Bash your own country - Page 12

On September 04 2010 23:33 exeexe wrote:
Social Psychologist: The Danes are sloppy and avoid conflicts

Can you remember the Swedish Dr. Stig Helmer in Lars von Trier's "Riget" (a movie) who could not tolerate the Danish doctor profession sloppiness and lack of discipline and had to scream 'danskjävler' (danish bastards) from the roof of the Rigs-hospital?

(A guy from a movie but he is out there in real life)

He exists and is a good friend of the 69-year-old Swedish professor and social psychologist Lasse Dencik who has lived in Denmark since 1974:

"I know the doctor who inspired von Trier's Dr. Stig Helmer. And I understand perfectly well why he eventually escaped from Denmark. While the Swedes are generally result oriented, the Danes puts value in the process and is content with that 'you just have to do your best'. But that wont solve the issue if the issue is too tough. But it will do in Denmark'.

"When I came to Denmark as a researcher, I fought with the avoidance of conflicts and the sloppyness. I was accustomed to that one puts his research forward and receive criticism. But thats not how it was in the university environment of Denmark, which protects mediocrity, because you might hurt a fellow colleague, right? So everything was covered up in a thick layer of politeness. And if there was disagreement at meetings the leader always ended the debate with: "Yes, yes, basically we all agree." To damm hell we were not! It was simply to hide the contradictions. And without criticism the sloppyness could continue '.
"My experience is that the lack of result-orientated behaviour effects many areas of life in Denmark.

Take feminism, which in Denmark was colorful with the redsocks (feminist movement), but it wasnt followed up with practical politics like it happened in Sweden.

Reforms were made because Swedes aim for the result. Or like in cultural life, where, in Sweden they strive for perfection, while in Denmark they basically boast about themselves being mediocre and celebrates a song that goes on 'On the plain, on the regular ... "'.

Words like 'sloppy' and 'unambitious' are mentioned when Lasse Dencik must describe Denmark shortly. But what he gets disgusted the most about is the 'hygge'. The 'creepy hygge, "as he likes to call it!

"You sit in a pub, talking about nothing, pouring water out of ears. Drink a beer or two and then go home and say you have had a" hyggelig evening ". Without being able to remember what was said. Danes enjoy themselves at parties, but if a stranger enters the room, then its disturbing the hygge. I have often sat at dinner parties in Denmark, which also had foreigners at the table, but after a short time the Danes will begin to speak Danish. It is very rude and very Danish.

"Yes, many Swedish tourists think it is very nice and relaxed in Denmark. When they are on vacation. But basically - no. When Denmark has evolved into a small xenophobic country, it is because among other things, the Grundtvigian public- and self-understanding and the weird idea of 'hygge'. Danish hygge is a way to run parties (like a family party) that is based on avoiding disturbances and conflicts. I know many who have moved to Denmark, who says it is incredibly hard to become a part of social life in Denmark.

"Danes are enormously tolerant ... against themself. If someone doesnt pay their taxes, or if Lars Hedegaard says something crazy and racist, then the Danish attitude is like: 'Well, yes ... there must be room for that too. But if suddenly a Muslim arrives who refrained to drink a beer or eat a red sausage (swine meat), then the danes will quickly become very intolerant. Danes are very tolerant inward, but also extremely intolerant outward '.
"Yes, in the Danish rhetoric there a strong idea of 'national soul', 'tribalism' and hygge.
In Denmark, there is a widespread notion that the Danish people are the same as ethnic Danes and outsideres have no access to the tribal community. Danes expel those who are not part of the 'Danish people' in an unpleasant way. It is reinforced by the fact that Danes often are shamelessly arrogantish and self-complimenting and likes to refer himself as a world champion in every aspects.

'When the Swedes fear the racistic political parti and the vulgar, vomitting debate and horrible xenophobia in Denmark, then thats humanism. Notice in Sweden there is no campaign advertising something called 'Swedish'. In the Swedish perspective, the world is everchanging, everything is constantly changing and there is no one who really thinks it works to expel the outside world and stick to romantic nostalgia. "

"When some Danes are rejoicing over the swedish politically racistic party's emergence and almost hope for its success, it's about that the danes wishes to project its own bad features onto others.

The danes wants so much that Sweden will be just as bad as Denmark that we here again can let loose the inner pig dog. That they so to speak gets a buddy in the corner. But it's just not gonna happen. "

"It is an expression of prejudice, when Denmark criticizes the Swedish debate to be oppressive.
The scary democratical conducted happens in Denmark. Goebbels once said that he needed people marching in the streets, but that it is also necessary to have intellectual who can shape the words. And the latter has Denmark now had with Langballe, Krarup, Pittelkow, Hedegaard Meier Carlsen and Others (names of rascists).

"No, the Swedish left has more been on the avant-garde: The intellectual must inform the people. Prejudices, we should not aim for that. It is one of the reasons why the Swedish election campaign is primarily about serious welfare policy issues and not about insignificant burkas (dress for muslim women).

~~Translated~~

Original text:
http://politiken.dk/debat/1051602/socialpsykolog-danskerne-er-slappe-og-konfliktsky/