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SCANDINAVIAN TRAVELER | SHORTCUTS | NEW YEAR<br />
The seven modern<br />
deadly sins<br />
Dishonesty<br />
Hate<br />
Ruthlessness<br />
Bullying<br />
Narrow-mindedness<br />
Xenophobia<br />
Greed (the only<br />
remaining original sin)<br />
MODERN<br />
SINS<br />
A new book on our ugliest habits<br />
– our so-called ‘new deadly sins’ –<br />
is essential reading for anyone<br />
looking to make good on their<br />
New Year’s resolutions<br />
Need more moral fiber<br />
Einhorn is also the author<br />
of The Art of Being Kind<br />
Turn to page 51<br />
for Scandinavian<br />
Traveler’s four<br />
deadly sins<br />
Photo by Shutterstock<br />
IS YOUR NEW YEAR’S resolution to lose<br />
weight Forget it. A few extra pounds is not<br />
the ugliest trait a person can have.<br />
In the course of researching his book De<br />
nya dödssynderna (The New Deadly Sins)<br />
Stefan Einhorn, professor of molecular<br />
oncology at Karolinska Institute, found that it<br />
is not your weight you need to get rid off in<br />
the coming year. It’s your dishonesty.<br />
“I was surprised by the results – we’re all<br />
dishonest in one way or another. But the more<br />
I think about it, the more accurate it sounds.<br />
It’s incredibly important that we can trust one<br />
another. Otherwise we’d never be able to fly<br />
in a plane or trust social institutions.”<br />
How do you think people relate<br />
to sin nowadays<br />
This is a secular study, whereas the traditional<br />
deadly sins were developed<br />
through Bible studies. We don’t call<br />
them sins anymore, we call these<br />
traits misbehavior or meanness.<br />
The study shows what Swedes<br />
consider to be morally acceptable,<br />
their moral foundation and ethical<br />
underpinnings.<br />
Stefan<br />
Einhorn<br />
Who decides what is sinful today<br />
Even if we consider our society to be secular,<br />
we have inherited Judeo-Christian traditions,<br />
and we spread them in both mass<br />
media and social media. We also inherit our<br />
characteristics and our perception of those<br />
characteristics.<br />
How do we atone for our sins<br />
Since we don’t go to confession in<br />
Scandinavia, responsibility remains<br />
at the personal level – whether<br />
we choose to forgive or ask for<br />
forgiveness ourselves. But atonement<br />
comes from awareness, and not everyone<br />
has the ability to recognize their<br />
dark sides.<br />
Emma Olsson<br />
Photo by Thron Ullberg<br />
26<br />
DECEMBER 2014 | SCANDINAVIAN TRAVELER
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