I agree completely. I suppose other countries have people with cultures that were developt around being socially active and that could be also why other places are more "chaotic" (not necessarily in a bad or a good way). People with introverted personalities usually feel out of place in the world. And I relate to that and to what you've said. You have a new watcher and admirer from this side of the world. Also, what a wonderful time I've spent listening to your opinions. ❤
@@loweffortedward No problem at all! I come from Argentina (South American country) and I live in Buenos Aires (which is like the center of the whole country). I was born and raised here and I must say that (as you mentioned before) people in here are very much social. I love to chat and have meaningful conversations so I'm accostumed to be actively social. But in the end it usually drains me and stress me to chat with people, so I have like "peaks" of being socially active and then taking some time to recharge myself. I consider myself to be more of having introverted traits, so I enjoy activities that requires the habit of contemplation(?) and silence. I suppose that's what I get what you say and I feel identified with it (although obviously I'm not from Finland haha).
I am Swedish and I always loved Finland,their gorgeous country and their beautiful people.I think that anyone who dont like Finland,then piss off back to where you came from...Bästa Hälsningar till Finland från Bohuslän! Best Greetings to Finland from Bohuslän!🍻🇸🇪🇫🇮
Me and my boyfriend was visiting (north) Finland last summer with our motorhome, we went on an event and came in contact with great talkative Finns. We adore you, you have a beautiful country with beautiful people, and all we met driving rigged for a trip, waved at us. We have never experienced that even in our country. Thank you Finland for being such great nabours. Much love from your nabour Norway
As an Indian living in Germany, I totally get your point. The Nordics have always attracted me from the beginning because how beautiful and peaceful everything is there. Being an introvert, I always felt that people can communicate without being extrovert and talkative. The social anxiety, you mentioned, I can totally relate to it. But I'd definitely love to explore the Finnish culture. And I also like the the fact that you took your time to explain a complex perception of your countrymen. Not everyone bothers to explain their culture to foreigners. I am glad that my love for the Nordics got me here.
Thank you for your kind words! I hope you’ll be able to explore other Nordic cultures for as much as you want. May be some day Finland will welcome you as wel 😌
All Nordic peoples can seem a bit cold and distant but when you get to know them they are great and loyal friends. i think the best people to get to know them is to eat good food and get drunk with them imo.
This is a list of Finnish wars and famines etc. 1697 Suuret kuolonvuodet (25% of populations dies) 1700s: >Great Northern War >Isoviha (rapes, murders, genocide, opression, vandalism of homes and property. there is a great Documentary about this in RUclips "Isoviha") >Pikkuviha >Pommer (7 year war) >Russo-Swdish war 1800s >Finnish War >November Uprising >Crimea War >Suuret Nälkävuodet (8%l >Russo-Turkish War 1900s >Civil War >Winter war >Continuation War >Lapland War Famines, war, genocide, oppression, cannibalism and then you wonder why Finns act like this like fr? Come on, Finland was not peaceful and wars did come to our borders, just like in Europe. We just didn't have nothing to win in our wars, just losing. We were defending everyone elses interests and we were used as a cannonfodder for hundreds of years. That fucks families, fathers, mothers and kids up...
Norway was also in a constant war to protect us from Sweden, we was pulled between Denmark and Sweden in so many decades...its crazy. But luckely today we are all friends.
@@monicavonr9029WW2 norways was dragged in empire building... that is similar thing. Finding oil has possible been best thing for norway to recover from those times. Things still take time but possible with resources.
For some reason, it's almost always the same nationalities who complain about our way of life, in my experience. Then again, many others find similarities and even comfort. My family has lived and survived here for thousands of years; I do not owe anything to outsiders. If they cannot adjust, they can leave. Finns ask very little from those who move here: 1. Respect and learn our language and culture basics, 2. Follow the law, 3. Leave us the hell alone. The third means that do not bring your cultural indifferences here; also do not see us as stupid or ignorant just because we live differently. Finns are kind and intelligent people, we do not need more obnoxious foreigners telling us how to live on our own damn land. Directed at nobody in particular, just generally speaking.
You should keep in mind Finland was still a relatively poor and non-urban country in the 1950's. A good example is my dad: the little boy used to ski to school through a dark forest for nearly 10 kilometers every day, there was no bus, no lights, no habitation in the vast forests that were everywhere. He would mostly ski alone, and if he was approached, the odds were it's a bear or a wolf. Then he tells stories that he fought bears but those are just unbelievable claims!
Greetings from Hungary! In the past 14 years I worked together with lots of Finnish people. Maybe I am not a typical Hungarian, but I don't think there is anything bad or wrong with Finns. Moreover, I think Finns are the coolest and funniest nation. I would happily live in Finnland.
I'm also Hungarian. I speak Finnish and I have studied in Finland, have also worked with Finns. There is nothing "wrong" with Finns, they are like that, a bit quiet, and you accept that and that's it. In fact, I've worked with many different nationalities and I had the best time working with Finns: they are focused, reliable, honest, do as we have agreed. Also if I suggest something that is a good idea, they will say, "OK, let's do that" - and they don't start competing or complicating things. I think Hungarians like Finns, but we must learn not to be too friendly with them and keep asking questions, because some Finns get tired and grumpy if we do that.
