Yuen: Raised to think you’re nothing special? Scandinavians have a name for that.

It took appearing on Norwegian reality TV for Jeff Johnson to finally understand his stifling rural childhood, maniacal work ethic and unwaveringly low opinion of himself. A Scandinavian social code known as the Law of Jante revealed itself to the Minneapolis graphic designer while he competed on a show in the motherland. Johnson and other contestants — all Norwegian American — tackled challenges that taught them about the history and culture from which they descended, from the country’s witch-burning era to the plague. I wrote about the Law of Jante, or janteloven, recently while remarking on the peculiar sense of humility in Norwegian soccer star Erling Haaland. My column offered a rosy appreciation of these communal rules, which eschew boasting and self-promotion. But they’re not the kind of advice that most loving parents would impart to their kids: “You’re not to think you are anything special. You’re not to think you are smarter than us. You’re not to think you are good at anything. ” Advertisement Janteloven is an unofficial cultural norm that Johnson describes as “interesting rules on how to hate yourself.” Their darker side can lead to toxic conformity and self-destructive shame. Johnson had never heard of the rules until 10 years ago, when he found himself in a Norwegian coastal town asking strangers to translate the code into English for an episode of “ Alt for Norge ,” or “All for Norway.” Unlike Americans who obsess over keeping up with the Joneses, the Law of Jante promotes the opposite. Here in Minnesota, a state shaped heavily by Scandinavian immigrants, janteloven is why even millionaires “wear pants from Target,” Johnson said. How Johnson navigates the best and worst of these rules, and his deep dive into Norwegian culture, is part of his new memoir, “Alt for One, One for Alt.” He dedicates the book to his two grown sons, as well as all children of janteloven. The 57-year-old owner of the design shop Replace has developed branding for the Miller Time slogan, Diet Coke, Geek Squad and Travelers. His work has been shown in the Smithsonian Institution and the Walker Art Center.