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After a few days in Helsinki with Dace we had the intention of looking a little deeper at what surrounds us. We have felt comfortable here, although some particularities are not entirely clear at first glance.
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The mild temperatures of the Nordic summer enliven our walks and the truth is that it makes us want to stay here for more days.
For most foreigners it is easy to get used to Finland. Its uses and customs are basically European, with small variations, and are characterized by being quite relaxed. But what is behind the beautiful facade of faces and buildings?
In a society that is changing gradually, perhaps more slowly than its neighbor Sweden, delving into the depths of society requires a minimum of analysis.
The Finn is usually very patient with his compatriots and his attitude towards foreigners is usually understanding. In Finland, each person earns his or her reputation for years of conduct, it is as difficult to make a good name at a given time or situation, as it is to lose it in the same way, if there is something that the Finns do not know how to do, it is to prejudge.
But how can we, in a few words, understand the way of being of this people? Perhaps talking about the Sisu, the Finnish secret of the good life.
The Finnish term sisu is untranslatable, but that does not stop us from at least trying: “determination”, “guts”, “resistance”, “courage” and “willpower”, are some of the terms that could be used in Spanish.
Foreign authors have tried to find a synonym for it since 1940, when in the introductory paragraph of one of its articles, the New York Times ventured to say: "It is not easy to translate, because in no other language is there a precise equivalent." The headline was: "Sisu: a word that expresses what Finland is."
Etymologically, the term sisu comes from a Finnish root meaning "inside" or "within." This is why it is sometimes translated as "having guts", "having a stomach", or "having inner strength".
All inhabitants of Finland can claim their copyright to the sisu. Lately, all over the world there are also people showing interest in the concept. The sisu is available to everyone, you carry it within you.
But in Finland they have known about him for 500 years, if not more. That “stoic determination, endurance, courage, bravery, willpower, tenacity, and resilience” is an action-oriented way of thinking.
A Finn does not boast about having more or less sisu, but simply lets his actions speak for him. That quality speaks of his inner beauty.
Sisu and honesty go hand in hand, it is indissoluble for the Finns to have courage, tenacity and determination and at the same time moral strength.
An anecdote can give the best idea of this At the end of January 2020, the Helsinki worker found a five-euro bill on the floor, and left it on a table with a blue post-it that said: “I found it under it. The cleaner”.
The fact gave rise to a chain of responses that lasted for several days.
Later, an employee stuck a yellow post-it under the blue one: “I think this bill is now your tip. You deserve it!” Another colleague added another: “I couldn't agree more!”
In a matter of a couple of weeks, the table was covered with post-its and new bills. In the end, the employees decided to donate the money to an NGO.
If you are interested in Finland, do not doubt that at some point you will come across the sisu. The idea is that the sisu emerges through our actions, and that is why we have to talk to the Finns, discover how they live, in order to get a real idea of their qualities as a people.
🌎 Subtitles in Portuguese, Italian, German, French, Russian and English.
🔎 I am Gustavo Llusá, Argentine, after traveling for several years to more than 50 countries, I settled in Latvia where I got married and learned to know another way of life, on the other side of the map.
#OnTheOtherSideOfTheMap
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