Why Finland is the happiest country in the world

[@redblueiris]

The less you talk with each other, the happier you are... that's what every introvert knows

[@user-k4d-e59mo28oc]

The less you talk with each other - face-to-face - (and the more you comment on social media) the HAPPIER you are!

[@ae6616]

totally agree! less conflict with others

[@0Flow0]

I have more peace when I keep to myself

[@redblueiris]

@@0Flow0 The title of Finland's national anthem... 🙃

[@pl2305]

Modesty is finnish key to happiness. We dont wish or expect much. We just want be in peace and enjoy sauna nearby lake in forest. Nothing more. Or maybe few cold drinks and iskelmä😊

[@user-k4d-e59mo28oc]

Uh . . . Finland with 5.5m people, has won around 490 Olympic Medals, more than many much larger nations, and among the top, per capita-wise. Plus 5 Nobel Prizes. And before Steve built upon the Nokia 9210, Nokia was one of the world's most valued companies.

[@ClemensKatzer]

As a German living in Finland, I absolutely agree with the guy from 4:50 onwards. It is about the absence of problems. You put in a decent amount of effort and have a decent life. I have often said, that survey should rather be called "contentness" report.

[@orys]

I am Polish, I lived in the UK for many years and I live in Helsinki now. I can second what you say. Finland is the country that just works. A lot of it is in the little things. If you don't have to worry that your bus won't turn up, that your bins won't be emptied, if you don't have to worry if you'll have money to buy food by the end of the month and if your flat is well maintained and the streets are clear, then that makes your life much more pleasant.

[@ClemensKatzer]

@@orys Thanks! Yes. Less inequality (income, wealth) IMO means less crime. That it is "mostly mono-ethical" probably helps too. In Tampere (population 255.000) 7 year olds (first grade) walk to school or take public transportation. 12 year olds bike alone to the playground at the other end of the street. Or anywhere else, for that matter. My view of the world or of "societies" is as follows: Over time, people have grouped together in bigger and bigger groups - clans, villages, cities, fiefdoms/small kingdoms, nation states. In a society there are things where it is much better that they are build and managed in an organized way (like roads, schools, firemen, police, defense, ...). Somebody has to collect the money for that (=taxes) and decide what to do with which priority. That's the government. Opinions vary which matters should be handled at which level - as we see there's many ways in Europe alone. But conceptually, government should be taking care of spending the collected money in a way that it is most beneficial to the population as a whole. And my feeling is, the Finnish government is doing a good job in that. I still have to hear any Finn saying "taxation is theft". It isn't. It's well spent (for the most part, anyway). In contrast, my impression of the USA is, that the government primarily organizes things so that it's most beneficial for the corporations and the rich and powerful few. And Germany, where I was born, _IMHO_ is becoming more and more like the USA. I moved to Finland in 1999, and never had any regrets. Not once. (Yes, the weather has it's downsides (and upsides), and the language is a beast, but on all things that matter to me ... Finland wins.)

[@mikitz]

On a very basic level, it's all about trust. Once you lose it, you'll lose social cohesion. Once you lose that, everyone is out there for their own and so on, making everyone miserable in general.

[@ClemensKatzer]

@@mikitz Couldn't agree more.

[@user-k4d-e59mo28oc]

@@mikitz It's really the other way around. In most countries, there is _too much_ trust. As a result people often fall victim to scams, swindles and outright theft. Trust is a byproduct of a society with complete honesty, integrity, transparency and accountability.

[@abrahamk9]

As a 44 year old man, I want to grow up to be Lena. 😂😂😂😂

[@DNA350ppm]

