Lars Eriksson
“We have a word — þetta reddast. It means 'it will all work out.' We've been saying it since the Vikings. It's not optimism. It's stubbornness.”
Meet Lars. He's 45, a pianist and teacher in a country where nearly every child learns an instrument. He teaches piano to kids from 5 to 15, and says his real job isn't making musicians but making people who can sit quietly and listen. He's registered Lutheran, as most Icelanders are culturally, though he calls himself a 'cultural humanist.' Each Christmas Eve he keeps Jólabókaflóð, the 'book flood', where Icelanders give one another books and read deep into the night — Iceland publishes more books per capita than any other nation. A society that reads together, Lars believes, cannot fall apart.
- Profession
- Piano teacher
- Tradition
- Jólabókaflóð — Christmas book flood
- Saying
- Þetta reddast — it will all work out
- Belief
- Cultural humanism
“Nordic/Scandinavian people are cold, emotionally distant, and all look the same.”
Iceland consistently ranks as one of the world's happiest and most socially connected countries. Nordic cultures emphasize community trust, social equality, and work-life balance. Iceland's Althingi, founded in 930 CE, is the world's oldest surviving parliament (though it was suspended from 1799 to 1844), and in 1980 Iceland's Vigdís Finnbogadóttir became the world's first democratically elected female president. Nordic people are among the most diverse-looking Europeans due to Viking history — Norse settlers intermarried with Celtic, Baltic, and other peoples for over a thousand years.
SourceWorld Happiness Report; Icelandic government historical records.
When you think of Nordic people, do you picture them as emotionally cold?
That's a common stereotype. But Lars's story shows us the warmth, depth, and community focus of Nordic culture. They're not cold — they just express warmth differently.
Good. Now ask yourself: what other cultures do you judge by your own emotional standards? What different expressions of humanity are you missing?
Lars says his job is not to create musicians but to create humans who can listen. In a world full of noise, when was the last time you truly listened — to music, to a friend, to silence?
You do not need to answer. Notice what feels familiar, what remains unfamiliar, and where your own experience differs.
Understanding does not require agreement. Sometimes paying closer attention is enough for today.
Give someone a book recommendation
Text or tell someone about a book that changed how you see the world. Or give them a book you love. Reading is solitary, but sharing what we read is how ideas spread.
Note an act of kindness — today’s or your own. This stays on your device only; nothing is uploaded or counted publicly.
“Sá er vinur sem í raun reynist — a true friend is one who proves himself in times of need.”
Icelandic proverb