Followers

Saturday, 6 April 2019

Jante Law

You're not to think you are anything special.
You're not to think you are as good as we are. 
You're not to think you are smarter than we are. 
You're not to imagine yourself better than we are. 
You're not to think you know more than we do. 
You're not to think you are more important than we are. 
You're not to think you are good at anything. 
You're not to laugh at us. 
You're not to think anyone cares about you. 
You're not to think you can teach us anything. 
Perhaps you don't think we know a few things about you? 

That one sentence (the eleventh rule), which acts as the penal code of Jante, as such was rich in content. It was a charge of all sorts of things, and that it also had to be, because absolutely nothing was allowed. It was also an elaborate indictment, with all kinds of unspecified penalties given to be expected. Furthermore it was useful, depending fully on tone of voice, in financial extortion and enticement into criminal acts, and it could also be the best means of defense

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