Politeness in Denmark: Some thoughts on Danish etiquette

Published: Oct. 12, 2019, 12:26 p.m.

\u201cIs there politeness in Denmark?\u201d\xa0

That was the question I was recently invited on a national TV show to discuss.

The implication was that I was supposed to say that Danes were not at all polite, because effusive praise and cheerful agreement make for a rather dull TV show.

But Danes are not impolite. They have their own version of courteous behaviour, which is based on reinforcing aspects of their culture that they care about.