“But one of the main reasons why Denmark does so well in international happiness surveys is the welfare state, as it reduces uncertainty, worries and stress in the population. You can say that Denmark is the happiest country in the world or you can say that Denmark is the least unhappy country in the world. The welfare state is really good (not perfect, but good) at reducing extreme unhappiness. Universal and free health care, free university education and relatively generous unemployment benefits go a long way towards reducing unhappiness.”
Source: The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well
“The gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages; the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials...it measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile.”
“The word hygge has been sifted to the surface in recent years but the concept is not new.
It is a practice as old as sitting around a fire or sharing food with a friend.
Words emerge from culture, history, topography and place.
They're formed by time and habit and are passed from one generation to the next through stories, rituals and values.”
Source: The Book of Hygge: The Danish Art of Living Well
“Hygge is a phenomenon that reflects our way of inhabiting the world. The routines that shape our days locate us - from the places we visit to the small rituals that give us pause.”
Source: The Book of Hygge: The Danish Art of Living Well
“At a time of global instability we have become distanced from each other and the environment.
We have lost the immediacy, comfort and truthfulness of the literal and actual, and need to find alternative ways to consume and connect.
Hygge describes a way of being that introduces humanity and warmth in our homes, schools, workplaces, cities and nations.”
Source: The Book of Hygge: The Danish Art of Living Well
“To hygge is to create a harmonious atmosphere, a feeling of warmth, a mood of contentment.
Hygge is freely used to describe rooms, buildings, homes, parties, people and activities.”
Source: The Book of Hygge: The Danish Art of Living Well
“The Danes, considered to be among the happiest people in the world, have enjoyed hygge for hundreds of years.
Denmark's high standard of living, decent healthcare, gender equality, accessible education and equitable distribution of wealth all contribute to the measurable happiness of the Danish people.
But a determined pursuit of happiness doesn't necessarily lead to wellbeing.
At the heart of Danish life, and at the core of hygge, is a deeper stability of contentment.”
Source: The Book of Hygge: The Danish Art of Living Well
“There are three salient themes that run through any experience of hygge - interiority, contrast and atmosphere. They support and extend each other and shape our understanding of the concept.”
Source: The Book of Hygge: The Danish Art of Living Well
“The greater danger isn’t that believers—men and women alike—go too far with God. It’s that we don’t go far enough. Too often, we shrink back from the fullness of our calling or inheritance—not because God said “Stop,” but because we chose to obey human voices over the voice of God.”
Source: Scripture Girl: Thousands of Memory Verses, One Transformed Life—A Scripture Memory Testimony
“It makes sense that the everyday experience and practice of something like hygge would not be reserved only for Scandinavians, but shared with other societies that nurture the idea of interiority to the extent that they foreground it. -Jeppe Trolle Linnet.”
Source: The Book of Hygge: The Danish Art of Living Well