I just found one of your videos and I'm already in love with everything you've said. Sending love from Argentina. And also, I think my place in the world to live in could be, probably, Finland ❤
Thank you very much for this informative video 🙂 it's a dream of mine to visit Finland one day and experience exactly what you described. I just want to feel at peace ❤️
Seems to me you are too much one-sided! I'm a Finn and living in USA, but I know lot of Finnish people who are outgoing, make jokes and have a good time. I'm also ok just by myself but also fine with any group of people small or large. Anyway what is your other half if you are half Finn? Finnish people have many great qualities, they are honest, trustworthy, hard working, enjoy nature, great artist, make beautiful music, good on different sports, best rally and F1drivers etc. I am proud to be Finn!
As Vietnamese person I could say: Finnish people, or people who adapt the Finnish style of society it also show how much we express ourselves by body language (non-verbally) but there is cases where they show it verbally as well too.
Hmm. I strongly recommend reading Pirsig's book Lila (the best-known work is Zen and maintenance of motorcycle ). The Finnish way of expressing oneself is similar to that of many native americas. If you have nothing to say, keep quiet. There are so-called quiet cultures and noisy cultures. Finns belong to these quiet cultures.Chatters aren't really appreciated, we have a saying here that describes when a someone can't keep quiet, he/she get puheripuli aka talkative diarrhea.
@@loweffortedward Agree. I agree that you can be quiet AND funny, etc. However, I don't understand how your comment was related to what I wrote. As far as I understand, I didn't say anything that the quiet ones couldn't be funny. I wrote about the differences between cultures in expressing oneself, ways of speaking, etc. Now I'll exaggerate more than a little: All cultures have humor, all cultures have fun and tell good (and bad) stories, jokes (and especially bad jokes). Customs vary. In some cultures, in some situations, you can laugh with tears in your eyes and slap your hand on your thigh and even roll around on the ground. In other cultures, you keep the face motionless, but the corner of the mouth can move a little, and everyone knows that in some other culture, you would laugh so hard that your stomach would burst.
@@loweffortedward That's me in real life. Thus some really simple people I've lost relationships with have thought that I'm a "fraud" for being a complex character. Not always fitting the right "check boxes" in their character analyzing quizzes.
Survival is so deep in our dna, that expressing emosions does not come naturally. Emotions kills logic and survival so we had to depress it for hundreds or thousands of years
Emotions are also the reason why your mother didn't leave you to starve after your birth but instead cared about your survival so much that she even put back own needs.
Love this vid, Thank you, clear concise and too the point, I used to live in Sydney Australia 🇦🇺,Finland couldn’t be anymore different, but I find that a positive thing about Finland 🇫🇮 I always think if conversations get tense and difficult go and sit in the sauna or go for a swim in the lake 🏔️🗻 I would say that Finnish people are experts at meditation, no need to say anything just let the scenery do all the talking, that’s the Finnish way of life ❤ Japan 🇯🇵 is quite similar, very structured society, visitors to Japan stay quiet and wait to be spoken too, I’ve been to a dinner in Japan with my father and his biggest Japanese customer, quite tense, you don’t speak for approx 2 hours, while they talk business for the length of the meal 🥱
Hello! 😊 I agree. We Finns are social and loud, but in our own special way. We don't usually start a conversation, but we're happy to talk if the other one does. However, if this is done in English, some may be shy to speak it, which may make it quieter than normal. We know how to have fun and we do it a lot and we are very humor people and social. Usually, though, this includes a little alcohol. 😅 But we also value our own time a lot and analyze a lot of things in our minds. Like Sauli Niinistö. 😊 Perhaps this combination is partly the secret to why Finland is the happiest nation in the world for the seventh time in a row. During the last couple of years, I myself have started to appreciate Finnish culture even more. When you get to know the history of Finland starting from The Great Wrath time (Isoviha) when half of the entire Finnish populasion were killed, you may understand Finns and their behavior better. At least that's what happened to me. Few nations have experienced such hardships as the Finns have had to experience. So it shows, for better or for worse. I am at least super proud of our nation and our history and our finnish culture. It is said about the Finns that it can be difficult to get to know them, but when you manage to do it, you will have them as your most loyal and best friend in the world.
In my personal experience, you will not get hugs and kisses from Finns like you would get from the French or or the Italians, that's for sure ! Finns are VERY reserved; I think it is because of the long months of darkness in the winter. I do think that Finnish culture is very unique (language, clothing, jewelry, arts, etc.)
Nothing to do with the darkness. I'm hugging family and friends. F.ex. every time I visit my mom I hug her when leaving. But I'm not touching unknown people, because it is polite way to act. If someone (unknown) is crying or panicking I'm asking if it's ok to hug. Normally it is. We think everyone should have their own space and it's their decision if they want to be touched or not.
