Why is Finland such a good place to live in?
You might get variable answers if asking an average Finn. Long and dark winters with excruciatingly short summers do not help. High taxes, coldness, plethora of rules and a job market that is very hard to get in to. Just to name a few downsides that are commonly talked about. However, I would say that one of key factors of Finn’s happiness is nature. Finland is very unique when it comes to space and nature. We have a lot of it. For example, anyone living in Finland will have a relatively short distance to the nearest forest. There are studies backing up the fact that spending time in nature reduces stress. This might be one of the factors contributing to why Finnish people feel so happy. There is also a common mentality among Finnish people that “it could be worse”. When someone gets bad news or something bad happens, after a certain amount of time this is the final thought they usually end up telling themselves.
Finnish people are thankful for what they have, and know what to value. As an example, due to long and usually depressing winters the summer time is very valuable to some people here. Summer vacation is almost sacred and people tend to spend their time on a summer cottage, beach or drinking outside. I feel that in Finnish culture it’s very common to strictly separate work and free time. I would also describe Finnish people truthful and trustworthy. You can usually leave your jacket to a lobby without worrying that it gets stolen.
As good of a place as Finland is, I personally can’t wait to see other cultures and compare. I hope to gain new perspectives and gain insight to how things are done elsewhere. Perhaps I will learn to appreciate certain things in other cultures and on the other hand, value Finland more
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