Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking
The Little Book of Hygge is a charmingly beautiful manual that delves into the Danish sensibility where much of their famed happiness centers on “hygge,” or “coziness.”
The book explains how “Hygge” made Denmark the happiest country in the world and how to find this same kind of joy. Hygge has been described as everything from “the art of creating intimacy”, “cosines of the soul”, “the absence of annoyance” to “taking pleasure from the presence of soothing things”, “cosy togetherness” and “the pursuit of everyday pleasures”.
As Hygge is a lot about atmosphere, you’ll need to make a conscious effort to create the right environment. The book highlights five dimensions of Hygge: feeling, sight, smell, sound, and arguably most important, taste.
The main themes of the book are gratitude and savoring the simple pleasures in life. In short, it is the pursuit of everyday happiness.
Useful takeaways:
- Hygge is a unique way to happiness and a feeling in its own way.
- As Hygge is a lot about atmosphere, you’ll need to make a conscious effort to create the right environment.
- Hygge is commonly believed to have five dimensions; feeling, sight, smell, sound and arguably most important, taste.
- The pursuit of everyday happiness is the main theme of the book.
- Gratitude and savoring the simple pleasures in life are also emphasized in the book.
What I Liked
I loved the format and ideas in the book. Sure, it jumps on a trendy concept, but the actual ideas are fairly timeless and universal.
What I Did Not Like
Not a whole lot – it’s so short and readable that even if it is a bit fluffy and trendy, there’s not a lot of investment in reading it.