@@haneski8020 That's not very cultural for Finnish people. I'm very international person (have studied with people from various cultures and countries) and I have very seldomly hugged my close relatives (unless it has been a very long time since I've seen them). Then again, I m very open and "brave" to approach new people I've never met b4 in my life. So definitely it's more of a individual thing.
That is rather what I got out of that.... Being to together but alone. Do not express an opinion or have a feeling out loud. Keep it all to yourself. Do not speak to each other if it is not a mundane expression: Ex: "What a beautiful day." Walk away. Never touch anyone in any way. Be in the world but, not part of the world. Did I misunderstand most of what he was saying?
@@oliviablackstar6339Interesting thoughts, and I would love to add my perspective if you let me... In my case, I've felt something different about what he have said... I think it's more related to being able to enjoy the world with others and feeling that the other one is feeling the same as you. Since they were a more intimate community for many years, I guess they have a different kind of extorversion. Maybe like we are in other types of societies, we are used to speak out loud everything we feel. But they have developt a "silent" or wordless way of expressing good things. It would be good to know about how they manage mental health topics and the inner-worlds of the Finish people in general. ❤
Mental health in Finland, how about it? somebody asked. That's a many layered thing, and also here Finns maybe differ from the other Nordic countries in their experiences. It is a very generational process. Those people, born 1915-1923 who got their youth totally occupied by the wartimes 1939-1945 were taught to suppress their feelings and do what they had to do - first fight and struggle, and then build up and struggle. It was a lot of hard work and just doing, and talking hadn't much status. Talking was dangerous during the war, one could by mistake give away things that were bad for the country, family, individual. Silence was golden. It was not impolite. Many were badly traumatized and as always it was partly casting a shadow over the next generations, the kids born 1925-1947, and then the boomers, born around 1950 (1947-1953) - their childhood and youth was very troublesome, too. Spanking was not yet forbidden; food and housing was deficient, some mothers and children had been torn apart. Adults had lived under wartime laws and forbidden to leave the country, and needy children were sent alone to Sweden, to escape both bombing and famine. That was really traumatic. Soldiers who were wounded during battle, and persons wounded or becoming homeless during bombings, were left to their own devices, as best as they and their relatives could arrange things. Many lost their homes 5-6 times over because bombings, and shelter was not easy to find. The people from the vibrant town Viipuri and the countryside sourth-east of Finland's current boarder added a fourth or a fifth to those who needed help and accomodation within Finland's narrowed territory. They were a living reminder of Soviet's victory, and were sometimes, esp in Helsinki, not very friendly received. All of this troublesome. Many war-veterans, disabled both physically and mentally, were never rehabilitated. Alcoholism, homelessness, and unemployment made their lives very hard, Some didn't survive the cold winters, sleeping rough. Others contributed heavily to the Finnish suicide rates. Only in the 1970's menthal health issues became more of a topic, and then also a social and governmental responsibility. Finnish directions in this respect have been very much to try to support healthy habits, limiting drug use, promoting sports, developing child care, school and education, safeguard healthy food, primary health, and regulations and laws of all kinds. Finnish specialities that promote mental health, that I recommend that foreigners also would take part in, could be singing in choirs, join Nordic Walking clubs, Karaoke clubs, local sports clubs (dependent on voluntary work), learning new skills through study-circles (names to look up: työväenopisto, kansalaisopisto), all kinds of dancing. And do become aware of how seasonal life is in Finland: month by month the habits and traditions vary, but will return year by year. With a southern life-style you will easily be out of sync with Nordic traditions. For most Nordic people sitting and chatting at a pub, Kneipe, caféteria, or taverna is n-e-v-e-r in season. But their calendars are full to the brim. Even longer phonecalls have to be scheduled in.
@@DNA350ppm because Finns hide too much behind the trauma of the war to justify present status. Some other countries had also civil wars and they’re not brining in every now and then they have to justify quirks
Applies to some Finns yes. People in my inner circle, including me, are quite expressive and show emotians, as well as speak about them. I know I'm biased and living in a bubble because we all have traveled a lot abroad and have friends from many different nationalities.
@@loweffortedward I do have a lot of foreign friends and have traveled a fair bit but I'm not sure I agree that that makes a difference. I think it's more fundamental than that. I know a lot of Finns who are far more sociable than I am even if it's centered more here at home.
Also, don't underestimate Finns' insecurities when it comes to speaking another language. It's a weird thing but a lot of Finns who speak quite good English don't like to do it because they have a Finnish accent. Duh, right? But for many Finns that seems to mean they don't speak the language well and that combined with not speaking it often enough to get feel for it is a major issue for a lot of people. It shouldn't be, most nationalities don't care about accents. But a lot of Finns do. IDK, maybe it's another aspect of the Finnish mentality of speaking only when they feel they have something to say, something that means something.
