The Jante Law

Actually, and unfortunately, the Jante Law is very real. The unwritten, unspoken "law" that you are not supposed to be better than anyone else has a very strong hold in Norway (and maybe the rest of Scandinavia). It is often not seen as a good thing if you are clever, smart, efficient, rich, etc. Even in school, people can be held back if they are moving on faster than the rest of the class.

To me, the Jante Law is based on a misunderstanding of what equality is.

'The Jante Law', considered by the Swedes themselves to be Sweden's true albeit unofficial constitution.
Jante is a village described in Aksel Sandemose's book En flykting korsar sitt spår (A Refugee Crosses his Footsteps).
It is the unforgiving, 'cramped' symbolic hometown in which none can be seen as an individual.

This is the Jante Law:

1. Du skal ikke tro at du *er* noe.
Thou shalt not presume that thou art anyone special.

2. Du skal ikke tro at du er like saa meget som *oss*.
Thou shalt not presume that thou art as good as us.

3. Du skal ikke tro at du er klokere en *oss*.
Thou shalt not presume that thou art any wiser than us.

4. Du skal ikke innbille deg du er bedre enn *oss*.
Thou shalt never indulge in the conceit of imagining that thou art better than us.

5. Du skal ikke tro du vet mere enn *oss*.
Thou shalt not presume that thou art more knowledgeable than us.

6. Du skal ikke tro du er mere enn *oss*.
Thou shalt not presume that thou art more than us.

7. Du skal ikke tro at *du* duger til noe.
Thou shalt not presume that thou art going to amount to anything.

8. Du skal ikke le av *oss*.
Thou shalt not presume that thou canst laugh at us.

9. Du skal ikke tro at noen bryr seg om *deg*.
Thou shalt never imagine that anyone cares about thee.

10. Du skal ikke tro at du kan lære *oss* noe.
Thou shalt not suppose that thou canst teach us anything.