During my pre-Finland research, I stumbled upon a word in Finnish that really struck me. Not because of its length or because of the dots we don't use in English over some of the vowels, but because of the meaning it evokes.
Sisu.
Untranslatable, this word describes that enigmatic power that allows someone to overcome extreme obstacles. It's not an emotion or a quality, but more of something in the heart. It speaks to a person's integrity, persistence, and bravery. The closest thing I can think of in English is grit or tenacity, but I think it even goes deeper than it. This word is just like the entire country of Finland--the more I discover it, the more I love it. It's just part of the Finnish spirit that is very beautiful.
Sisu's roots may be in the history of Finland, and I think the Winter War between Finland and Russia is what put the term on the map so to speak--Finland persevered when the odds were against them and a peace treaty was signed shortly thereafter. The word itself, though, dates back hundreds of years.
It implies that there is more to people than what meets the eye. Since it goes much deeper than a personality trait, it is something than can be practiced and cultivated within a person.
And that's exactly what's happening tomorrow (10 March). There's a movement in Finland and beyond to spread sisu throughout the world in attempts to elevate the strength that lies within all people. The idea is that tomorrow from 3 to 4 pm local time you are encouraged to do one scary or new thing that you know will benefit you.
Up for the challenge? Check out the facebook event here
And check out this TEDx talk from Emilia Lahti, a Finnish woman who is doing her PhD research on sisu.
Sisu.
Untranslatable, this word describes that enigmatic power that allows someone to overcome extreme obstacles. It's not an emotion or a quality, but more of something in the heart. It speaks to a person's integrity, persistence, and bravery. The closest thing I can think of in English is grit or tenacity, but I think it even goes deeper than it. This word is just like the entire country of Finland--the more I discover it, the more I love it. It's just part of the Finnish spirit that is very beautiful.
Sisu's roots may be in the history of Finland, and I think the Winter War between Finland and Russia is what put the term on the map so to speak--Finland persevered when the odds were against them and a peace treaty was signed shortly thereafter. The word itself, though, dates back hundreds of years.
It implies that there is more to people than what meets the eye. Since it goes much deeper than a personality trait, it is something than can be practiced and cultivated within a person.
And that's exactly what's happening tomorrow (10 March). There's a movement in Finland and beyond to spread sisu throughout the world in attempts to elevate the strength that lies within all people. The idea is that tomorrow from 3 to 4 pm local time you are encouraged to do one scary or new thing that you know will benefit you.
Up for the challenge? Check out the facebook event here
And check out this TEDx talk from Emilia Lahti, a Finnish woman who is doing her PhD research on sisu.
No comments:
Post a Comment