Norway – the world’s best country to live in?
Tanzanians have many good qualities. We in Norway have a lot to learn from them.
After I moved to Tanzania, I realized even more how lucky we are in Norway. We have free schooling in a safe environment, we have food on the table and a safe place to live.
Very few live in extreme poverty, while in Tanzania the number is whole 49.4 percent. I feel grateful for how lucky I am, but I also see all the good qualities Tanzanians have, which we in Norway can learn from.
Relationships mean a lot
One of the things I have noticed here in Tanzania is that relationships are given high priority. Tanzanians are not afraid to talk to each other and they make new friendships wherever they are.
Here I see big differences between Norway and Tanzania. In Norway, we live to a greater extent as individualists. We have little sense of community, and we rather live by the idea of being independent and managing things on our own.
We have little sense of community
I think we as a society underestimate the importance of community that goes beyond family relationships and friends from work or school. If you do not have a good family relationship, or do not find your place at school or work, you quickly become vulnerable to loneliness.
This can affect many people’s mental health. Many people try to fill the emptiness they feel with materialistic things that bring short-term happiness.
Materialism does not make us happy
We also live in a throw-away society where only the latest is good enough for many of us. On offer for Christmas it might say a new phone, a new jacket and new shoes. You may actually have everything from before, but you want the latest model, because the old one no longer satisfies you.
Everyone knows deep down that materialism does not make us happy. Yet it is where we put much of our focus, energy and time.
The consequences of our materialistic consumer society are great in terms of CO₂ emissions. Norwegians emit 6.72 tonnes of CO₂ per per capita, while the figure for the Tanzanians is 0.21. Yet Tanzania is one of the countries that takes the worst hit when it comes to climate change. The fact that the rainy season is postponed and the climate changes can mean life and death for many.
Much to learn
So which country is the best country to live in? In Norway, we have good conditions, but we do not have the facet of a perfect life. We should stop seeing ourselves as the successful ones who do “everything” right.
We have something to learn from the country that many of us may see as poor. More of us should realize that.
If someone had asked you the question “Would you rather be completely alone and rich, or have good relationships and be poor?”, I think most of us would have chosen relationships over money. More of us Norwegians need to start thinking beyond the short-term happiness that materialism provides.
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