Having lived all my life in Finland, I would say that we Finns keep a certain wall around us. First you have to break the ice to get to know us (sometimes literally, haha). The thing is, once the ice is broken and you have gained our trust, we are very loyal. We are raised to be honest and trustworthy, so for example lying doesn’t come easily to us. Maybe that’s why Finland is so safe, welfare state: we trust each other. We trust each other not to steal our bags when we use the restroom, and we trust each other to tell the truth. Yes, it takes time to truly get a Finn to trust you, but after that, we are going to be the best friends that you’ve ever had.
I would say that the younger generation is more open-minded than the older Finnish generation. It’s easier to get to know the young people and share experiences, because they were raised in the modern world. Young people constantly see and learn about different cultures, for example from the social media. That’s why I would say that younger people aren’t that “shy, grumpy and introverted”. The older generation on the other hand is not that used to different cultures, and that’s why they can be a little reserved first. But on the inside, I think that Finns are very good-hearted people. We mean well, but the execution can lack sometimes. We don’t like conflicts, and that’s why we aim for a peaceful life. Finns love nature, calmness and small gatherings with best friends and family. Once you have earned you place on the inner circle, you will have love for a lifetime, because Finns are very loyal people.
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