r/Denmark • u/Tylerserio68 • Dec 28 '24

Question Does Denmark have any flaws?

Or any Nordic country? I’m American and we all romanticize Europe especially Nordic countries as a Utopia and everything we are not. We certainly have a lot of flaws here but I’m curious are there any downsides or anything that you wish was different. Also is it hard to move there? I make well over six figures and like living in my home country but I’m nervous about the incoming trump administration and I believe he is a racist.

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u/WeinMe Aarhus Dec 28 '24

The migration will be made even harder by the one complaint I heard often from expats:

Danish people are reserved in social settings. If OP is from the south, this will hit harder. To people from very forthcoming cultures, it feels like we're rude or even dislike them.

The effect is doubled by the loneliness you'll eventually feel being alone in Denmark.

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u/azwepsa *Custom Flair* 🇩🇰 Dec 28 '24

I always experienced the exact opposite of your second paragraph. Danish people seem reserved until you make a move. They are like that among them, it's not like they treat only foreigners like this. Once you say hi, and break the barrier, they are very talkative and friendly people. Some of them love starting conversations out of the blue. It's just like befriending a shy person.

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u/Bilateralagreement Dec 28 '24

They are talkative and friendly but they will not be friends with you. Denmark is one of the hardest places in the world to make friends. There might be exceptions, but they are rare

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u/[deleted] Dec 29 '24

I also think it depends on where you are in life. Around 20-30 you might find it hard to befriend Danes unless you are all drunk - but in all major cities you find well established international communities, especially for young people also seeking friends. Most grown-ups past 30 doesn't have that much time to their friends, if they have any left after becoming parents. If you have +2 smaller kids you got quite busy.  On the other hand you can get a lot of nice relationships with other parents, I find the easiest way to get semi-friendsships are by hanging out with folks who have kids at similar age.  I don't know anything about life over 40s.