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The Real Reasons why Norway is the Best Place on Earth
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http://www.kantenstrek.no/
This blogpost is inspired by an article published in The Huffington Post stating 25 reasons why Norway is the greatest place on Earth. Here are my own reasons Norway is that place.
Before I tell you why I think Norway really is the best place on Earth, let’s get this straight: Norway is not the best country on Earth for everyone. Norway is the worst place on Earth for you:
– If you want to wear flip flops all year around, sit on a beach and get a tan every single day (and tans from UV boxes in Brun og Blid do not count), drink from a coconut while lying on a white sand beach full of palm trees (drinking coconut water from a box on a white sand beach in Ramberg does not count either), then Norway is closer to being a nightmare than a dream place for you. Then move to Australia.
In Norway there is something called winter, and another one called seasons. And another one called Norwegian-weather-is-totally-unpredictable. Which means that it can get cold in the summer, and there can be 4 seasons in one day. But fore seasons will change, as well as colours on the trees and daylight will fluctuate depending on the month. There are still long and dark winters here compared to most inhabited places on the planet, with a risk of winter depression. Remember, the Arctic circle goes through Norway. This is country is in the Northern part of the Northern hemisphere.
– Also, if you hate outdoor activities such as hiking, swimming in fjords or freezing lakes with happy Norwegians jumping in like it’s 20 degrees in there, skiing in the winter and in the summer (a local activity called bikini skiing); then you will have trouble fitting in this country where everything is made for people who love being outdoors.
– If you think paradise is a place where there are no taxes. That poor people should stay poor (isn’t it a bit their fault if they are poor?) and there is no way those who earn more should pay higher taxes based on the solidarity principle.
– Neither is it if you believe the only intervention a country’s economy should be Adam Smith’s invisible hand, and that a welfare state where the state regulates virtually every aspect of society and economy is blasphemy, then Norway is definitely to be avoided. You will get here and think this country is a bunch of socialists with oil money, a dangerous mix.
– If you think the place of a woman is in a kitchen taking care of children, while men go to work and earn the bread and butter of the family. Where machism is king and women should do as they are told,..
Otherwise for all the other right reasons listed below, Norway is still the best place on Earth to be!
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1. Gender equality. In Norway, a man equals a woman and vice versa. It is not to the level that there is an absolutely equal pay between genders, and it doesn’t stretch to situations where men go out dressed as women without the rise of a few eyebrows. But all in all at work, at school and in society in general people are treated equal whether they are a man or a women. No dirty jokes at work, no blockage of your career because you are a woman. See on this topic The Joys of Being a Woman in Norway
2. Extraordinary working conditions. In Norway the laws protecting worker rights are strong and applied. The culture of compromise going on here make it unacceptable to scream at your employees, or sexually harass them. Hierarchy is quite flat even at work, encouraging a sense of equality. Most important of all, it is accepted that workers have a life outside of work, which will allow you to get out of your office earlier than you would in your home country. This applies to jobs with a legal contract, I imagine the situation is different for those with jobs on the black market. If you have any experience on this send me a message with your experience.
3. High salaries. It is true that life is expensive in Norway, but salaries are proportionate to the cost of living. If you earn a Norwegian salary, you will be able to buy those 3 or 4 euro coffees, and you might even manage to pay for a beer without selling your organs (I forgot to say that if you like cheap booze Norway is not the right place for you). The gap between the highest paid person and the lowest paid person is much thinner than in other countries, that is because everyone is paid a decent salary even if your job is to clean toilets. If you want to come to Norway as a tourist, then see my tips on how to visit in Norway on a budget.
4. Stunning nature. Norway is home to magnificent fjords, mountains, islands, seashore, lakes, northern lights, midnight sun and all the nature you’ve always dreamed of. For pictures, you can go directly to the Huffington Post article that inspired this blogpost.
5. Clean air, low pollution and proximity of nature. Almost anywhere in the country air is clean, and if you are in a city centre then take a bus for 20 minutes and you will be in the middle of the forest. This applies to Oslo as well, and it is a luxury that not many capital cities can offer in this industrialised and urbanised world we live in.
