curious how many are due to euthanasia, as it isn't illegal in Denmark and many countries with high suicide rates .

http://www.a1b2c3.com/suilo...

Re: 6 Reasons to Visit the World’s Happiest Country

Fonzie — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 09:58:04 -0000

Here are another three very good reasons to visit Denmark, the World's happiest country:
1/ Carlsberg
2/ Tuborg
3/ Faxe

Re: 6 Reasons to Visit the World’s Happiest Country

Ragnar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 20:20:20 -0000

It is just incredible how much talk a survey like this can generate. Remember, there is no accurate science behind the listing but of course it give clues. As I come from Iceland I must say that I am satisfied with the results but I would like to congratulate the Danish people - the rank is probably due to the "ligeglad" element.

Ragnar.

Re: 6 Reasons to Visit the World’s Happiest Country

Tinna — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:53:01 -0000

That food you call typical Danish food, is disgusting and not something I would describe as typical Danish.
If you want to serve something that is typical Danish, it has to be meatballs with potatoes and brown sauce or fried pork with parsleysauce.

/Tinna - a dane.

Re: 6 Reasons to Visit the World’s Happiest Country

kasper — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 21:48:01 -0000

hi.
as a dane living in england, i cant wait to move back, its a more relaxed life style in denmark then england. i come from a small town on the west coast (Ringkobing) its nothing like copenhagen its more like the real Denmark. most people i know are happy with life. not worried about money or work. just getting on with life with their family and friends. if anyone is to visit denmark go to jytland or fyn. its where the real danes live. and try the nice local beers there is more just carlsberg and tuborg.

ps. there is just one rule. dont think you are better then us, we dont think we are better then you.

Re: 6 Reasons to Visit the World’s Happiest Country

thomas aagren — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:01:57 -0000

Now I have the explanation for the happiest country in the world - yesterday it was brought up in the danish news that 400.000 (out of 5 million population) used anti-depressives in 2007....................................

Re: 6 Reasons to Visit the World’s Happiest Country

Birgitte — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 04:40:42 -0000

To Nana who asked for a Danish restaurant in California. Try checking out Solvang - you should be able to find something there.

Re: 6 Reasons to Visit the World’s Happiest Country

Ann McLaughlin — Thu, 15 May 2008 22:22:01 -0000

Tim,
Bravo for a life well lived!
At NGOabroad, we believe service is the ultimate adventure; that the most intimate and often hilarious views of another culture come through service.

NGOabroad is a unique service that provides customized international volunteer options and helps people enter international humanitarian work.

"Ann's Guide helped me land an IT job in Micronesia. ...Ann has demonstrated an uncanny ability to get to the (spiritual?) heart of the question: "What is it YOU want to DO?" and then relate the answer to an impressive list of real and practical opportunities. What more does one need?!" Sid Merritt, UK

Re: 6 Reasons to Visit the World’s Happiest Country

Marty — Tue, 13 May 2008 13:11:53 -0000

Many thanks for the article. And now, finally, I can sleep tonight knowing why it is virtually impossible for me to find hats that fit! It's my Danish cranium!

As if I needed yet another reason to visit my Bestefa's homeland, your article reminded me of the steadfast, good-hearted people of Danmark. My grandmother still speaks of the first time Bestefa came back to visit with his American wife and how she was treated like a celebrity...hugs, kisses and flowers.

There is also something to be said about a people whose king (Christian X) wore a yellow star of David to show solidarity with his country's Jews during WWII.

Now, I can only hope to get a hotel room in Copenhagen after your kind words! Your rock, Tim. Keep up the great work!

Re: 6 Reasons to Visit the World’s Happiest Country

yogaroads — Mon, 12 May 2008 17:10:04 -0000

Speaking of the happiest places. Have you read this book yet?

the geography of bliss by eric weiner

http://www.ericweinerbooks....

Re: 6 Reasons to Visit the World’s Happiest Country

Jesper — Sat, 10 May 2008 11:47:10 -0000

As a citizen of Copenhagen, my favorite thing about the city is the bicycle culture. You can get anywhere around the city in 15 minutes, door-to-door and get some fresh air and a little excercise on the way. When I have lived in other countries, I really missed that option (I used a bike when living in Leeds, UK, but that was often a bit too suicidal for me).

