Introduction
“Money can’t buy happiness, but it can make you awfully comfortable while you’re being miserable” (Clare Boothe Luceas, cited in The Sentinel Record, 2020)
Social media and the internet have placed the world at our fingertips, making it easier than ever to discover destinations across the globe. Copenhagen, Denmark, caught my attention among the many places I have explored online for its warm, comforting feeling. Although the prospect of saving enough for a visit remains a distant goal, I find solace in researching and daydreaming for now.
My ideal location is one where the passage of time is merely a concept dictated solely by the natural rhythm of the sun and moon. After exploring various options, Denmark stands out to me as the most intriguing, given its reputation as the country with the world’s happiest population. I wonder what attributes contribute to Denmark’s status as the happiest place on earth, assuming it indeed holds that distinction.
Exploring Denmark
The country’s capital is a port city and is one of the largest ports in Northern Europe. Every day, dozens of boats pass to and from the Baltic and North Sea, carrying cargo and passengers from around the world. When reaching Copenhagen by boat, visitors go through the “Athens of the North,” which is a narrow stretch of water that “divides Sweden and Denmark, connecting the Kattegat to the Baltic Sea” (Pearson Thomson, 2012, p. 1).
Copenhagen is “a large and flourishing city, with all the modern improvements of a commercial capital. It is celebrated for its palaces, parks, porcelain, statuary, art treasures, and last but not least, its lighthearted and cheerful citizens” (Pearson Thomson, 2012, p. 9). While winter in Denmark is not the best time to visit, when it can be extremely cold, windy, and snowy, summer can be quite pleasant.
Among the many advantages of living in Denmark is the strong sense of community and support, which is often hard to come by. According to the OECD (2020) statistics, around 95% of residents say they have friends or family to turn to in times of need, while 92% report high or moderate life satisfaction. Even though the country saw significant cumulative earnings growth, challenges remain in labor market insecurity and housing affordability (OECD, 2020).
Notably, the country remains among the least corrupt countries worldwide, which could explain why its citizens highly trust one another, as well as the justice system and government institutions (“The Danish welfare state,” n.d.). The data illustrate that although Denmark may not boast the highest household net income, the strength of friendships and a robust sense of community prevail. This serves as evidence that happiness cannot simply be purchased with money.
The orientation toward people and their needs is even evident in the Danes’ approach to raising children. I have a Danish acquaintance who married an American man, and she shared with me that although Denmark is a highly secure environment for raising a family, it is common for children to explore boundaries as they grow up. She explained that the Danish approach to handling children’s misbehavior differs from that of the United States.
Unlike the U.S., Denmark does not have juvenile detention centers. Instead, when a child aged 15 or older breaks the law, they are placed within a Department of Human Services framework designed to guide the child in correcting their actions. This approach aims to minimize trauma and prevent the recurrence of such incidents, creating a more positive environment for younger generations overall.
Such an attitude toward crime, coupled with an emphasis on correction and well-being rather than punishment, has led to steadily declining youth crime rates over the past several decades. As noted by Andersen et al. (2016), “The main driver of declining youth crime in Denmark is that fewer young people are experiencing contact with the criminal justice system” (p. 1304). Exposure to digital media, including video games, has prevented young people from committing crimes by merely incapacitating them.
Besides, while it has been mistakenly argued that violent video games increase the risks of criminal behavior in young people, empirical evidence points to the opposite (Cunningham et al., 2021). Drawing on Denmark’s and other countries’ experience, emphasizing rehabilitation rather than punishment could be a step in the right direction for the United States, which overemphasizes punishment in its criminal justice system. In general, Danes appear to be more tolerant of one another and view their country as a community with a common goal: to live happy, healthy, and fulfilling lives.
Conclusion
I have spent my entire life in the United States, specifically in Oklahoma, where I was born and raised. I sincerely appreciate the culture in my country, particularly the prevalence of middle- and upper-class communities, and I am content with my financial situation. Denmark appears to be an appealing place to live and raise a family, with its scenic beauty. However, the average wages are lower, and the taxes seem proportionally higher than the income earned. A friend from Denmark mentioned that while healthcare is free, obtaining an appointment with a specialist for a serious condition may take longer compared to the U.S. Given my tendency to be a hypochondriac, where even a simple sneeze might trigger concern, the idea of not having immediate access to a specialist is a drawback, despite the allure of free healthcare.
The decision to relocate to another country involves careful consideration of priorities and potential sacrifices. Although I value the idea of family and have reservations about leaving behind friends and loved ones, a safer environment for raising a family cannot replace the lower wages in Denmark. Given my aversion to change, I am likely to continue daydreaming about living in another country rather than actively pursuing a move to another continent.
References
Andersen, L. H., Tegner Anker, A. S., & Andersen, S. H. (2016). A formal decomposition of declining youth crime in Denmark. Demographic Research, 35, 1303-1316.
Cunningham, S., Engelstätter, B., & Ward, M. R. (2021). Understanding the effects of violent video games on violent crime.
OECD. (2020). How’s life in Denmark?
Pearson Thomson, M. (2012). Denmark. Tredition Classics.
The Danish welfare state and why it is hard to copy. (n.d.).
The Sentinel Record. (2020). Money can’t buy happiness, but... The Sentinel Record.