The language barrier makes it hard for foreigners to experience Finns as they are among themselves, and the other way around. Finns are actually so much more relaxed, humour-loving, and approachable than is generally believed. Of course there is no widespread samba culture, but there is a very special tango-culture; there isn't year around street cafeterias, but there are "kissan-ristiäiset" (which means that if you have nothing else to celebrate, you can always arrange to baptize a kitten, in other words, you need no reason); there is no all year around beach-days, but there are millions of saunas, and beloved everyday sauna-traditions, which are so very Finnish you will not get them, and which you don't have in any other country. In Finland Xmas is celebrated from mid November through January, with something called "Pikkujoulut". In winter there is also laskiaiset, tobaggonning for children and adults, or ice-skating with music, and choirs and karaoke and metal-bands galore; only in Finland there are very special choirs, like the screaming choir that doesn't sing, just shouts. Or the wife-carrying competitions, or the wellington-throwing competitions, or air-guitar-playing competitions. And without competitions: you can play at having a restaurant for a day, or you can celebrate Friends' day instead of Valentine's day, or you can rehearse all year for the summer-performance of a comic theater-play which makes you locally famous - one in every municipality. When a tourist comes in the summer, he sees other tourists, Finns have fled the cities. I wish you all could read and reflect on Arto Paasilinna's books, maybe a key to Finnish humour and take on life.

[@Blazjul]

What an informative comment, thank you, I learned as much from you as from the video, which I thought was well done

[@henningvisser1108]

Happy? Wrong. Finns are content with what they have. A solid social structure, highly educated, very professional work ethics, mutual tolerance among their own, absolutely trustworthy and once they trust you as an outsider, you become part of their inner circle. They have one of the lowest crime stats in the world. I have worked for and with Finns, (all professional engineers) for about ten years in mining and smelting technology projects, mostly in South Africa. They are just an amazing people. I did 4 work related tours in Finland and have experienced both mid winter (February) and mid summer (June). Temperatures may vary between 30 C in summer to Minus 30 C during winter. Crossing the Arctic circle at Rovaniemi twice, was my most cherished experience.

[@ClemensKatzer]

One factor is probably also work-life balance. Worker unions are pretty strong in all the Nordics (AFAIK). I do my 37.5 hours/week job. It's actually regulated by law that it's very hard to do more. Your boss just asking you should do it so that the project gets ready in time won't fly. If at all, then as temporary shift: i.e., you do more now for some days/weeks, you get paid overtime bonus if on weekend, but the hours are piled up and when rush is over, you MUST take the time off to reduce the saldo to normal. Getting them paid out is not usually done either. We have flexible time, I can save up to 40 hours saldo. More than 40: on payday it's cut to 40. Below -40: on payday you will have a talk with your boss and HR. Project people (who go to customer), can pile up up to 80, but they MUST once per year go down to zero. For contrast in Germany, what I hear from school friends, IT and middle management, they expect you to do 50-60 hours per week ("included in the base salary"), and if you don't do that, you are on the list to be the first to be fired.

[@timoleon2903]

The laugh of a young child makes me always happy because of its innocence.

[@0Flow0]

Thanks for making a fun video about this subject. Love the skating grandma! She is my new idol. Love from Finland.

[@BradThePitts]

Having been to Finland several times, my observation is more that they are "content" - which is not exactly the same as "happy." Then seem to pride in modestly, for example, I noticed not one set of "custom rims" on any car - even if on a higher-end car such as a BMW.

[@dweuromaxx]

That’s an interesting observation - perhaps it’s true what our Happiness Researcher said: Finns aren’t necessarily ecstatic or joyful, but rather happy or satisfied in many facets of life.

[@Nunnuka]

i'd say we don't need material things for real happiness, sure it's cool to have all kind of stuff but that does not make anybody happy in the end, real emotions and reactions, genuine smiles and hobbies you love makes you happy, and i'd argue that real nature makes almost anybody happy, like i do have custom wheels on my motorbike, that does not make me happy, that just makes my bike look better, being home with my spouse or going to fishing is what makes me way happier, things you want versus things you need

[@ninjal7588]

I see custom rims all the time, however usually they are on older cars which are owned by hobbyists. Those hobbyists also don't visit the Helsinki center often in proportion to other people, they prefer driving in the city outskirts where they have a lot of space to drive and meet up with other car enthusiasts. Non-car-enthusiasts may have an expensive car but don't care about modifying it.

[@ErnaBjørn]

I intend to visit Finland soon, kiss from Norway❤

[@NellieLouiseBanks-ph5bt]

You boosted my smile at the end being you.

[@patrickuotinen]

I don't agree about trying to somehow connect sisu and happiness. They are totally different things. Sisu is about doing what is right or what is needed or dying trying. That doesn't have anything to do with happiness. If and when Finns are happy, that comes from low expectations (you can't get disappointed, if you don't expect too much), and from not taking things too seriously, enjoying peace and silence, and of course sauna.

