I always laugh at the characteristics people say about the Finnish thinking “yeah, that´s true, but that´s not me”. But in fact, that´s more me than I care to admit.
I like my space. My space is my space. If a salesperson gets on my skin I fleet immediately thinking afterwards “I really wanted that blouse..”. Even if there´s rain pouring down if I see three people at the bus shelter I think ” Damn it, it´s full” and stand in the rain with my flimsy umbrella. Don´t even get me started on swimming centers and their lanes, I mean if a lane has three people swimming in it, it is full.
Finnish perseverance I have to my very core. So does the whole of my family. If tourists could´ve seen me and my dad last summer putting up a tin roof on our summer cottages guest house in full thunder, pouring rain and insane wind, there probably would´ve been a few photographs of “crazy Finns” online.
I also have the characteristic of a Finn of being too shy with direct complaints. (I mean we as a nation can certainly dish it out online but when push comes to shove of giving complaints face to face, we become as silent as a monk in a monastery.) I mean how often do you see a Finn turning back a plate at a restaurant because there was something wrong with the food? I have never, including my own actions. One time I physically gagged from the food given to me at the restaurant and I still didn´t say anything. Just stopped at a grill on my way back to the hotel.
Finns are known for their honesty. So am I. I could not lie if my life depended on it. My friend once saw me lying in a text message for Gods sakes, who does that? Usually you can see if a person is lying from their expressions or body movement but apparently I can´t lie even with emojis.
Is there a Finn among us that can praise their own amazing qualities weeks on end? I have never been able to do that. Job interviews are the worst. “What are your best qualities?” “Mmmm… Well… I get along with everyone… and I am a hard worker….” Seriously? Came up with that all by yourself? You are willing to work with others AND actually work if you get this position? Why hasn´t someone snatched you up already?
But hey, what can you assume from people that live kilometers away from their closest neighbors and can go through an entire conversation with grunts?
Just kidding. Culture is culture, but peoples characteristics are their own. Some Finns fit the categorization of a Finn to the T, some are like from a another planet. Me, I´m somewhere in the middle of those two.
PS. I also googled “characteristics of a Finnish person”. Top 3 that stood out were “Finns make good heavy metal music”, “Finns have a high rate in suicides” and “Finns are pale”. Such positive characteristics of us nordic climate Finns. Well I don´t listen to heavy metal so I wouldn´t know and I personally have no interest in jumping off buildings. And the pale thing. You come and try to stay tanned in a land where sun shines three months of the year if you´re lucky. Just saying.
PPS. Many finns are known for being sarcastic, including myself. So don´t take me too seriously.
Found so many these below online. Spent almost half an hour scrolling through these. The last one crystallizes them all.
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