6. Long parental leave for both parents. Because of a functioning tax and social security system, a high proportion of the active Norwegian population working and paying tax, and political will of course, people working in Norway get much longer parental leaves than in any country I’ve seen (check out NAV regulations on this). Each couple gets 49 weeks parental leave with 100% of their salaries. Fathers get a minimum quota of 10 weeks (also called pappapermisjon) and mothers get a minimum of 13 weeks. The rest of the leave (26 weeks) is to be shared among the couple as they please. Same rules apply to same-sex couples. Yes, Norway is also gay-friendly.
6. Norway has a low corruption index and good ethics.
Catchy titles in Norwegian media have called Norway the “most corrupt in Scandinavia” but if seen from another angle, the 4th or 5th cleanest countries in the world. Transparency is king here regarding anyone’s tax situation, including politicians’. Any political action of nepotism or conflict of interest will get you fired almost on the spot, a habit which is unheard of in other Southern countries including my own (Sarkozy is accused in 7 cases and is still running for presidential election). Think about it, could Jens Stoltenberg have been taken in a bunga bunga or other corruption scandal without losing his job? I don’t think so. Berlusconi wouldn’t even exist on the political scenery in Norway. See the EU report on corruption in Norway for judges, parliament and prosecutors.
7. Low racism compared to other European countries.
I am not saying racism does not exist in Norway, it does like everywhere else in the world. However racism here is weaker and more subtle than in other European countries such as the UK or France. In Great Britain there are racist crimes such as being stabbed for being Muslim, in France a black Minister was recently compared to a monkey by a magazine, and some politicians still deny the Holocaust.
In Norway I’ve heard first hand stories of Somali taxi drivers in Oslo getting racist comments by clients, and during a heated debate last year many Norwegians with foreign background came out to talk about discrimination and racism they face every day. Like in any other European country, the darker you look and the more foreign your name sounds the more exposed you will be to such comments and discriminatory acts.
However it will hardly ever go beyond words: racism won’t get you killed or beaten in Norway, and integrating is possible especially if you speak the language and have a job. I know that does not sound that comforting but on the scale of worst it isn’t that bad. Note that this might be changing, with FrP in the government and the term “ethnic Norwegian” being over-used in the media without anyone seeming to realise its dangerous scope: racism in Norway might be on the rise in the future.
8. Norway’s economy is strong. Thanks to oil and a good management of the oil money Norway has no public debt. Good management includes not giving oil exploitation shares to your friends and family when you are at a leadership position, it also includes sharing the money with your fellow citizens and not building yourself a golden castle in your hometown. Also, unemployment rate is low (less than 4%) and the Norwegian Pensiun Fund is getting richer by the minute.
9. Respect and trust in human kind exist in this country, and it is applied to every aspect of life, from the Norsk Turistforening that gives you keys to their cabins in the woods, to the Norwegian prison system. In any other country, even a Western one, Breivik would have been shot on the spot on the Utøya. No in Norway he was taken to a jail by police officers respecting the law and the idea that everyone is innocent until proven guilty even though the guy had just shot teenagers in front of their eyes. And now in his prison he is treated well. He did complain that the special anti-stabbing pen he was given to write cramps his hand, describing it as “an almost indescribable manifestation of sadism”. Hum. Maybe he should meet some guys who survived a Syrian prison, just for him to learn what those word mean.
10. Freedom. As long as you don’t scream “Sweden is the best” in a cross country skiing competition you will be free in Norway. No seriously, Norway offers freedom to everyone, what do you think those huge empty forests and lakes are for?
What does it feel like to live in such country? Well, high ethics mixed with high transparency, accountable politicians and freedom to be whoever you want to be makes Norway an easy country to live in. Some Norwegians and foreigners complain Norway is predictable and boring. I say that if boring means my train always leaves on time and public money is spent to build hospitals and schools like it is supposed to, I wish more places in the world were as “boring” as Norway.
