Happiness watch resumed: It’s the little things

This blog began in early 2016 when Bernie Sanders argued in the Democratic Party’s primary campaign that the US should emulate the social policies of Denmark and other Nordic countries. The purpose was to make a more detailed comparison from the perspective of Denmark’s ranking as the happiest country in the world. Around the time it became apparent that Sanders was out of contention, I stopped posting, except for a couple of pieces around the election, partly because the issues seemed less consequential under the likely Clinton Redux administration, which would continue Obama’s centrist course.

The blog wasn’t partisan, although I thought Sanders the least evil of the three leading candidates if only because of his basic integrity. But it needn’t have stopped, because the issues remained relevant. Indeed, they have become more urgent under Trump and Republican rule because America’s social compact is threatened and the social fabric is unraveling in economic and ideological polarization.

So after several months of inactivity, the blog will now resume, with the same general objective as before: What can America gain from the lessons of Western European social democracy? The short answer is still yes, people would be better off if the US could adopt some aspects of this culture, not only its governmental policies. But it’s also important to understand the context of the differences, which sometimes explains why Scandinavian institutions and customs can’t simply be imported into the US.

Domestic civilities
These are small countries, for starters, and maybe it’s the small things that add up to happiness or life satisfaction. For example, you should always take off your shoes when you enter someone’s home, except on formal occasions. If you’re going to stick around a while, bring a pair of slippers. If that doesn’t make America kinder and gentler, at least it will be cleaner, and fewer will leave home with holes in their socks. After a meal, always say “Thanks for the food” to the host or cook. When you meet someone you have visited or socialized with, say “Thanks for last time,” and she responds “In the same way,” meaning “Right back atcha.” Just thank people for various things at every opportunity.

Do you still use a single large blanket on your double bed? You should each have your own down comforter. Consider how much sleep has been lost collectively from tugging on blankets that are slipping away. (This hasn’t been proved to reduce the divorce rate, though. Denmark’s is even higher than America’s, but that may be partly because single mothers can manage better financially here.)

Public decorum and small monuments
If you ever happen to be a pedestrian, don’t forget to stand and wait for red lights to turn even if there’s no car in sight, even at three in the morning after a huge snowstorm. Time is not money. Help inculcate respect for civil order by conforming to the pack at the intersection, and meditate on the costs and benefits of a strong belief in authority when a breakaway jaywalker tests the resolve of the law-abiding citizens.

And generally, cultivate an appreciation for things on a smaller, more modest scale. The number one tourist attraction in Denmark is the Little Mermaid statue sitting on a rock in Copenhagen Harbor beside a promenade. It derives of course from a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen and through the generations survives all the kitsch that Disney can heap on it. Hardly more than a meter high, surrounded by little besides a sausage vendor’s cart and Japanese shutterbugs, it vanishes in comparison to monuments like the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building.

There’s no admission charge and no security guards, and in its humble, low-security setting it also provides a convenient, miniature forum for political debate by vandalism, most recently doused with red paint to protest whaling in the Faroe Islands. This multipurpose, hybrid creature certainly earns its keep, needing only occasional cleaning or re-attachment of its severed head.

These measures might not make headlines, but they cost nothing (almost nothing, with starter comforters from IKEA) and can be implemented immediately while you’re waiting for single-payer health insurance.

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