Sounds very simplified and exaggerated...there are many types of people in Finland, some very outgoing and talkative, others less...generalizations are seldom useful
🇫🇮no time/need for chit-chat most 🇸🇪and others use... ”so lovely ” and how are you😀, ?+ and walk just by and do not ever hear what was said in response😏❤ what a warm feeling😂😂😂😂
In Finland, don't ask for help, if you don't really need it, and do not offer to help anybody, unless specifically asked for it. But ask, and you shall receive, generally. And even so, your perception of the level of desperation may be different to the locals, so, for example, when in the lake drowning, be sure to make clear that you actually can't swim...
Still about 3 generations ago most finns just tried to survive alive. You don't stop to chat about emotions with a bear, or a wolf. You don't stop to chat about love with a foreign death patrol or war band (not always a peaceful land). You don't negotiate with summer frost to not kill your crops. The survivors managed to build the infra and develop the land precisely because they avoided death. That is still recent enough for us to carry its legacy. You don't get to vilify the children of pioneers for carrying a pioneering legacy nor the children of survivors for carrying a survivors' legacy. The land has finally been developed (1970s-1990s), so the coming generations will adjust accordingly, and they will pick up on the social customs that follow urbanisation. Survivors and pioneers are not bad, they're rugged, and their children & grandchildren are accustomed to ruggedness so they're unsure how to react to "warm" approaches. Edit: i should say finns actually like people engaging with them, even if it throws them offguard. There are lots we can learn from others. More and more people are already getting used to chatting and being actively social - hopefully without forgetting the contemplative side ;)
Every man for themselves. And when you come to Finland and speak in form of "we" or "you" (as in multiple) you don't give very good image of yourself. It isn't that long that Finland was oppressed by communist thoughts which of the 1918 civil war was fought in and luckily won by individualists. Finnish people tend to lean to inform things personally and exclude others from their own opinions. Finnish don't tend to "share the pain" nor "share the joy" but at most enhance or relieve the experience of individuals as individuals, depending what Finnish think as 'bad' or 'good'. Now if you seek for an emotion, from a Finnish person, for your success or failure you need to redeem them or you are despised or ignored. In some countries this habit is done in community such as 'family' by the head of the community addressing and having responsibility to speak for the others without asking their kin. So I could almost at certainly say that this girl was too young to speak for herself to redeem her deeds and was seen through to try seek approval without taking responsibility.
I hope you read this comment, because I have my own beliefs about the mentality of Finnish people. It comes from the way your society raises and treats its children, if you want to understand it, have a child from in another country, then bring them to Finland when they are about 4 years old and observe all the differences you will see. The way children interact with each other in a playground, the way parents interact, the way society expects children to act in and outside the home, the way the children are socialised, the way the children are treated by the teachers in kindergarten... You will not see random interactions in a playground with children that do not know each other, but guess what, if you lived in another country you would see that. In other countries children are the 'heart' of the culture, but in Finland they are sort of something you hide away and expect it to be quiet and not cause trouble. I could honestly keep writing about this, but it surprises me no one realises this. I saw so many things I disliked about Finland after I brought my daughter here, enough to make me decide to leave.
It's how Finland is, we mind our own business and let other people do that as well. So bothering other people with trivial chitchat is frowned upon. Children in kindergarten do know each other and make lifelong friends there.
The British did fight the Russians at least during the Crimean War (1853-1856). Finns were involved in that too. The British and French fleet destroyed a number of fortresses built in Finland. You just don't seem to know what you're talking about.
When Europeans were building cathedrals, Finland had a population of under 100 000. It took a millennium to get to 5 000 000. Faced extinction every 100 years or so.
Your Right,,There Are Beautiful Clouds Up there,,Here in NY Who Notices them,,, Maybe everybody,,You wouldn't Know,, Cause everyone is focused on the Grind. Sad,,So SAD,,,Grind meaning, trying to Survive the Day
The Finnish people aren't bad, but politely avoiding each other, including frogiener. It dose not mean they're bad. I'm not originally Finn, but I'm almost growing up here ,I understand the Finnish traits behaviour patterns. I appreciate it, but the problem is that I'm now like them avoiding everyone, with out any social contacts after 24 years ,I never thought I would be like them.
Videolla hyviä huomioita, erityisesti kehnoon itseilmaisuun liittyen. Suomen kielen suhde unkariin on vain kielitieteellinen. Merkittävää kulttuurista yhteyttä ei löydy.
A Brit, who lived in Finland over 20 years, was asked if he would change some things in Finland. His answer was: people, location and climate. Now the first one due to low birthrate and large immigration shall happen in near future. After some decades the people here will be mainly African an Middle East people. Sadly we cannot change the location, but the climatechange will make the weather suitable for nicer people.