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Comments
24 responses to “The Real Reasons why Norway is the Best Place on Earth”
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I’m sorry, I have to disagree with your view that Norway is less racist than the UK! There may well be more extremists in the UK than in Norway (it’s a much bigger country with more urban populations), but the widespread distrust of foreigners and rudeness I’ve encountered in Norway really is very different to the average British attitude.
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That’s not been experience nicolainorge. When I worked at
Flesland Flyplass (Bergen Airport) last summer, the only person out of eighteen colleagues who was rude and unfriendly was the one who was not native norwegian! Norwegians are more direct than the British, but that is culture and I find it refreshing.
I think it’s a great country and I have the luxury of living partly in Scotland and partly in Norway. -
I agree Nicola , there is an underriding theme of distrust / dislike for foreigners , especially if they have dark skin. I have lived here for 14 years and have heard ” jævlig utlendinger” on a regular basis . They call it små rasisme , and think it is ok.
Britain has a much longer history of migrants , and in much larger numbers , due to our colonial past. Norway , remote and secluded for generations , are only just ” appreciating ” the joys of multi culturalism . Most find it a bitter pill to swallow , but do so ( in public anyway ) with a forced smile . Behind closed doors is another story. -
As a Person of Color (are all the responders white?? looks like it) I can say that Norway is slightly more racist than the UK. I get weird looks in Norway that I never experienced in the UK. I was treated with much more respect, kindness, and gentility in the UK than I have anywhere in Norway.
If you are a brown-skinned person Norwegians will automatically assume you are Pakistani, and therefore a Muslim. In the UK, which ironically has a higher Muslim population, I never felt this assumption being cast upon me. As soon as I spoke people knew I was American, and therefore most likely Latino – because they actually have Latinos in the UK – that is not the case in Norway…
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How many Norwegians does it take to change a lightbulb? This question needs to be addressed.
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I think we should call for a meeting in order to decide when to have a meeting to discuss about this
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I propose a dugnad for the purposes of changing lightbulbs. We could discuss putting this on the agenda at the pre-meeting meeting.
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First of all we’d have to announce a committee!
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If you can’t change a lightbulb without Norwegians you’re probably into something deep – far up on your elbows.
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Let’s ask the Swedes!
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Hahaha
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So what you mean is that Norway is ”the best place on Earth” – if you are a Norwegian – or feel like one?
As a Norwegian I couldn’t agree more!
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But I have to disagree about one thing. I never swim in water that’s colder than 20 degrees. I don’t like hiking. I go skiing for half an hour about once every four years, and when the kids play in the snow I stay mostly behind the videocamera. But I still love it here 🙂
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I want to comment on some things the author wrote on raciam in Norway.
“Norwegians with foreign background” don’t exist. Norwegians are an ethno-cultural group named after our nation, which was established in 872 AD. Norway isn’t like the French republic, which as a modern artificial concept of a state, rather than an ethno-cultural nation. This is why the second thing the author wrote is so puzzling:
“the term “ethnic Norwegian” being over-used in the media without anyone seeming to realise its dangerous scope”
No, the concept “ethnic Norwegian” simply denotes the ethno-cultural origin of the term “Norwegian”, but ironically I agree that it shouldn’t be used because the only Norwegians that exist are ethnic Norwegians. There’s no other kind of Norwegian!
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My comment was deleted. No surprise. You’re not allowed to mention the things I mentioned, even if you’re a native Norwegian as I am. You, as a French person, can define Norwegian identity but I’m not allowed to comment and disagree with that definition. We are a people and a culture and we won’t be erased or ignored.
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I strongly disagree with your view of Norway…
Is true there are extremely nice landscapes, honest people, low crime rates and great papa and mama “perm” but..
My impression of this society after living several years was that here is all about pretending.. pretending being nice , pretending being happy, pretending they like everybody, pretending laughing all the time, and you can easily see is just faking most of the time, of course not everybody is the same .