[@sampohonkala4195]

I get the point; sisu has directly little to do with happiness. But I think there is a connection: difficulties and stress do cause unhappiness, and the concept of sisu gives strength and hope; we can survive this, no matter how hard it gets. I think that is part of the measured average happiness: the feeling of total misery without hope is rare because of sisu.

[@patrickuotinen]

@@sampohonkala4195 I still don't agree, because sisu is what you use in hopeless situations. And though sometimes you might for your surprise succeed despite the odds, usually a hopeless situarion means, that you won't, even if you try with sisu. So it usually doesn't lead to happiness.

[@sampohonkala4195]

@@patrickuotinen True, does not lead to happiness but as we measure averages, that is not needed. Reducing the utter unhappiness will do.

[@patrickuotinen]

@@sampohonkala4195 Sisu is associated to situation, where people most definitely aren't happy. Take the most famous, Talvisota (Winter War). Were the Finns happy, that the much bigger Soviet Union attacked us? No. Were the Finns happy, that their homes were bombed? No. Were the Finns happy of the tens of thousands casualities? No. Were the Finns happy, that they had to cede a large part of their territory to USSR and pay reparations? No. Did they have sisu? Yes.

[@sampohonkala4195]

@@patrickuotinen I think in this context the Winter War is rather irrelevant, as we now measure the happiness here and now. But again, I would say that without Sisu the front would have broken and until 1991 Finland would have been a Soviet Socialist Republic like Estonia with a 35% Russian population. Therefore even with the unfortunate war, we can now be happy that the soldiers had sisu.

[@c_cma1971]

Hello from Bucharest, Romania - a huge underrated city in Europe:) Known also as "Little Paris"!

[@dweuromaxx]

Perhaps we should visit :)?

[@user-k4d-e59mo28oc]

"Little Paris" . . . largely before 1977 (though the People's Palace has become a famous landmark in its own right).

[@VenusEvan_1885]

City in Europe? 😂🤣Romania is not in Europe, it's in Balkan.

[@viffer94]

I watched the movie Sisu recently. He didn’t look too happy to me. 😊

[@mikitz]

He was just about as happy as you'll get while living in Lapland.

[@Jerchw]

He was happy at the end when he could change his overweighted gold to much lighter paper money.

[@MichaelBone-hj7sr]

Circle of Trust = Happiness. Its the Happiness Quotient you have to Work At.

[@kscptv]

Baking and making good food for family and friends like Chef Luka said.

[@MikhailTravels]

Привет 🙋🏼‍♂️ Спасибо за интересное видео 📹

[@PutuWiwidBudiastra]

I think I'm going to make a pottery sausage after this just to make myself happy

[@PathOfbeauty0]

So nice

[@smp332012]

I wish I had passions. That old skateboarder hit me right in the face saying get off the couch and go do something. I just don't have anything to do.

[@DavidGreen-hp5yq]

Could "Safty first" be part of your unhappiness?

[@halcyon-cg2eb]

I don't get it: Finland is supposed to be the happiest country in the world but according to World Population Review, they are also in the Top 10 of the countries with the highest rates of depression. How does this make any sense?

[@allu9951]

We are known pessimists alwahs expecting worst to happen and when it does not happen we are happy

[@emiljavier6163]

Sisu isnt that a movie?

[@0Flow0]

Yes the movie is also called Sisu. It's a Finnish sentiment.

[@mikaellindroos1594]

We Finns are neighboring to Russia and there we have the biggest reason for our happines. Russia come out day after day with more and more crazy laws impossible to hold up for crazy laughs.Big contrast between common sense vs. crazy totalirism,1300km border.

[@patrickfitzgerald2861]

The weather here in San Diego, California makes me happy . . . and the girls in bikinis at the beach! 🥰

[@riittakeskikuru8172]

We certaInly have SISU when it is needed and other nation (read Russia could attack again into our country). Then I think instantly about 100% of Finns will take everything forces to defence our country and indepence even we belong to NATO now. . The main reasons are probably that the first things in life are like: Our purpose isn't to earn money and be rich, we don't speak with each other EVER about this matter. This is mostly incorrect (you get nothing with you after death, maybe from our history and just and....I don't know), very peaceful nature and how we protect it, enjoying little things, many to go not so incredible summer houses near lakes - and trusting the police, president, goverment, (despite what is your opinion), freedom to the media, education, medicare ...many other things, ANd the reasons why it's possible us and to our neighbors (Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Iceland). The reason is same: taxes to give our all this. It's a choice. This was a nice story like many others are, about happiness, thanks. But it would be much better by just learning at least a bit of our history etc because it is quite. different than other our loved Nordic neighbors. They know it well.

