The Law of Jante is often described as a Scandinavian cultural quirk — a social code woven into the fabric of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. But the truth is far more personal, and far more persistent. Jante doesn’t stay behind when you leave the Nordics. It slips into your hand luggage, walks through passport control with you, and whispers in your ear even when you’re living a completely different life on completely different streets.
It follows you to dinner tables in foreign countries, judges you quietly as you make choices, and holds you back long after you think you’ve left it behind.
I didn’t understand how strong it was until I moved to Bulgaria.
Here, in a country still marked by its own turbulent history but alive with raw honesty and unfiltered directness, I suddenly felt how much of me was still governed by an invisible Scandinavian force.
The strange part is this: most Scandinavians who move abroad have no idea they’re still obeying Jante. They simply feel they can’t relax fully, can’t take up space fully, can’t say “this is what I know” or “this is what I want” without shrinking a little. There’s a thin membrane of self-censorship around the personality.
And the moment you step into a culture that doesn’t play by those rules, the tension becomes unmistakable.
Sweden doesn’t leave you just because you leave Sweden
When I first arrived in Bulgaria, the way people interacted shocked me.
People here say exactly what they mean. Sometimes bluntly, sometimes harshly, but almost always honestly.
Conflict isn’t shameful. Ambition isn’t suspicious. Success isn’t something you have to apologize for. And when someone does well, the reaction is simple:
“Bravo.”
Not “Who do you think you are?”
That’s when I noticed that I was still walking around with a quiet inner voice:
“Tone it down.”
“Don’t take too much space.”
“Don’t say you’re good at that.”
“Don’t say you want that.”
“They will think you’re arrogant.”
I realized something uncomfortable:
I was still Swedish.
When we move abroad, we assume that geography equals transformation. New city, new climate, new life.
But psychology doesn’t work like that.
Culture lives inside us. It shapes how we interpret social signals, how we relate to groups, and how we value ourselves.
Scandinavians underestimate how deeply Jante is programmed into them.
You don’t see it until you’re in a place where nobody else follows it.
The invisible chains: how Swedes “bring Sweden with them”
I’ve met many Nordics here in Bulgaria — digital nomads, entrepreneurs, retirees, adventurers. And I keep hearing variations of the same sentence:
“I moved for more freedom… but something still holds me back.”
People think it’s language, money, work, culture.
Often, the real problem is internal:
They brought their self-limiting Swedish mindset in their suitcase.
It shows in small behaviours:
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They don’t pitch their ideas with confidence.
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They apologize for being competent.
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They lower their prices even when they shouldn’t.
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They avoid visibility, even when it would benefit them.
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They assume success will provoke others.
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They say “I’ll try” instead of “I’ll do it.”
And every time, I think:
This isn’t a personality flaw. It’s cultural programming.
The contrast becomes brutal in international environments — places like Bansko, Sofia, or coworking hubs.
An American pitches with confidence.
A French founder speaks with passion.
An Italian gestures like the world has been waiting for his idea.
The Swede?
He clears his throat gently and whispers:
“…I have an idea, but it’s probably nothing special.”
It hurts to see.
Because Scandinavian soil produces brilliant minds, innovators, creators.
But it also produces quiet self-doubt.
Bulgaria — shock therapy for Jante
Living in Bulgaria creates a fascinating collision of mentalities:
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Nordic quietness
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Balkan directness
The combination is shocking — but the shock is healing.
When people around you don’t censor themselves…
When honesty is normal…
When confidence isn’t suspicious…
When people look you straight in the eyes and say what they think…
You suddenly become aware of your own silence.
The chains become visible.
I’ve felt it myself. Bulgaria stripped away layers of social armor I didn’t even realize I was wearing.
In Sweden, I sometimes felt like there was a ceiling above me.
Here, the ceiling is gone.
It’s as if Bulgaria holds up a mirror and asks:
“Why are you still asking for permission to be yourself?”
Suddenly, you realize:
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You’re allowed to dream big.
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You’re allowed to speak loudly.
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You’re allowed to take up space.
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You’re allowed to be good at something.
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You’re allowed to call yourself an entrepreneur.
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You’re allowed to fail publicly.
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And you’re allowed to succeed publicly.
And the most liberating part:
No one resents you for it.
This is why so many Scandinavians flourish abroad.
It’s not just the sun or the prices.
It’s because, for the first time, they can see the mental chains they’ve worn since childhood.
And seeing them is the first step to breaking them.
Why Jante survives — even when we think we’re free
There are three psychological reasons Jante follows Scandinavians across borders:
A. We are trained to read the group — not ourselves
Harmony is sacred. Conflict is avoided. Standing out is suspicious.
This mindset travels with us.
B. Our self-worth is rooted in group approval, not individuality
When you’ve never learned to stand alone psychologically, it feels unsafe to take space — even in a new country.
C. Jante is internalized, not conscious
It’s not verbal.
It’s emotional.
It lives in reflexes, not thoughts.
That’s why so many people believe they’ve left Sweden, but Sweden hasn’t left them.
How to break free — for real
Leaving Jante is a process, not an event.
Here’s what I’ve learned — and what I’ve seen work for other Nordics abroad:
1. Say your competence out loud, without apology
It feels uncomfortable.
Say it anyway.
2. Stop shrinking your achievements
When you say things like “I was lucky” or “It’s nothing special,” you reinforce Jante internally.
3. Surround yourself with international people
Their energy breaks your patterns.
It lifts you, stretches you, challenges you.
4. Choose people who want you to succeed
In many Nordic contexts, success triggers envy.
Elsewhere, success attracts collaborators.
5. Fail visibly
It is Jante’s worst enemy.
And your best teacher.
6. Say clearly what you want from life
Voicing your direction breaks the spell.
The big realization: Freedom doesn’t start when you move. It starts when you stop asking for permission.
It took me time to understand this.
I had to step outside my own culture to see it clearly.
Sweden is a wonderful country — but its social norms can be a psychological prison.
Living in Bulgaria taught me something profound:
You don’t become free when you leave a place.
You become free when you leave your inner censor.
Jante isn’t a national phenomenon.
It’s a psychological inheritance.
But it can be broken — and many Scandinavians only discover their true voice abroad.
Because once you place your identity in a new environment, something unexpected happens:
You get to rewrite your code.
You get to choose who you want to be.
And for the first time, you stop living under the weight of invisible chains — and start living like the person you were always meant to become.
By Chris...
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