When thinking about the basic pillars of Finnishness, there are two things that come to mind – sisu and sauna. They represent two different sides of Finnishness: determination and grit, and relaxing and simply existing.
The term sisu is often described as a uniquely Finnish quality, meaning resilience, determination and perseverance. It is a trait that is at the core of how all Finns view themselves and one that us Finns are proud of. You could almost say it’s a gift given to all Finns at birth. Sisu means pushing forward even if you don’t feel like it. It’s persistence to follow through when all you want to do is give up. For me, sisu means waking up to work when it’s pitch dark and +1 degrees outside in the middle of November and deciding to take my bicycle to work even when the bus would be a more comfortable option. Sisu might have its roots as a survival strategy in the Winter War, but the best examples of it can be found in the smallest, most mundane things in our lives.
On the contrary, sauna represents stillness and letting go. In Finland we tend to go to the sauna completely naked, and at the same time we drop all guards and allow ourselves to be honest, direct and profound. People often share things in the sauna that they normally wouldn’t. For Finns sauna is a sacred place, where you don’t mess around or talk loudly – “saunarauha” or sauna peace is an important thing for Finns. It’s a place to reflect, ponder and just let go of all the hassle of one’s everyday life.
These two elements of Finnishness are completely opposite of each other, and yet they balance each other. Us Finns wouldn’t do without either of them: sisu keeps us moving forward and sauna makes us let go and be present.
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