Lagom is Best
What is “Lagom”? Lagom (LAW-gum) is an old Swedish philosophy. It's a state of mind. It's a way of living. There is no equivalent word in the English language (or most others) but to put it simply, it means “moderation”. Not too much. Not too little. Lagom is just right (or, "lagom is best" as the Swedes say).
As a philosophy, it's quite beautiful. In practice, lagom is a stand against excess. Should I buy this $200,000 car? Should I have one more cocktail? Should I sleep until noon? Should I make 20 posts on Instagram every day? Should I rage quit my job and move to a deserted island? Should I wear my sequined hot pants to grandma’s funeral? Lagom is best.
It can also mean simply doing the right thing, both in general terms and personally. Recycling, resolving conflict, eating healthy and exercising, supporting charities and helping your neighbor and your community are all lagom efforts. Doing what's best for yourself, your family, career, and even allowing yourself a few comforts and luxuries (within reason) is all living lagom.
Author, Göran Everdahl describes lagom as "a lifestyle thermostat" and says that "there is no ideal level of lagom" and that everyone must find their own personal lagom. "A life that maintains that messy balance between work and home, gravity and joy, rest and action, can't possibly be bad. If nothing else, it can be perfectly comfortable. And that's when lagom really is best".
From politics to social media, AI advances, work demands, climate change, keeping up with the Joneses, or simply living in a world that constantly tells us to “consume more” while ignoring the fact that society wastes more than it consumes, everyone could stand a little more lagom in their lives. Jeromy (an American) wanted to call the company “Lagom Hospitality Resources”.
But not so fast…
You see, Swedes have a very complicated relationship with lagom. In Sweden, "Lagom is best" is has become sort of tongue-in-cheek, often used as a punchline. To Swedes, especially the younger generations, lagom can have very negative connotations.
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When everything is about moderation and nothing should ever be too much or too little, everything starts looking the same. Lagom can mean “mid” or “average”. Further, Lagom can mean never standing out, never expressing your individuality, never being bold, never taking risks, and never going above & beyond. You can become obsessed with rules, never challenging or reaching beyond those imposed boundaries. It can mean never striving for more, or worse, never striving to be more.
Lagom is relative to the society, community, neighborhood, industry, or even social circle wherein you exist. So within those social structures, there can also develop a tendency to be self conscious or a fear of being judged if you don't do what everyone else is doing. What you’re left with is a perpetual state of maintaining a status quo that is often drab, same, repetitive, and boring. Ceci (a Swede) responded to Jeromy’s suggestion of “Lagom Hospitality Resources” something like this…
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C: “ABSOLUTELY NOT! Hell, no! We are NOT calling it lagom ANYthing!”
J: Why not? It means “just right”! It means…
C: …Not to Swedes, it doesn’t!”
J: But…
C: No! If anything, it would be “anti-lagom” or “un-lagom” or…
And that's the story behind the name. Now we carry that concept into our new company. Whether it’s how we approach our job or the lines we represent, by striving for more than the status quo, by not settling, by not doing everything the same, by striving for better, by going above and beyond, or even being a little "extra", we help empower those around us, our friends and clients, to do the same. What could be a more lagom effort that that?
In the end, it turns out that to de-lagom is lagom.
DeLagom is best!
