Something is rotten in the state of Denmark




Our last major excursion included a visit to Kronborg Castle in Helsingør. While this castle by itself is very impressive and honesty a feat to visit, I thought it was so fitting to the topic of this class.  It is at Kronborg that Shakespeare’s Hamlet takes place.  And in this famous play, Marcellus, a guard and member of the lower class, states the most obvious about the future of a country when its leadership is corrupt and dishonest: “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”.

Social Honesty and Trust is a core value in Denmark.  I cannot stress this enough. We place our trust in our leadership but mind you, we also watch them very carefully.  If a leader shows signs of “getting too big for their britches”, meaning they believe they are more important, better, and can misuse their position of authority, Danes will act. That applies to political leaders, our beloved royal family, and leaders in business and social organizations. Nobody is exempt.

Trust is essential for happiness. On our first night of class, we discussed each of our “special sauces” and your leader, Dean Thorngren, posed a really good question. She asked why you so often “hide” that which makes you unique. Ultimately, the answers boiled down to a lack of trust in those around you, in being accepted and included.  To avoid social punishments and other negative consequences, we try to adapt to an artificial mold created by others.  The funny thing is, that mold is often designed to keep you down and hidden because those who created the mold are themselves unable or unwilling to rise up.  
I encourage you to find the inner security to be who you are.  You are unique and the world needs you.  It does not need two or three of me, it needs one of each of us. If others around you have a problem with your unique strengths and qualities, it is simply a reflection of their weakness and insecurity.

And finally, on our last day we were scheduled to go glass blowing.  This might not have been something you ever thought of doing, but I hope you will never shrink back from trying something new. There is something empowering and humbling in trying something new and I think that balance is key to happiness.




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