Then you have this “equality” at all levels society, where no one can be “better” and no one can be “different”, same lives, same choices, same salaries even though you are good worker or not .. and if your performance is good or not..
But of course Norway is highly scored due to rich country and good welfare system .. but when you come from abroad and live here you realize what is going on at a deeper level..-
I don’t know you but what you say here is b***crap..
I am norwegian, and for the most part hiding true opinions is a way of respect for other peoples feelings.Go to nortnorway and call them false.
Come to mid norway and call their laughter false.They would laugh at you.
The way you look at us is just stupid, implying that we are pretenders?
You obiously have gotten reactions to yourself. What you sow, you reap etc. Refections of one self in another.People propably just laughs false around you just to try and be nice instead of just walking away.
Of course there are different kinds of people here as well. And there is social status hunting, but for the most part in certain environments in certain cities, like oilrich Stavanger and in the capital.
But your generalization of us just makes me sad for you. We are not better, nor worse than any others. And except from when we are drunk, we are for the most part honestly polite. And politeness is not pretending. You misunderstand something vital here you see.
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Well said Sara, if only they said what they meant or felt then i would have so much more respect for them . You never really know where you stand with Norwegians because they hide behing this veil of ” koselig ” and ” sånn er det bare ” . Sad.
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Honestly, I dont understand people. But let’s start by the beginning:
I’ve spend the last 15 years fighting with my husband about which place is the real Paradise on Earth : His beloved Norway – ( Møre og Romsdal ) or my beloved Argentina ( Bariloche – Patagonia ). I moved here 4 years ago and I have to say he was (almost ) right. Besides everything you’ve mention, the most important thing I got here is tranquility. Leave the car and the house open all the time. The fact that you don’t need to drive arround your block before entering your place to check if there is nobody watching you to get into your house, or wearing the clothes you want without being afraid of men’s hands touching you at the first opportunity…it’s priceless. Back to the first sentence, I dont understand people that are so uncomfortable in Norway. I haven’t seen any law that force them to stay though…
I’m blessed in so many forms that I cannot understand why people insist in complaining without doing anything to change the situation. Anyway…I love your posts. I’m reading them including the comments so it takes a bit. 😀 Keep the good work! -
In my opinion your post is extremely arrogant and a bit offensive. I believe you just adopted the common, self-centered and ego-based Norwegian idea that they are the best in the world. Were you brainwashed perhaps?
Psychologically you are just justifying your own choices and sadly giving up on your own culture. This is pitiful.Norway has a lot of qualities, as you say, I couldn’t agree more. Norwegians are (generally talking) honest (definitely not fake), equal, polite, happy (by comparison with the average European), democratic and quite healthy. But how about this:
Norway is the best place in the world if you like: conformism, lack of culture (!!!), nationalism, self-centeredness, hypocrisy, coldness, promiscuity, racism (because they are racist), secludedness and superficiality (yes, they are pretty shallow – jeg like å trene, jeg liker å reise, jeg liker friluftsliv og vin – yeah, most of them are not really interesting, they don’t really read or know what is really going on in the world – do you?).
Before 1969 they were the second poorest country in Europe. Now, suddenly, we witness to a very strange phenomenon: farmers and fishermen become oil-engineers in the blink of a generation. Wow, a whole country under steroids! And now they are the “richest” country in the world (are we talking about money, right?) and the so called most advanced social-democracy. Interesting.
Don’t misunderstand me, I love Norway and its culture, I have been living there for more than 4 years, but it does not imply that I have to give up on my critical awareness and my own culture (I’m Italian by the way). And mostly, I really cannot stand a biased and one-sided opinion of someone that is just trying to convince herself.
Enjoy:
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[…] many peoples’ minds, Norway is the “lykkeland” (happiness country) where everything will be okay. If you lose your job the social security system […]
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A comment on point 7:
When I first started listening to Klinkende Klart I thought that “statsborger” meant foreigner from the way it was often used. They call people “Norwegian citizens” who they aren’t willing to call Norwegians.
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