The Hyggelig Journey

It is always fascinating to distinguish between what we do on a whim, without much thought, and what we do repeatedly, often without realising it. Many of our actions are not deliberate choices but secondary reactions, shaped by patterns we seldom notice. Take, for instance, a simple decision to try an ice lolly with an unusual flavour — nothing remarkable in itself. But if you find yourself needing to consult Google, your pet, and a set of divination beads before making such a choice, then it’s worth asking whether this is part of a deeper behavioural pattern. The truth is, we rarely recognise our own habits. They are often glaringly obvious yet invisible to us. This is because our attention is drawn to what is in the foreground of our awareness, while the forces at work in the background remain elusive, shaping our actions in ways we do not fully understand. Consider insomnia as rebellion. You may feel powerless over your daily life, as if time is slipping through your fi...

All too often, we encounter situations that provoke fear or disgust, and instead of responding with thoughtfulness, we instinctively swing to the opposite extreme. Rather than pausing to understand the underlying issues or approaching them with balance, we react impulsively, believing that distancing ourselves as much as possible is the safest course of action. Ironically, this approach often leads us straight into the very situation we were trying to avoid — only in a slightly altered form. In our attempt to escape one perceived danger, we blindly run into another, failing to realise that both are merely different sides of the same coin. Take, for example, the way people react to financial hardship. Many witness others struggling under the weight of debt, losing their assets, or even facing bankruptcy. The sight of such instability fuels their determination to avoid the same fate, leading them to adopt an extreme approach to financial security. They dedicate themselves obs...