Introverts paradise” Our culture is just diffenrent, we are not inteovert at all and love to talk witho friends and foreigners. Finnish people start the conversation only when somebody says something to them. Finnish people do not talk just to talk that would be same thing as small-talk, but when we say something important etc.. to each we listen and take everything seriously If you try small talk with Finn it would sound like this; SmallT: Should we meet on (someplace) at 17.30 o’clock Finn: Ok🤙, (Finn now believes that he must be there at 17.13 o’clock, because SmallT said he would be there at 17.30) IE: Finns took eberything very seriously. PT2: NEVER SAY SHOULD WE DO SOMETHING ON A SPECIFIC DAY like 18th of may, because, Finn will understand it like this: SmallT asked about this date so we will do something on that day!! even if SmallT just threw it as an idea. INSTEAD Use this sentence instead: We should do something soon togethet” This means that neither side knows what the day would be so there are no mistakes🤘🔥🇫🇮
“Finnish People Are Bad People” - She Said. I love people with no filters like that girl lol. It really doesn't matter how you advertise your country afterall the experience of people that visit/live there is the truth.
Finland was less homogenous 300 years ago than it is today. The Finns themselves were more different from each other than they are now. Regional differences were greater. Have you heard of the notion of "The Finnish Tribes" as in Tavastians, Karelians, Ostrobothnians and so on? No one talks about those any longer. The history of Finland begins from 12th century. The earliest written documents are from that era. Around that time, the concept of Finnish people didn't even exist. Tavastians (hämäläiset) fell under Swedish rule when the Kingdom of Sweden built a castle in Tavastia in the mid-13th century. In 1293, they fought against Karelians, won and built the Viipuri castle. Until that time, the Tavastians and the Karelians were adversaries competing for the same hunting and fishing grounds. There was no political structure uniting these two groups before rule by the Kingdom of Sweden. The current monoculture is the result of a long process of homogenization. These days, many of the differences between Finnish regional dialects clearly present until many decades ago have started to disappear from young people's speech. This has been documented. For example, in my dealings with people from Lappeenranta about 10-20 years younger than myself, I've found that their speech sounds much closer to Standard Finnish than that of my late grandmother who was from that region even after her living in the heart of Tavastia for nearly 60 years. A couple of generations ago, people from different regions spoke in different enough ways as to sometimes get mocked for their speech if they relocated to regions other than their home region. These days, accents may differ between different parts of the country but vocabularies are fairly uniform and Tavastian syntactic and morphological features are making inroads into the speech patters of people in other, faraway regions.
People lecturing about men/women relations and psychology of that keep mentioning "the nothing box" that men spend time in. Just switching the brain off, thinking about nothing. Finns are very good at that, finns can do that in groups.
But, "bad people"? That sounds so strange. And please stop saying that we Finns are quiet. It simply isn't true. We talk a lot, but we don't have to talk. That is the difference.
@@marlenaeva3813Where did you live? And I never said that Finns talk as much as X - I just said that Finns talk, but they don't have to. That is more or less a must in some cultures like the English-speking ones, isn't it? E.g. small talk is not necessary in Finland, and you can have a pause in the conversation without it feeling uncomfortable.
If you think about it,,, it's a very enlightened way to approach life,,,, but,, I've learned so much about myself through interacting with others,,, the Finnish way,,, can result in immature emotional people though,,
In short Finns want's to be left alone and enjoy the place and quite and don't want bother you. And don't do very well with just talking nonsense, and takes a while to be friends with but when you get a Finnish friend it will be a lifelong friendship. And the swedes are the opposite exept the Northen Swedes. And yes i'm a Finn that lives in Sweden and i have 40 years of experience. And what ever you do don't even mention Finland vs Sweden in Hockey to either a Finn or a Swede that will bring you alot of trouble.
I'm finnish person I feel so suffocated in this country. Espoo and capital are is much better (minus all the crime) but here where nothing happens feels so suffocating.
@@Redlights111 I see. I hope you'll find a way. Sometimes money is not that important if you are in the right place. But developed countries do make us feel like we are deeply dependent on them.
What is the thing with Moomins? Some half swedish L women write stories about fictional creatures so what's the point? Finland IS the moomin valley and finns ARE moomins. 🤯 Think about it. Deep dive.
The old "Silence is golden" rule. Language is an amazing thing, it almost has a life of its own and there are so many incredible concepts and subtleties in a conversation. I think Finns need to learn that sometimes silence is just 'Silence' and it brings no value. Isolating yourself from things that make you uncomfortable is Not- strength, or some special unity, it is just running away and choosing not to learn and grow. If you are so regimented in the structure of your society that everyone knows what everyone else is thinking... then you need to come out of your cocoon and realize there is a whole world out here to discover.
I've heard about this "silence is golden" thing before and it's such a terrible thing to say. The fact that people in Finland are still spreading these negative ideas is making them more anti social and sabotaging their capacity to learn social skills
As a Finn I have a somewhat different perspective. From our point of view (this grossly generalized of course, we're individuals too) it's about feeling comfortable in the silence but also sometimes it feels like people who talk a lot and have a lot happening are uncomfortable with silence, with just BEING. And that sometimes a lot of words are spoken but little meaning conveyed. It's just a different culture. I don't think either way of being is inherently wrong, just different. People thrive on different things. I can see the value of close knit communities and a bustling social life, but I don't think it's the only right way to be and it can sometimes seem superficial when you're a different kind of person. I do have to say when I lived in Helsinki for the first 26 years of my life I went out several nights a week,, sometimes just on my own even and enjoyed the bustle and talking to people. But I got over it :D I do enjoy being with friends and family and i do meet new people through my hobby and have a lot of foreign friends as well. And when I'm with them I talk a lot. But I need a lot of silence and solitude in between to recharge and center myself. I don't think it has to be either or. You can have the best of both worlds in whatever measure makes your life worth living.
