A Beautifully Simple Swedish Philosophy

That's Philosophical #9

Sweden is one of the happiest countries in the world. Thanks to a brilliant framework- a philosophy that keeps everything in harmony for the society.

The key to Sweden’s happiness is Lagom.

This word means “not little, not too much, just perfect”. The concept’s purpose is to live a slower, balanced, simple life. I dug deeper to find out its core principles and here are the lessons we can learn from it:

The Golden Rule

Lagom is when everyone should have enough, but not too much.

You should earn enough money, but not too much or little, just right for you to live a comfortable life.

Sweden’s progressive system of taxes makes it a lot harder for a person to become rich- the more you earn, the higher the percentage of your income you give. The tax rate in Sweden is around 57%. 

People in Sweden don’t overwork, they always follow a fixed schedule.

They don’t see any point in working extra hours and chasing more money- you get the same amount anyway.

This system fundamentally changes a person’s approach to money. Now people get the luxury of shifting focus from always growing their income- to being content with what they already have.

Work in Sweden cannot interfere with the worker’s personal life, it’s a big part of being more productive and happy. The average workweek there is 30 hours, which leaves a lot of free time to enjoy with friends and family. 

While the world is working in full swing, Swedes are ending their workday.

Everyone is Equal

Showing off in Sweden is uncommon, most people wear minimalist clothes, drive simple cars, and live in normal homes. People there don’t care what others have. As a result, it removes the comparison to other people that is so common in human beings. 

Sweden doesn’t have a big gap between rich and poor. Thanks to the system and people’s collective mindset. If you are showing off, you are making others uncomfortable. Leaving your own life and wealth to yourself makes everyone’s life easier. 

Quality Over Everything Else

Swedish people would more likely choose a career that pays just enough. They won’t choose a higher-paying job that requires more work. Having a fuss-free life is more important than striving for extra money. 

Originally, the word Lagom was used for food- to eat just enough so you don’t starve. Quality of food is also a priority. People in Sweden believe it affects your happiness. That’s why eating healthy and ecologically friendly is a big part of Lagom. It focuses on the enjoyment and appreciation of the food itself.

Swedes place quality over quantity of people around them. Having close friends and family circle contributes to higher overall happiness, too.

Simple Life

Lagom shifts the focus from always wanting more to living a simple life in a perfect balance. 

“Enough is as good as a feast” 

- Swedish proverb.

In such a fast-paced world, Lagom breaks established rules that are unhealthy and offers a completely unique approach to living. A life without stress and constant rat races. But full of happiness, and balance all around.

The philosophy of happiness in Lagom is beautifully simple. While the rest of the world is trying to find it somewhere in their dreams, Sweden already found it in a place no one checked, even though it was just under our noses.

Lagom is proof that:

We don’t need anything materialistic to be happy. 

We don’t need to work more to be happy.

We don’t need more money to be happy. 

Most things only add friction to your life, that’s why happiness is found in simple things that are affordable to everyone. It’s mostly the simple things in life that bring us joy.

“Never let the things you want, make you forget the things you have. If you are truly rich, count the number of things that you have that money can’t buy.”

-Unknown

---