This is the core of The Law of Jante.

It applies to everything in Norway

except sports.

The Law of Jante (Janteloven*) negatively portrays and criticizes individual success and achievement as unworthy and inappropriate.

It is very strong in Norway

– You are not to think that you are anything special

or that you are better than others.

*Sandemose, Aksel (1933). En flyktning krysser sitt spor. Oslo: Aschehoug

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This is one of the 100 Unwritten Norwegian Social Laws presented in our book "The 100 Unwritten Norwegian Social Laws"

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Read more about our amazing Norwegian friends in Our Social Guidebooks to Norway