LET’S AIM FOR LAGOM

A RECENT WORD•GENIUS introduced me to the word “lagom” and also got me thinking about life in general. Originally a Swedish word, lagom (LAH-gawm) is “the principle of living a balanced, moderately paced, low-fuss life.” 

Gee, how ever to barge my way into such a condition? 

Here are tidbits about lagom, its having become sufficiently English to receive this word•genius reference as well as earn its own Wikipedia entry and lose its italics. Yet thus far the word remains foreign enough to be missing from Merriam-Webster or the O.E.D

Etymology. The word•genius website says, “Lagom developed in the 1830s as a Swedish word meaning ‘moderation.’ It possibly developed in some part from the Swedish word ‘lag,’ which means ‘law.’ ” The website offers examples of its use: “My goal for the summer is to slow down and embrace the principle of lagom.” “Renee is a model of lagom—I’ve never seen her the slightest bit perturbed.”

Wikipedia goes into rather more detail: “The word can be variously translated as ‘in moderation,’ ‘in balance,’ ‘perfect-simple,’ ‘just enough,’ ‘ideal’ and ‘suitable’ (in matter of amounts). Whereas words like sufficient and average suggest some degree of abstinence, scarcity, or failure, lagom carries the connotation of appropriateness, although not necessarily perfection.”

Wikipedia agrees with word•genius about the lag/law connection, though “not necessarily to judicial law but common sense law.” It even offers a common false etymology that claims “it is a contraction of ‘laget om’ (‘around the team’): According to this myth, the phrase was used in Viking times to specify how much mead one should drink from the horn as it was passed around in order for everyone to receive a fair share.” Certainly in keeping with the overall theme, but etymologists know best. 

A Cross-cultural Concept. Wikipedia notes, “The word ‘lagom’ also exists in Norwegian, in both Bokmål and Nynorsk…. Finnish has the word ‘Sopivasti,’ which carries similar connotations of ‘just right.’ ”

“The concept of lagom,” Wikipedia continues, “is similar to Russian or Ukrainian expression normal’no (нормально, literally ‘normally’), which indicates a sufficient and sustainable state, for example of one’s livelihood. In Russian, the word is often used as answer to the question ‘how are you.’ ”

Pause Here for an Old Favorite: I’m reminded of asking the guy who’s had a minor mishap, “Are you comfortable?” His answer, “I make a living.” 

Wikipedia recognizes the concept of “just enough” in many languages: Albanian (“taman”), Ancient Greek (“metron ariston (μέτρον ἄριστον),” meaning “moderation is best”); Indonesian and Javanese (“pas,”  “the right amount”); and Thai (พอเพียง (phor phiang) portrays similar meaning). It also cites the Swiss German word “gäbig” (“comfortable,” “suitable,” “handy” in the case of objects, “affable,” “pleasant,” “sympathetic” in relation to people and conditions).

Other References. Wikipedia also cites eighteen other related concepts, including the Goldilocks principle and The Story of the Three Bears. I’m familiar with these, particularly the principle’s application in assessing extraterrestrial life. 

The Earth seen from Apollo 17, 1972. The original photograph was taken with the South Pole facing the top, however this version is the most widely distributed. Image from Wikipedia. 

Now if we can only apply lagom in assessing life here on terra. Thanks word•genius and Wikipedia for nudging us into this line of thinking. ds 

© Dennis Simanaitis, SimanaitisSays.com, 2024