Hard Questions, Dangerous Answers
The play ends with Nora slamming the door shut as she leaves. Thinking, understanding, and acting for one’s self are profoundly selfish. They are often painfully confusing and wrenching, lead to dissatisfaction and angst, and put one in opposition to what “the majority thinks.” For many people the most discomfiting aspect of A Doll’s House is its implicit conclusion that Nora’s path―stringent honesty with herself and everyone else and a refusal to accept anyone’s answers but her own―is the one to true happiness.
The transformed Scrooge would be far more popular than the transformed Nora. Put “We Are Our Brothers’ Keepers” and “To Thine Own Self Be True” to a vote and the former wins in a landslide. In a country founded on the proposition that the pursuit of happiness is an inalienable right, how many people actually pursue happiness, as opposed to a myriad of substitutes? Maybe Scrooge found himself and happiness after his transformation; certainly more people liked him. Giving can produce deep satisfaction, but Nora gave of herself completely, was supposedly loved, and was deeply dissatisfied. Living for others is what the majority has always endorsed, but is it consistent with being true to one’s self?
The transformed Scrooge would be far more popular than the transformed Nora. Put “We Are Our Brothers’ Keepers” and “To Thine Own Self Be True” to a vote and the former wins in a landslide. In a country founded on the proposition that the pursuit of happiness is an inalienable right, how many people actually pursue happiness, as opposed to a myriad of substitutes? Maybe Scrooge found himself and happiness after his transformation; certainly more people liked him. Giving can produce deep satisfaction, but Nora gave of herself completely, was supposedly loved, and was deeply dissatisfied. Living for others is what the majority has always endorsed, but is it consistent with being true to one’s self?
This one law in particular, "You're not to think you are as good as us," is a contradiction, because it implies that "us" is better than you. How does that compute if you are not to be better, but the others are therefore better than you? Is a large number of inferiors cumulatively allowed to be regarded as superior? A new definition of democracy?
Jante can be seen as nihilism in social action. So, supposedly, terminal humility of each prevents the emergence of envy in anyone, and that keeps the social peace. Notice, though, that Jante is not a commandment for utter inaction and sloth, only for not taking credit. This is a naked look at a perverse meme, where the absence of reward is the only reward required.
Very strange evolution in their psycho-epistemology, but clearly the result of a survival process of that society that has worked for them for a long time.
I do like the minimalist approach in my own life as well, which keeps balance and harmony and a stable economy. Each step of growth comes organically in a self-sustaining pace, like DNA unfolding. No borrowing, no debt, no reckless jumping off the scaffolding. Just think--it's how the mind integrates information and defines values, eliminating contradictions and building on sound premises.
Now if we can just understand how ego fits into all these matrices of thought.
"... the idea that there is a pattern of group behaviour towards individuals within Scandinavian communities that negatively portrays and criticises individual success and achievement as unworthy and inappropriate." -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_Jant...
IKEA brags about it. I have asked rhetorically about patronizing your destroyers.
Read below about the Ten Rules of Jante at IKEA and other firms. (Lots of ads, gotta X em when you can. Sorry.) But scroll down to see this artist's work, totally unremarkable, uninteresting, unchallenging.
http://www.ibtimes.com/law-jante-how-swe...
I learned about JANTE In the John Stossel program from 1999, "Is America Number 1?" Andy Bechtolsheim, founder of Sun Microsystems said that he came to America to escape jante.
The concept may not be exclusively Scandinavian as it describes what I recall as the ethos of my secondary school. Another thing, not so different from Junche, Kim Il-sung, 1955, the subjugation of the individual to the group/state.
Happiness is transitory at best and can change depending on situation. A constant state of happiness is nothing because there is no context.
Happy Holidays, and watch out for stories like "It's a Wonderful Life".
"To thine own self be true"