Driving a car is (for me) a nuisance - clogged traffic, parking problems (and high fees), gasoline at 2$ pr. liter (prices are like this in most of Europe)... Public transport is fine, but can take forever, compared to a bicycle trip.

I don't understand why other countries around the world are not making more efforts to help and promote bicycling (apart from the very hilly or very hot areas).

Of course it is annoying if it starts raining or the wind is really strong, but that's about the only downside to it.

Re: 6 Reasons to Visit the World’s Happiest Country

Bill — Fri, 09 May 2008 18:06:19 -0000

I spent a few days in Copenhagen a few years ago. I loved it, but I definitely had to develop a taste for herring. First thing in the morning on the first day, stumble out of my hotel room, go down for breakfast, and... herring. Cheese, bread, and... herring.

Fortunately, I like herring, but you've got to be ready for it! :-)

Re: 6 Reasons to Visit the World’s Happiest Country

Attila Danku — Tue, 06 May 2008 19:56:43 -0000

I would suggest BUDAPEST and Hungary as well.

One of the most beautiful capitals in the world, with outstanding sights, and food.. :)

And of course the women there..

Check www.budapest.com :)

Definitely worth to pay a visit :)

Re: 6 Reasons to Visit the World’s Happiest Country

Jack — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:04:35 -0000

Guillermo made some very good points on this one - you've got your head screwed on man.
These happiness surveys are more the stuff of tabloid newspapers, than scientific treatises.
They are based on the idea that there are universal laws of happiness - but in reality, happiness is an individual matter. And changes as people explore the world and open to new places and ideas.

If your definition of happiness is getting drunk on the weekends, and living an insular and private life during the week, with a reasonably good salary that you can put towards your deferred life plan (of retiring to southern spain when you're sixty five and living in a camper van), then denmark is ideal.

Just go to any campsites in southern spain and portugal during the winter, and you'll find the places chocko-blocko with danish and dutch reg plates.

The order, comfort and predictability will suit some people at some times. But if you're a guy like Guillermo who has enjoyed the intoxication of living in surfing paradise, where you can exit your house in January in a t-shirt rather than in 5 layers of clothes, and where life is affordable and accessible to people, you'll be frustrated and disappointed in Denmark.

If you've known the spontaneous excitement and connection that you have with people in Rio or Bangkok, you're going to be bored to the point of depression in Denmark - more beer I hear them say - let's get drunk (and get ripped off getting drunk)! Got bored with that one when I was around 19 though - when I discovered that there's no Valhalla at the bottom of a pint glass (but you'll probably find hell at the bottom of 10 of them!)

I'l take the beaches of Australia, the sunshine of southern california, the hedonism of Phuket any day. And the last time I was in Thailand, seems like a lot of Danish are doing the same - cause, outside of Copenhagen, I've never seen so many Danish restaurants or pubs anywhere in my life.
See you in Baja Guillermo!

Re: 6 Reasons to Visit the World’s Happiest Country

Mark — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 16:23:02 -0000

Hi Tim,
I saw your interview from when you visited Denmark and it brought up an old struggle of mine that I can't get my head around.
I have been wanting to outsource some of my tasks to take advantage of geographical abitrage, but being that must of the tasks I want done must be done in Danish e.g. having someone checking my email. This does provide me with a problem, especially taking into account the prices for outsourcing in Denmark.
Have any of your other readers encountered this problem?

I look forward to your answer,
BR
Mark

###

Hi Mark,

Thank you for the comment. The answer here is what you might call "socio-arbitrage" -- finding someone, whether a college student or well-educated housewife, who will charge 50-75% of your current hourly rate. Given that you can then focus on revenue-generating activities, this would be an excellent investment.

Best of luck!

Tim

Re: 6 Reasons to Visit the World’s Happiest Country

pelle — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:28:52 -0000

I'm Danish as well as mostly agree with the article. I do have a slight problem with the happiness studies. Dane's will self report happiness but I don't think it's quite as simple as that.

The high suicide rates are not just because of dark winters. There are different kinds of social strains here than in the US thats for sure but it is not by far the happiest in the world.

While it is expensive it is definitely worth a visit. If you are visiting Denmark and staying for a week or longer you might like my guide for living cheaply in Denmark.

http://stakeventures.com/ar...