Live data from Hacker News

The Denmark secret: how it became the most trusting country

theguardian.com

11–20 of 122 posts

Re: The Denmark secret: how it became the most trusting country

#11
> Adults who trust each other not to steal babies go on to trust one another around older children playing unsupervised.

Such delusion to think we could have a society where people don’t steal babies the moment they are left unattended. I bet they’re not even worried about a passerby taking candy from them too.

Re: The Denmark secret: how it became the most trusting country

#13
post #11

> Adults who trust each other not to steal babies go on to trust one another around older children playing unsupervised. Such delusion to think we could have a society where people don’t steal babies the moment they are left unattended. I bet they’re not even worried about a passerby taking candy from them too.

In the US leaving your baby unsupervised is likely to result in someone calling CPS and a bunch of trouble for you.

So while the chance of having your child kidnapped is vanishingly small, there are enough busybodies who believe the chance is high to result in the same net effect: you can't leave your baby unattended.

Re: The Denmark secret: how it became the most trusting country

#14
post #5
post #3

[flagged]

Denmark is one of the few countries that actually has targets for integration, not just immigration. It's extremely draconian and I'm surprised (actually, not surprised) the article doesn't mention it. See, for example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulnerable_residential_area_(D...

Slow integration actually being enforced by uncomfortable laws is the only way we get to enjoy diversity and multiculturalism. The friction is otherwise too large. I would personally like an utopia where we all magically get along no matter the culture, race, ethnicity etc. but the real world is a different pair of shoes.

Re: The Denmark secret: how it became the most trusting country

#16
post #11

> Adults who trust each other not to steal babies go on to trust one another around older children playing unsupervised. Such delusion to think we could have a society where people don’t steal babies the moment they are left unattended. I bet they’re not even worried about a passerby taking candy from them too.

In the US leaving your baby unsupervised is likely to result in someone calling CPS and a bunch of trouble for you. So while the chance of having your child kidnapped is vanishingly small, there are enough busybodies who believe the chance is high to result in the same net effect: you can't leave your baby unattended.

That's a problem due to the American peoples acceptance of authoritarian policing; something that would be inconceivable in more enlightened countries.

Re: The Denmark secret: how it became the most trusting country

#17

The common factor in all high trust societies seems to be that they are culturally homogenous.

Not necessarily fully homogeneous, but with a pretty wide common base.

To trust someone is to predict their actions in a number of the most important aspects, and these actions must be in agreement with your values and expectations. It's most easily achieved when the key values are shared, and even easier when cultural backgrounds are also shared. (It, of course, works if you trust people like yourself, which is not always the case, curiously. Moscow, Russia is about as diverse a place as NYC, but with a markedly lower level of trust.)

Re: The Denmark secret: how it became the most trusting country

#18
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the US leaving your baby unsupervised is likely to result in someone calling CPS and a bunch of trouble for you. So while the chance of having your child kidnapped is vanishingly small, there are enough busybodies who believe the chance is high to result in the same net effect: you can't leave your baby unattended.

That's a problem due to the American peoples acceptance of authoritarian policing; something that would be inconceivable in more enlightened countries.

In Germany you are arrested for home schooling. Different cultures have their flaws.

Re: The Denmark secret: how it became the most trusting country

#19
post #15

The common factor in all high trust societies seems to be that they are culturally homogenous.

Denmark? Culturally homogeneous? I'm not sure you've actually been to Denmark. Culturally homogeneous is not what I would call it.

I'm interested in what you're comparing against. Denmark is typically towards the bottom of any measure of cultural or ethnic diversity - e.g. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_ranked_by_et...

I have been to Denmark many times and it strikes me as considerably more homogenous than the UK or the US.

Re: The Denmark secret: how it became the most trusting country

#20
post #11

> Adults who trust each other not to steal babies go on to trust one another around older children playing unsupervised. Such delusion to think we could have a society where people don’t steal babies the moment they are left unattended. I bet they’re not even worried about a passerby taking candy from them too.

[flagged]
Post reply on HN