Sisukas Suomi

Sisu is, for Finns, something that is hard to translate into other languages. In most languages there is no exact equivalent for it. In English it has been attempted with the words "grit", "guts" or "determination", but none of them captures the whole meaning. Sisu is as much a state of mind as it is a character trait.

Sisu means, put briefly, that inner strength a person finds within themselves when external resources are running out. It shows up when carrying on feels impossible, but the person carries on anyway. Sisu is not mere daring — it is the continuation of daring at the moment when others have already given up.

The term became known to the world especially through the Winter War. In 1939, when the Soviet Union attacked Finland, Finns defended themselves against superior force in a way no one expected. They fought in poor condition, without sufficient equipment, in dreadful frost. But they did not surrender. The international press began to speak of the concept of "Finnish sisu", and it has stayed in use ever since.

Sisu, however, is not just war history. It lives in the everyday life of Finns in many ways. A small example: every winter morning thousands of Finns jump into an ice hole — that is, a hole in the ice — in twenty degrees of frost. It is not sensible by ordinary logic. But sisu says: do it. Go into the cold, do not be afraid. Grow stronger from it.

Or another example: the marathon. In Finland people run a lot. Even though a Finn is not especially talented as a long-distance runner, they endure. They run a long distance simply because they have decided to run it. Pain does not stop them. Tiredness does not stop them. Only the finish line stops them.

Sisu should not, however, be romanticized. It has its dark sides too. Finnish culture has traditionally taught endurance, keeping silent, suffering alone. Don't complain. Don't show weakness. Handle things yourself. This attitude helped them endure wars, but it has also caused a great deal of suffering. The depression figures of Finns have long been worrying. Suicide figures were for a long time explained genetically, but the truth is that many people in distress did not ask for help, because it would have felt like weakness.

In modern Finland the concept of sisu has begun to be reassessed. Perhaps real sisu is not just gritting your teeth, but also daring to ask for help when you need it. Perhaps sisu is more many-sided than the traditional picture suggests.

I have learned from my life in Finland that sisu always involves a balance. Too little, and you give up too easily. Too much, and you burn out. The right amount of sisu carries you forward over life's difficulties.

An example from my own life: when I started studying Finnish, it felt completely hopeless. At the level of language skill where I was at first, I couldn't even chat with a ten-year-old. I wanted to give up many times. But sisu said: keep going. Keep going one more week, one more month. Don't think ten years ahead. Think only of the next hour. And so I did. Now, two years later, I can converse in Finnish fluently, even though mistakes still come.

Sisu is a lesson that Finland has given me. It has changed the way I relate to difficulties. Instead of asking "why is this so hard?", I ask "how do I keep going forward?". You don't always notice the difference, but over the long term it is enormous.

Sisu is the character of a nation, but it is also every person's possibility. Finding it does not require a Finnish passport. It requires only the decision to keep going forward when it would be easier to stop. This is Finland's gift to the world — not just a word, but a way of life.

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1. Miksi sanaa "sisu" on vaikea kääntää muille kielille?
   Vastaus / Answer

   Useimmissa kielissä sille ei ole tarkkaa vastinetta.
2. Minkä historiallisen tapahtuman kautta sisu tuli maailmalla tunnetuksi?
   Vastaus / Answer

   Talvisodan kautta, kun suomalaiset puolustautuivat Neuvostoliittoa vastaan vuonna 1939.
3. Millä tavalla sisu näkyy suomalaisten arjessa?
   Vastaus / Answer

   Esimerkiksi avantouinnissa ja pitkien matkojen juoksussa.
4. Mikä on sisun "pimeä puoli"?
   Vastaus / Answer

   Moni hädänalainen ei pyytänyt apua, koska se olisi tuntunut heikkoudelta.
5. Mitä todellinen sisu voi nykyään tarkoittaa?
   Vastaus / Answer

   Sitä, että uskaltaa pyytää apua, kun sitä tarvitsee.