[@romyardianto5723]

9:40 I like him and his handsome face with glasses❤. Even though I never know his name and social media account name😢

[@RealH0melanderr]

This is a troll we are not happiest people lol😂

[@Bookreviewer-n5e]

Because they drink alcogol a lot.

[@cinderellaandstepsisters]

No they don't. Finland's alcohol consumption has gone drastically down in 20 years. Finland's alcohol consumption is in the middle of Europe. For instance Russia's alcohol consumption is much higher.

[@sumosprojects]

Food, less people in one area, beer 🍺

[@anneliseppanen9105]

With Family and Friends by lake.😄

[@arnabbiswas3973]

Finnland neids milanin project wer wasser ist harvested buying individually wo t work i guess dimensions und volume mite b bigger wen ist winter in mp04 hafiz rfq a yodha via zakir aims wheelie chair redemptions dry coach means 220🥜🥜🥜🐪

[@josersleal]

because the consumption of psyco drugs/anti depressants has increased exponetially?

[@omenapiiras]

Lmao i promise not all of us take those, just about 70%

[@cinderellaandstepsisters]

Google the statistics. Finland is not at the top.

[@Q-Mac_]

Visit Finland in the winter to see how "happy" people are. 🥶

[@darkmatter5424]

"Happiest" = highest suicide rate 😅

[@dweuromaxx]

Finland has actualled reduced (halbved) its rates in recent years through national prevention programs and improved mental healthcare, placing it in the European average.

[@martinc.720]

Not true. But even if it was... how would that be funny?

[@cinderellaandstepsisters]

Finland's suicide rates have gone drastically down in 30 years. When do these lies of Finland end. Watch the statistics in the video " Comparison suicide rates by countries/Country suicide rate comparison." 62 highest suicide countries and Finland is not even mentioned. The highest suicide countries are: The 1st RUSSIA. The 2nd South Korea. The 3rd Kazakstan. The 4th Ukraine and the 5 th Japan.

[@do7744]

I thought the USA was the greatest country on earth

[@patrickd8770]

Anyone going to mention they have very low immigration rates and hostile to foreigners moving there?

[@z821]

These PR campaigns don't fool me. Finland is a ghost town

[@mantelikukkapenkki2368]

We are hostile towards anyone who doesn't follow rules and act like a**holes

[@patrickd8770]

@@mantelikukkapenkki2368 if only other countries had common sense like this

[@pl2305]

Still too much immigrants. It was better at my childhood/teenage aka like 15years ago.

[@mantelikukkapenkki2368]

@@pl2305 Personally i have nothing against immigrants, they mostly come here to work and otherwise behave properly. What i don't want or need, are these "asylum seekers" leeching off social security and causing constant havoc. Those are two totally different species

[@liamcregan5187]

Antidepressants

[@user-k4d-e59mo28oc]

Yeah, especially in places like West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Mississippi, Arkansas.

[@cinderellaandstepsisters]

Google it. Finland is not at the top.

[@firmanprawirawardhanafirma5644]

really? how about protester will be there soon.

[@teemum.9023]

Because the child protection takes our kids, lies about our actions and words as to punish for disobeying the authorities and tells they are happy

[@butterflies655]

Don't tell lies!

[@mikitz]

You know, the child protection wouldn't be a problem if certain parents did their job right. It's about the kids' happiness, not their parents'.

[@McDuggets]

@@mikitzbro this Teemu character has streamed on tiktok about this case and it has been fairly obvious that he indeed did abuse his children

[@walli6388]

Don't they have one of the highest s**cide rates?

[@mantelikukkapenkki2368]

Yes, about 50 years ago

[@dweuromaxx]

Yes, Finland has had a high suicide rate in the past. Fortunately, due to government initiatives, the rate has almost halved in recent years

[@butterflies655]

Watch the statistics in the video "Comparison suicide rates by countries/Country suicide rate comparison." 62 highest suicide countries and Finland is not even mentioned. The highest suicide country is Russia.

