Lagom
A Swedish word that can be translated as: “neither too much nor too little, just enough,” “Just the right amount, the right measure.”
A Swedish proverb says “Lagom är bäst” which can be translated as “Balance is best” or “There is virtue in moderation.”
We reach a point where something becomes too much. It can happen when that last slice of pizza takes you from a state of comfortably full to miserable regret. Or when a karaoke session goes from being fun to a chorus of sore throats. Too much of just about anything is bad, even for the good things in life.
This ancient wisdom is found in the Vedas, in Plato's Greece, and in most religions throughout the ages. But in the Swedish concept of “lagom” it has been given a new perspective.
This is in line with the idea that enough is enough, and trying to find balance instead of constantly seeking more.
Lagom is that feeling of satisfaction we get when we have what we need to make us comfortable. This means having a roof over our heads, food in our stomachs, friends behind us, and money, enough money in our pockets.
There are two aspects to Lagom.
The first aspect is social awareness, which acts as a regulating agent of use. If you spend all your time gathering, collecting, and storing everything you can, and pushing yourself to the front of the line, you will become, at best, a jerk, and at worst, you will ruin others.
The second aspect is a change in mindset. From an early age, many of us grow up with the idea that “more” means “better”: more money, more success, more objects, more productivity. This logic can turn into a never-ending race, where satisfaction is always postponed to the next goal.
Lagom, on the other hand, is about appreciating just the right amount. It is a little more than saying that we should appreciate the simple things in life. It means appreciating and recognizing that sometimes less is more!
Appreciating or liking what we have does not mean that we need more than we have.
Lagom is recognizing that sometimes satisfaction is all we need to be happy.
This does not mean giving up on growth or improvement. It just means that growth does not need to be infinite or unbridled. We can evolve while maintaining balance. We can be ambitious without losing the ability to appreciate what we have already achieved.
This philosophy promotes a slower, more conscious, and sustainable life, focused on what is necessary and sufficient, avoiding excesses and imbalances.
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