Photo By Senior Master Sgt. Jarad Denton | Royal Norwegian Navy Lt. Lasse L. Matberg performs a "preacher" curl at the Stavanger,...... read more read more
They all looked relatively the same, as they pedaled in unison along a new and uncharted path. All of them - except one.
“I was a big-sized kid,” said Lt. Lasse L. Matberg, a sports officer with the Royal Norwegian Navy, stationed at Stavanger. “I guess I stood out a bit from the crowd, then. That wasn’t normal.”
With golden locks of hair falling past his shoulders, and a neatly-trimmed beard that accentuates his perfectly white teeth, it’s hard to believe this naval officer, part-time model and Instagram sensation, was once bullied and ridiculed for being different.
“Kids can be mean in so many ways,” he said, reminiscing on his teenage years as the proverbial ugly duckling. “I had terrible teeth. They used to call me ‘Bugs Bunny.’ I was said, of course, but I knew I had to deal with it.”
Matberg attributed some of this teasing to a Scandinavian concept called the Law of Jante, or Janteloven. It is a principle that encourages uniformity and collectivism, while simultaneously discouraging individuality and personal achievement. Standing at an imposing 6-feet, 6-inches of solid muscle, Matberg easily personifies the exact opposite of Janteloven.
“In America you’re allowed to believe in yourself and say you are good at what you do,” Matberg said. “In Norway, it’s all about not sticking out in a crowd.”
To cope with the bullying he faced as a child, Matberg said he leaned heavily on his friends, and found a passion in playing soccer.
“We would go out and play,” he said. “Climb trees, play soccer, go for bike rides - anything. It was all about feeling free and being an adventurous child.”
Even at 31-years-old, Matberg still classifies himself as an adventurous child, constantly seeking out the positive in life.
“Everything I have been through has made me confident, in a way,” he said. “Even if the circumstances around me change, I’m still the same kid.”
As the years passed by, Matberg said he felt more reflective, more appreciative of the lessons he learned throughout his life.
“Instead of letting it tear me down, I asked myself what I was good at,” he said. “I started believing in myself and doing things that felt right for me.”
Despite his success with modeling and on social media, Matberg said he has been able to stay grounded.
“I try to keep my humbleness,” he said. “It is so easy to judge a book by its cover, or look at someone through a certain frame and never get to know them. I get so many positive messages from all around the world. It makes me want to pay that kindness forward.”
Whether it be a smile on Instagram, an encouraging word at the gym or a positive post on Facebook, Matberg said he loves making people happy, and learning their stories.
“Everyone is unique, and everyone has a story,” Matberg said. “If you can put a positive vibe out with that story, it means the world. To see if I make someone smile really pays off. It tells me it’s ok to be who I am. It’s tells me more people should be themselves and pay kindness forward more often.”
| Date Taken: | 02.03.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 02.03.2017 10:15 |
| Story ID: | 222417 |
| Location: | RAF ALCONBURY, CAM, GB |
| Hometown: | VERDAL, 17, NO |
| Web Views: | 570 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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