@@shaairah You're overcomplicating this. This is not that complicated, people just talk because it's fun but Finns just don't know how to make it fun. I think what you're saying about being comfortable in the silence is very ironic because when I've talked to shy Finns they're the ones who get the most uncomfortable and feel bad about it so I don't feel like Finns are particularly good at dealing with the silence, they'll avoid all the interactions to avoid that situation in the first place. I live in Helsinki and I also feel socially drained when I go out to talk to people and the reason why it's because having conversations with Finns is usually very tedious and makes you feel worse afterwards. When you meet a person who knows how to talk it's the exact opposite, talking to them is fun and you want to keep talking to them, the issue is that most Finns don't know how to do it. I also want to add that usually Finns have very little experience with foreigners and tend to generalize a lot, out of Finland there are different kinds of people with a lot of different kind of personalities that you don't see in Finland. Some people do talk a lot of meaningless stuff which is what it looks that you're saying but there are also a lot of people that are fun to talk to and have very interesting things to say and to express, the issue is that most Finns have never seen that and don't understand how they work.
@@sanher20 Actually I think Finns have been become more social in the last 50 years. Having said that I enjoy a good party and I enjoy a good silence - but I prefer the latter as a default setting and the social stuff in moderation :D That's just a preference, I don't think it's wrong. Rudeness is wrong but that's a whole other discussion. Plus, I have foreign friends who come from very gregarious cultures who are themselves introverted and enjoy the Finnish way of being. Just as there are Finns who prefer a more bustling lifestyle. It's not right or wrong, just individual preference. Though I do agree that on the whole the Finnish culture is more introverted than most. Not antisocial - just enjoying silence and personal space and speaking when we have something that we want to say rather than going in for small talk. I recognize that is probably hard to understand and break into coming from the outside, just as it's hard for me to spend more than a couple of weeks abroad in countries where people are very open and talkative. I just think it's one of those cases where the variety of cultures makes us richer, rather than everyone needing to conform to some baseline state of being.
I like your videos and your analyses but I disagree with one of your points. I don't think Finns lack social skills because the society is homogeneous but because they just don't know how to be sociable and don't know how to have fun socializing. I've noticed that this is a big problem in all nordic countries not only in Finland, people in Sweden, Norway and Denmark also have poor social skills. I'm not saying that Finland is the same as these countries, of course it's not, but when it comes to social skills all nordic countries have the same problem. And I think the reason why is because Finland and other nordic countries are located at the edge of Europe so they are isolated and it's more difficult for them to learn more about social skills. Finland is a country sandwiched between Sweden and Russia, not a lot of neighbors and not a lot of visitors to help them socialize.
As a Finn I'll disagree about Finns not knowing how to be sociable or how to have fun socializing. We just do it differently a lot of the time. I think it's just a cultural difference. Even most of us city kids have grown up spending much of our summers at out of the way summer cottages, most places without a TV or anything else but the sounds of nature and without other entertainment than swimming and hiking and our own thoughts and a handful of family & friends. It's very fundamental to the Finnish way of being. And while I can understand it can feel daunting trying to get into that kind of society, I don't think it's a bad way to be. Maybe it's because I am a Finn but I don't see anything inherently wrong with being at home with a more quiet way of life. I enjoy traveling and spending time abroad, but not too much because I find it stressful pretty fast. like the first week I'm liike "oh these wonderful people and this great sense of community and getting to know new people and how will I ever go home" and by the end of the second week I'm like "take me home and dump me in a forest with no one around for at least a month because oh all this noise and all this socializing is too much" :D Actually, now that I've spent the latter half of my 52 years living tucked away in the countryside instead of Helsinki, I feel that way after a few days there too - or just hanging out with family and friends for a few days :D It's fun, yes, and I babble with the rest of them, but only in small bites and with a lot of recharging in silence and solitude in between. I don't think either way of life is wrong, they're just different, and suit different people.
@@shaairah There's a big difference between social skills and culture and this is part of the reason why a lot of Finns are not capable of learning social skills because they'll mix it with culture and they'll use it as an excuse to not learn social skills. We know if isolate the facts from the culture and identify the facts that all human beings can learn social skills then Finns can learn social skills despite the culture because social skills are not related to the culture unless you were to recognize and accept that having poor social skills is part of Finnish culture such that Finns should avoid learning social skills as part of the Finnish culture.
@@sanher20 Of course anyone can learn social skills, however you define them. But it is absolutely a cultural thing you you do define them and to what degree you want to exercise them. If my culture values personal space and silence, that is cultural. If yours does not, that's cultural. What I'm saying is neither is right or wrong, just different. But certainly if we as people keep calling ours differences flaws then that makes me quite sad because that means that reaching across those differences is all the more difficult.
