The Hyggelig Journey

I looked at the other and saw an abyss. But then, I looked again. There was something there that called to me, something that belonged to me without my knowing. What was it? Alterity. That strange word that, in the end, only means: you are not alone. The other has always been here. At the street corner, in the reflection of a window, in the glance that meets yours for a fleeting moment before vanishing. The other is the unknown that unsettles you, but also the child within you that once needed comfort. You think you are you because you feel your skin, but what if your self is far greater than you imagine? Because, you see, without the other, you do not exist. Your voice is only heard because someone listens. Your gestures have meaning only because they are seen. Your story matters because it can be told — and every story needs someone to hear it. Alterity is not just about respecting the other; it is about realising that they shape you. The trouble is, we think of ourselves...

People often misunderstand happiness, even though we all seem to seek for it actively. The thing is, happiness isn't something you can seek entirely by yourself, alone. No, it is rather a goal only achieved when shared, fulfilled and portioned by those with whom you live. Granted, we all are subjects to fragments of joy every once in a while, and as subtle as those moments of prosperity and caring can be, they are deeply imprinted in your mind. We may not even realise immediately, but we, in many instances, revisit those moments for strength, enlightenment, endurance. The misunderstanding happens when your joy relies exclusively on your wealth, status, and possessions. Thereby, you may be giving into what your instincts want, instead of what your heart seeks. Spurts of opportunities to achieve happiness are repeatedly lost when our pocket overrules our most intimate sense of gratitude, and when greed makes us forget those who have carried us along the path. Whether, whilst you smil...