The Hyggelig Journey

In the course of daily life, concepts such as knowledge, self-knowledge, and the practice of goodness ought never to be forgotten. Yet not only are they neglected — they are actively abandoned, especially when they stand at odds with the ambitions of humankind. And therein lies the blind spot of human pride: the self — the ever-contemplated navel. I see it manifest in the most absurd of circumstances, where there is no sincere interest in understanding the other. The affluent denigrate the poor; the poor resent the affluent. But where, I ask, is our shared humanity? Where is the recognition that the destiny of one is bound to the destiny of all? That recognition remains — dimmed, tucked away in some forgotten recess — awaiting the rekindling of light. When I welcome a homosexual patient, I see someone in search of that very light, navigating life in a conservative, restrictive city that offers little room to breathe. When I receive someone ensnared in substance use, I encou...

It took me a while to realise that I should never nod at a patient in the midst of an outburst. The gesture, so instinctive in everyday conversation, carries an unexpected weight in a clinical setting. A simple nod can be interpreted as agreement, encouragement, or even collusion, when in truth, it may be nothing more than a reflex of attentiveness. In moments of heightened emotion, every movement is observed — the faintest lift of an eyebrow, a barely perceptible shift in posture, a pause held a fraction too long. Non-verbal communication speaks its own language, often more powerfully than words. A misplaced gesture can deepen distress, an ill-timed silence may be mistaken for judgement, an unconscious frown might introduce doubt where none previously existed. Even fatigue conspires against us. A yawn — however innocent or inevitable — may be misread as impatience or indifference, fracturing the fragile bridge of trust in an instant. And then there is touch, that fleeting ...

Life is a journey of learning and growth – not a race for perfection. Each of us, at some point, will stumble. Whether through mistakes, failures, or unforeseen hardships, we all experience moments where we fall short of our own expectations or those of others. Yet, it is in these very moments that we gain the deepest understanding of what it means to be human. Those who have fallen know the pain of disappointment, but they also discover something greater – the power of compassion, both for themselves and for those around them. Every setback carries within it an opportunity for growth. When we falter, we come face to face with our vulnerabilities, our flaws, and the limitations of our current understanding. However, rather than seeing these as signs of weakness, we can choose to view them as invitations to learn. The experience of struggling – of standing back up after a fall – teaches us patience, humility, and, most importantly, empathy. Once we recognise how difficult t...

Empathy is often interpreted as the ability to put oneself in another’s place, but this simplistic definition does not capture its depth. Empathy is not merely feeling what another person feels; it is understanding their experience without becoming lost in it. This balance between connection and discernment is essential, particularly in professions that require rational decision-making without emotional burdens clouding judgement. In acupuncture, for instance, the practitioner must attentively listen to the patient’s complaints, grasp emotional nuances, and understand their pain without absorbing it. An acupuncturist who is overwhelmed by a patient’s suffering may lose the clarity needed to determine the most appropriate treatment. Conversely, a lack of empathy results in a cold, mechanical approach, reducing the patient’s trust in the therapeutic process. Neuroscience shows that empathy is not merely an emotional response but also a neurological function. The brain has spe...

Not so long ago, a close mate of mine, Kasper Nymand , started his career with enthusiasm and carism. Knowing him since forever, I was at the same time happy for his focus onto a brilliant start and worried for noticing he was distancing himself from everyone. It's emblematic when you see yourself in others, especially when you too have struggled to find an equilibrium between work and family. So there was I, following his start and wondering to myself, should I warn him on measuring his enthusiasm? Is that even something someone wants to hear? Should I let him learn his compass alone? Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong about enjoying your work and feeling pushed towards doing a good job. My concern was, essentially, on the wide range of intensity I was noticing. He was all in, although everything seemed perfect. I waited for a chance to approach him, without questioning too directly his otherwise unbreakable determination. Few months later, on his 20th birth...

I've attempted to discover a quick way to deal with confrontational scenarios by interpolating empathy with courteous demeanour. While it didn’t interrupt confrontations, nor made them avoidable, it seems that begging to disagree can work, so long as you’ve have first learnt to mirror what is being talked in a different point of view. I like to call those exercises tools for mutual understanding. It took me a while to understand that it is natural for some people to showcase colourful disagreement only to capture a topic by exhaustion. Funnily enough, no words can interpret with precision what a subject matter can bring to a vulnerable person. I say vulnerable not to explicate people who eventually become vulnerable, oh no. We are all vulnerable to small stressors, too many of them, too many times. Triggers, say, of how much sentiment you will drill in a matter of seconds. More than that, it is a delusion to ignore them. That’s righteous okay, I need to add. Subjectivity is always ...