Meik Wiking: Denmark is not a perfect society

The interview with Meik Wiking. He is CEO of The Happiness Research Institute, Research Associate for Denmark at the World Database of Happiness.

 

- Meik, you performed in Estonia. Did you meet with members of the Estonian government? And as a think tank and one of the craziest intellectuals of the world did you give them some tips on how to make Estonian citizens happy?

- Yes, I think there was a minister at the conference I spoke at. 

- You wrote a book about hygge - Danish way of happiness and it could be described like the sensation of "cosy intimacy". When you talk about hygge you describe a comfort zone. Is it possible to be always inside of this zone? I think that people should leave this zone trying to solve problems and to find a solution. And they feel themselves really unhappy.

- I don´t think hygge is something you should do 24 hours. Like everything else - everything in moderation. There is a time for hygge and a time for work.

- I know some Dannish people who don`t like Danish society. They are marginals and asocial people, sometimes homeless and drunkers. I think it is boring to be happy all the time. People are like robots.

- Denmark is not a perfect society. Some things work and some things doesn´t. What we see is a high national average in Denmark when it comes to quality of life and happiness. It does not mean that everybody is happy. Japan has the longest life expectancy in the World, but it does not mean that every Japanese lives to they are 84. These are averages.

- You wrote: "Every country may have their own ideas of what makes them hygge, but the concept is basically the same. Retreating to a space where you feel safe and not bothering about anyone you don’t know. " Can you share some others ideas of make people hygge? We live in globalized world and forced to deal with different negative issues like terrorism, intolerance, refugee crisis, wars, corruption, violence and etc. All these things undermine the foundations of hygge.

- I think hygge is these pockets of relaxation where we are enjoying simple pleasure perhaps together with good friends. I think the best way is to focus on the atmosphere rather than things. 

Interviewed by Maxim Efimov