[@anneliseppanen9105]

😬😁It is maybe happiness You get Out of your life -THIS LIFE- when You decide to do it yourself!😂😇😍🤩

[@DNA350ppm]

After the tragedies of the 5 year long WW2 and the hard rebuildning years after them, Finland was a traumatized country with lots of war and military veterans who were wounded body and soul. The economy was harsh. Almost all families were in sorrow somehow, for persons, homes, opportunities lost, irrepairable damages experienced. Veterans were not well provided for in every case, some became alcoholics and homeless. Mental health care was not prioritized before the 1970's. The happiness of a generation of men was partly destroyed. I fear that will happen in Ukraine, too. It took three generations to repair in Finland.

[@MannyQuintero-f8v]

It also depends on what you want.if you want high taxes and big government intervention go to the happier countries .if you want more freedom and lower taxes come to america

[@andrewreynolds912]

American gen z socialist here if we had something like finland had which is a social democracy not the bs soci'alist country people say it is its still mostly capitalist, it would lift millions and millions out of poverty but it won't be enough yet finland solved it's homelessness problem is just amazing

[@justbeegreen]

For the original poster: Wow - you really don’t get it. Know your American history: we almost got universal healthcare during FDR - but greedy and racist people put a stop to that. Finland has more freedom than Americans - freedom to choose how much they want to work - they are not tied to 40 hrs/wk so they can receive healthcare that is dependent upon an employer. American healthcare is a sh!t show - the privatized hospitals are failing - look at Steward Medical Grouo in Massachusetts - the CEO spent money on himself and didn’t put money back into the hospitals and workers - now TWO hospitals are closing and hundreds of healthcare workers will be without work. Our insurance companies are scams too. It’s not about protecting individual freedom it’s protecting corporate and shareholder interests and giving them the freedom to harm workers and environment and how much money they can make off the American public. This has been the downfall of our systems here - and we need to move toward a cooperative and democratic-socialist mindset. Gen X here and I know the definition of freedom and the type of commercial « freedom » that is marketed to us in the US. Get a clue.

[@butterflies655]

The poverty you see in America and in Russia you cannot see in Finland or in any other Nordic countries.

[@ClemensKatzer]

If you want to put in a decent amount of work and have a decent life, come to the Nordics. 90%+ success rate. One won't get super rich here, but it's very difficult to reach a situation of being stuck in the bottom (unemployed, living on the streets) forever. If you want a chance to get rich by putting in a _lot_ of effort, with significant risk/chance of ending up below poverty line if you are not quite good enough, then go to the USA.

[@martinc.720]

People in countries in Finland are not free? I'm pretty sure they are allowed to do whatever they want. Stop acting like you live in the only country that's not a dictatorship.

[@sleepysam2015]

Yet, Finland 🇫🇮 won zero medals in this Olympics.

[@PatrickRoyale-zn2ec]

Uhh the heck? What makes you post this type of comment?! Ya tryna piss people off? Cause what you are saying is completely false. I feel guilty on even responding🙄

[@anneliseppanen9105]

Perhaps next Olympics.👍

[@edgarhernandez3059]

In Finland there are plenty of suicides, depression,, addicts, drugs and alcoholism. A lot of taxes. Yes is peaceful but boring.

[@takomakone3234]

Man, you have no idea of what you are talking about

[@peketee2278]

Did you read that in a newspaper from the 60s? things are no longer as you might imagine from the newspapers found in the attic...😂

[@user-k4d-e59mo28oc]

You're strawmanning Finland in place of West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana (Finland with 5.5m people have won 490 Olympic Medals and 5 Nobel Prizes. Before Steve pinched off the Nokia 9210, Nokia was one of the world's most valued companies).

[@edgarhernandez3059]

@@takomakone3234 i am currently living in Finland. Already 16 years in Helsinki. Drugs are everywhere in Helsinki, Espoo, Rovaniemi, Lahti.

[@edgarhernandez3059]

@@user-k4d-e59mo28oc Finns did well with nokia, then hired Elop, and he sold nokia in a garage sale anf got 25 million usd for puting in bankruptcy Nokia.