I am Americans but I like most Finns, but some of them are unduly arrogant and have a know-it-all attitude. Much of this has to do with The Law of Jante and trying to overly assert themselves as relevant and of value vis a vis citizens of a larger more powerful country. Why do I say this? Because I only see this behavior as soon as they learn I am American. I only encountered it from Finnish women so there might also be an "empowered feminist" element to this also.
Has nothing to do with that. Has all to do with our mainstream media making Americans look like idiots. Personally, I like 99% Americans I've met. Friendly and curious bunch, talkative and fairly open-minded.
@@turpasauna Well only true idiots assume an entire nationality is idiotic because of media portrayals. But I still can't agree because, again, it is only with some Finnish women, never ever with the men who consume the same media. It is as if a chip is on their shoulder trying to prove themselves as not being beneath me since I am a man who happens to be from a country far larger and more powerful than Finland. Some call this Little Country Syndrome but here it has a bit of toxic fempowerment mixed in. And I would say I get on well with about 99% of Finnish men, but only about 40% to 50% of Finnish women depending on the city.
@@turpasauna I can't agree because, again, it is only with some Finnish women, never ever with the men. It is as if a chip is on their shoulder trying to prove themselves as not being beneath me since I am a man who happens to be from a country far larger and more powerful than Finland, AKA Little Country Syndrome with a bit of toxic fempowerment mixed in. And I would say I like 99% of Finnish men, but about 40% to 50% of Finnish women depending on the city.
Just like Finnish people can learn a lot from foreigners, foreigners can learn a lot of Finnish people. It’s all about synergy.
I agree completely. I suppose other countries have people with cultures that were developt around being socially active and that could be also why other places are more "chaotic" (not necessarily in a bad or a good way). People with introverted personalities usually feel out of place in the world. And I relate to that and to what you've said. You have a new watcher and admirer from this side of the world. Also, what a wonderful time I've spent listening to your opinions. ❤
@@adasoulful2238I’m very glad to hear. Welcome! What country are you coming from if I may ask?
@@loweffortedward No problem at all! I come from Argentina (South American country) and I live in Buenos Aires (which is like the center of the whole country). I was born and raised here and I must say that (as you mentioned before) people in here are very much social. I love to chat and have meaningful conversations so I'm accostumed to be actively social. But in the end it usually drains me and stress me to chat with people, so I have like "peaks" of being socially active and then taking some time to recharge myself. I consider myself to be more of having introverted traits, so I enjoy activities that requires the habit of contemplation(?) and silence. I suppose that's what I get what you say and I feel identified with it (although obviously I'm not from Finland haha).
Very cirurgical your point finnishes are Ugric are Asian a people of peace that loves the nature.
Russians comes again😅😅😅😅😅 nasty trick
I am Swedish and I always loved Finland,their gorgeous country and their beautiful people.I think that anyone who dont like Finland,then piss off back to where you came from...Bästa Hälsningar till Finland från Bohuslän! Best Greetings to Finland from Bohuslän!🍻🇸🇪🇫🇮
😂👍
finlandia
@CarlVonFinland Yeah! Very strange even for a Finnish-Australian like me!!!🤣🤪
@CarlVonFinland Hah! My wife is related to Mannerheim!
Me and my boyfriend was visiting (north) Finland last summer with our motorhome, we went on an event and came in contact with great talkative Finns. We adore you, you have a beautiful country with beautiful people, and all we met driving rigged for a trip, waved at us. We have never experienced that even in our country. Thank you Finland for being such great nabours. Much love from your nabour Norway
As an Indian living in Germany, I totally get your point. The Nordics have always attracted me from the beginning because how beautiful and peaceful everything is there. Being an introvert, I always felt that people can communicate without being extrovert and talkative. The social anxiety, you mentioned, I can totally relate to it. But I'd definitely love to explore the Finnish culture. And I also like the the fact that you took your time to explain a complex perception of your countrymen. Not everyone bothers to explain their culture to foreigners. I am glad that my love for the Nordics got me here.
Thank you for your kind words! I hope you’ll be able to explore other Nordic cultures for as much as you want. May be some day Finland will welcome you as wel 😌
All Nordic peoples can seem a bit cold and distant but when you get to know them they are great and loyal friends.
i think the best people to get to know them is to eat good food and get drunk with them imo.
Bullsh1t
This is a list of Finnish wars and famines etc.
1697
Suuret kuolonvuodet
(25% of populations dies)
1700s:
>Great Northern War
>Isoviha
(rapes, murders, genocide, opression, vandalism of homes and property. there is a great Documentary about this in RUclips "Isoviha")
>Pikkuviha
>Pommer (7 year war)
>Russo-Swdish war
1800s
>Finnish War
>November Uprising
>Crimea War
>Suuret Nälkävuodet
(8%l
>Russo-Turkish War
1900s
>Civil War
>Winter war
>Continuation War
>Lapland War
Famines, war, genocide, oppression, cannibalism and then you wonder why Finns act like this like fr? Come on, Finland was not peaceful and wars did come to our borders, just like in Europe. We just didn't have nothing to win in our wars, just losing. We were defending everyone elses interests and we were used as a cannonfodder for hundreds of years. That fucks families, fathers, mothers and kids up...
