Are you following the Jante Law?

I was reading the Zahir by Paulo Coelho when I read a paragraph about the Law of Jante. I became curious about it and decided to read more about it.

What is the Jante Law: is a pattern of group behaviour towards individuals within Scandinavian communities, which negatively portrays and criticizes success and achievement as unworthy and inappropriate. It is an unwritten rule. It sounds similar to the "Crab mentality" which brings down anyone who is going up.

The ten rules state:
   1. Don't think you're anything special.
   2. Don't think you're as much as us.
   3. Don't think you're wiser than us.
   4. Don't convince yourself that you're better than us.
   5. Don't think you know more than us.
   6. Don't think you are more than us.
   7. Don't think you are good at anything.
   8. Don't laugh at us.
   9. Don't think anyone cares about you.
  10. Don't think you can teach us anything.

The law resents those who are different, who have achieved much, who are knowledgeable and loved. As we pass through life, we encounter people who get the better grades, the better car, the better boyfriend or the better girlfriend. Its a negative trait really which not only brings the other person down, it brings you down too. Making you feel inadequate and lacking. True, I did think that way sometimes but thankfully, I made my own "law" to counter all this.

"Envy and greed will never make you happy"

That's because I think that's where all the negativity mainly stems from; Envy and greed. It makes you feel unwanted and lacking and average. I am not here though to patronize but suggest that whenever we catch ourselves thinking this way, stop! just stop and change your mind set.

Don't allow yourself to follow the Jante Law.