finland
Finns unite!
@jessyjeanne
4 steps:
1- cut wood
2- make hole in the ice
3- extract water to the buckets
4- burn wood
enjoy your sauna
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@moo
Sisu from Finland: Every few years, some novel (or supposedly timeworn) Nordic concept comes along to seize the imaginations of Europe’s forward-thinking and trendy. Some are practical: think Alfred Nobel’s dynamite, Sweden’s welfare state, ikea’s flat-packed furniture or, once upon a time, Nokia’s phones. Others are modish or metaphysical. The Danes conquered the continent with gritty cinema, high-minded cuisine and most recently hygge, a cosy decorating-craze-cum-lifestyle that seemed to involve turning every day into Christmas. But these days, Europeans are too anxious for such innocent distractions. Facing hostile superpowers to the east and west, chaotic politics, fragile economies and the threat of war on their Russian borders, they need stronger stuff.In short, it is time for a new Nordic trend. Luckily, Finland has just the thing: sisu—a personality trait or philosophy combining inner strength, perseverance and a can-do attitude towards adversity. It comes from a country that has been through plenty. Ruled first by Sweden and then by Russia, Finland gained independence only in 1917, and fought the Soviet Union twice to keep it. Today its 1,350km-long border with Russia leaves it vulnerable to Vladimir Putin’s delusional revanchism. Yet the Finns have not panicked: indeed, an international study shows they are the happiest people in the world. The Finns, widely known for their stoicism, find this bemusing. If we are the happiest, goes a local refrain, how badly must everyone else be doing?If events are making Europeans feel helpless and depressed, Finns might say, what is needed is more sisu. The war in Ukraine, for instance, highlights “the importance of psychological resilience”, says Annukka Ylivaara, the deputy head of Finland’s national security committee. The committee brings together all relevant ministries and agencies to plan for potential threats to Finnish security. Guaranteeing psychological resilience, she explains, means ensuring that Finns can still pray, visit museums and play sports amid a crisis. But it also means empowering citizens to take part in national defence themselves, making them feel they are active contributors to the country’s security.It starts early. At Jatkasaari primary and middle school in Helsinki on a sunny autumn morning, not a parent is in sight. Children of all ages walk or cycle to school alone. They are taught about “safe society” as one of five themes of the school year. For the tots, that means safety walks in the neighbourhood. Older children learn to identify online disinformation campaigns.After graduation the young men are subject to military conscription, and an increasing number of young women join up voluntarily. At the Santahamina military base outside Helsinki, a squad of five recruits uses explosives to blow open a door. Asked whether they would fight if Russia invades, not one hesitates. A survey shows almost 80% of Finns would take up arms to defend their country—“even if the outcome seemed uncertain”, as the pollster puts it, adding a bit of extra sisu. The share in most European countries is far lower, and is just 14% in Italy.Many Finnish adults, meanwhile, attend multi-day security courses. These may sound about as exciting as a fire drill, but in fact they are invitation-only networking events for the country’s elite, promoting ways for them and their organisations to help keep Finland safe. Alumni get together periodically for pow-wows. Ask Finnish political or business leaders whether they have been to one and they generally say yes, with a proud smile. They may give you the number of their group; a low one means you were invited early, which is more prestigious. It is the local equivalent of mentioning a master’s degree from a fancy business school.When one is as well-prepared as the Finns are, it is easy to accept the threat from Russia as a fact of life—one that, though worrisome, can be faced and overcome. Most other European countries, however, are not so far along. In the past two months, as airports in Denmark and Germany were tested by drone incursions (Russian? Who knows?), excitable politicians called for shooting down the intruders. That struck Alexander Stubb, Finland’s president, as unproductive. “I think the Finnish assessment is never to panic,” Mr Stubb told Charlemagne. “React and act when necessary.” As for his own sisu, the 57-year-old president, a physical-fitness nut, looks ready to charge into enemy trenches personally, should the need arise.Finland’s national character and historical experiences cannot simply be transplanted elsewhere. That left Charlemagne wondering where his sisu might be found. For help, he consulted Elisabet Lahti, the author of a book on the concept. “The idea is not to find sisu, it is not lost,” she explains. She recommends “remembering moments of sisu in your life and what allowed you to overcome hardship”. The European Union might recall how it pulled itself together in past emergencies, such as the euro crisis, Brexit and the covid pandemic, and the steps it has taken (aid to Ukraine, sanctions on Russia) to fight its way out of the present one.Keep calm and learn how to shoot while skiingHowever, this requires believing that there is something worth fighting for. The Finns are a patriotic lot. “We built this nation in the last hundred years into a magnificent state,” says Ms Lahti—with, she emphasises, a strong welfare system. That success story matters. Finland was not always rich and secure. “Shy of thy poorness never be; be calm, be glad, be free,” admonishes the national poem, “Maamme” (Our Land), written in the 1800s. Finns are no longer poor (though they are still rather shy), but they are less complacent in their wealth than countries farther west. For other Europeans too, cultivating sisu will mean celebrating the tale of how they became prosperous and secure. If they want to stay that way, they have much to do. ■
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@jessyjeanne
sometimes i complain about how expensive it is to live in finland and also its not the most crypto friendly country overall
but then i remember that its got some of the cleanest water and air in the world and it makes me feel really grateful
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@jessyjeanne
today i went walking in helsinki and i ate some finnish specialities
- big cinnamon bun
- meat donut
- salmon pie
no fries tho 😔
which one are you craving the most?
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@viisikanta.eth
You know this one
https://zora.co/coin/base:0xd241b0288a0e4bc0b288b19d4d7566d69bbe3ab1?referrer=0x4f6ecb03ebe1cbfa26f773595f40d61483813fdd
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@moo
On Twitter, Kaito spam bots reply to every one of my posts. Now they are replying even to my Moomin troll posts.
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