Sisu – what is it and do we need more of it? 

How does a country situated adjacent to an aggressive and wholly unpredictable neighbour keep its cool when every day its citizens face an ever-present existential threat? Well, if your Finnish, you will be familiar with and well-practiced in the ‘art’ of sisu. An article in The Economist brought this curious concept to my attention. 

An international study revealed Finns to be the happiest people in the world which seems counter-intuitive perhaps, considering the long, dark winters (they have over forty words to describe snow), the constant fear of invasion and a fiendish language with which to grapple. So, how or what is it that keeps the Finns smiling? The answer is psychological resilience – the development and nurture of which, the Finns take very seriously indeed.  

According to Wikipedia, Sisu - variously translated as a combination of grit, bravery, stoic determination and resilience – is held by Finns to express their national character - the development of which begins at school. Children are encouraged to walk to school alone, taught to consider what a safe society might look like, and to be able to identify misinformation online. Young men are conscripted into the army, but many women volunteer as well, and a massive majority (over 80%) of the population say that they would take up arms if Russia were to invade. Senior professionals of all types are invited and proudly attend security courses where they can network with their peers to discuss ways of protecting Finland and keeping its communities safe. Sisu brings people together and helps them continue to enjoy life and each other. 

It may be too, that the harsh, extreme northern climate brings people together in a way that drizzly Manchester cannot. My family and I lived in north New York State for a while and it dawned on me, as I looked out on four feet of snow, that the American trope of neighbours knocking on your door, offering you an apple pie is something of a necessity in an environment where temperatures can drop way below zero; you need to know if your neighbours have survived the winter storms. 

A dash of Sisu appears to allow Finns to keep calm and carry on despite the very real concerns they have for their collective future. And perhaps it is the ‘collective’ nature of this psychological approach that makes its success possible, even inevitable; ‘we’re all in the same boat, so let’s stick this out together, enjoy what we can and definitely not panic!’ sort of attitude.  

Do we have something similar here in the UK or is this simply a Scandinavian version of the renowned British stiff-upper-lip? We certainly had a sense of communal resilience once upon a time - there’s nothing like a war to bring people together of course - but can we say the same about our country today? If Sisu relies upon or is inspired by a collective sense of threat and self-preservation, does it therefore also require a deep understanding and common consensus of who we, the British people, are and for that matter both what we stand for and against. 

Finland is about 40% larger than the UK however its population amounts to some 6.5 million people compared with over ten times that amount here in Britain. Ethnic diversity in Finland at 13.8% is a third of that in the UK 39.9%. Division in our country is sadly rife and fuelled by too many who are either grifting for themselves or who want to see the end of democracy as we know it; it is difficult to be resilient when one feels alone or worse, surrounded by people and ideas that are anathema to our own understanding of self and how we might perceive a ‘safe society’ to be. Finland is considerably more egalitarian than the UK with a state education system that benefits all children, where health care and welfare programmes are universal, and while research and development rank amongst the best in Europe. Do they feel more equal? Are social and economic divides less apparent? And is there a coherent and consistentnarrative shared by all that fosters a communal outlook? 

An online survey of Finns and Finnish Americans revealed a perception that Sisu is a reserve of power which allows an individual or community to tap into hidden resources so to overcome seemingly insurmountable problems and challenges. Sisu is the magic ingredient that gets you over the line and/or gives you the strength to take stand fast even when the odds seem set against you. Although Sisu is considered by many to be an innate quality within everyone, a majority of respondents believed that this strength can be developed and cultivated through conscious practise – hence the introduction of such practices from a very early age. It should be noted that too much Sisu may not be a good thing. The Finnish word, pahansisuinen (one possessing bad sisu) is used to describe someone who is headstrong, reckless, narcissistic and uncompromising.