Norway was also in a constant war to protect us from Sweden, we was pulled between Denmark and Sweden in so many decades...its crazy. But luckely today we are all friends.
@@monicavonr9029WW2 norways was dragged in empire building... that is similar thing. Finding oil has possible been best thing for norway to recover from those times. Things still take time but possible with resources.
For some reason, it's almost always the same nationalities who complain about our way of life, in my experience. Then again, many others find similarities and even comfort. My family has lived and survived here for thousands of years; I do not owe anything to outsiders. If they cannot adjust, they can leave.
Finns ask very little from those who move here: 1. Respect and learn our language and culture basics, 2. Follow the law, 3. Leave us the hell alone. The third means that do not bring your cultural indifferences here; also do not see us as stupid or ignorant just because we live differently. Finns are kind and intelligent people, we do not need more obnoxious foreigners telling us how to live on our own damn land.
Directed at nobody in particular, just generally speaking.
Which nationalities?, who is telling you how to live?
that's very Finnish, my country my rules.
hyvin sanottu
It sounds like Finland is an introvert's paradise
It truly is 😌
It is true
Definitely!
Anti-social people, not introverts. And the most twisted one.
Yes…
You should keep in mind Finland was still a relatively poor and non-urban country in the 1950's. A good example is my dad: the little boy used to ski to school through a dark forest for nearly 10 kilometers every day, there was no bus, no lights, no habitation in the vast forests that were everywhere. He would mostly ski alone, and if he was approached, the odds were it's a bear or a wolf. Then he tells stories that he fought bears but those are just unbelievable claims!
And remember it was uphill journey both ways.
😂
Greetings from Hungary! In the past 14 years I worked together with lots of Finnish people. Maybe I am not a typical Hungarian, but I don't think there is anything bad or wrong with Finns. Moreover, I think Finns are the coolest and funniest nation. I would happily live in Finnland.
We have a shared past, I knew we can always count on you to have our back 😎
I'm also Hungarian. I speak Finnish and I have studied in Finland, have also worked with Finns. There is nothing "wrong" with Finns, they are like that, a bit quiet, and you accept that and that's it. In fact, I've worked with many different nationalities and I had the best time working with Finns: they are focused, reliable, honest, do as we have agreed. Also if I suggest something that is a good idea, they will say, "OK, let's do that" - and they don't start competing or complicating things. I think Hungarians like Finns, but we must learn not to be too friendly with them and keep asking questions, because some Finns get tired and grumpy if we do that.
I just found one of your videos and I'm already in love with everything you've said. Sending love from Argentina. And also, I think my place in the world to live in could be, probably, Finland ❤
Thank you for sharing :)
Thank you very much for this informative video 🙂 it's a dream of mine to visit Finland one day and experience exactly what you described. I just want to feel at peace ❤️
Tervetuloa! Finland is a perfect country for that 😌
Seems to me you are too much one-sided! I'm a Finn and living in USA, but I know lot of Finnish people who are outgoing, make jokes and have
a good time. I'm also ok just by myself but also fine with any group of people small or large. Anyway what is your other half if you are half Finn?
Finnish people have many great qualities, they are honest, trustworthy, hard working, enjoy nature, great artist, make beautiful music, good on
different sports, best rally and F1drivers etc. I am proud to be Finn!
As Vietnamese person I could say: Finnish people, or people who adapt the Finnish style of society it also show how much we express ourselves by body language (non-verbally) but there is cases where they show it verbally as well too.
Hmm. I strongly recommend reading Pirsig's book Lila (the best-known work is Zen and maintenance of motorcycle ). The Finnish way of expressing oneself is similar to that of many native americas. If you have nothing to say, keep quiet. There are so-called quiet cultures and noisy cultures. Finns belong to these quiet cultures.Chatters aren't really appreciated, we have a saying here that describes when a someone can't keep quiet, he/she get puheripuli aka talkative diarrhea.
You miss the point mate. You can be both quiet and fun. You can also be loud and boring.
@@loweffortedward Agree. I agree that you can be quiet AND funny, etc. However, I don't understand how your comment was related to what I wrote. As far as I understand, I didn't say anything that the quiet ones couldn't be funny. I wrote about the differences between cultures in expressing oneself, ways of speaking, etc. Now I'll exaggerate more than a little: All cultures have humor, all cultures have fun and tell good (and bad) stories, jokes (and especially bad jokes). Customs vary. In some cultures, in some situations, you can laugh with tears in your eyes and slap your hand on your thigh and even roll around on the ground. In other cultures, you keep the face motionless, but the corner of the mouth can move a little, and everyone knows that in some other culture, you would laugh so hard that your stomach would burst.
@@loweffortedward That's me in real life. Thus some really simple people I've lost relationships with have thought that I'm a "fraud" for being a complex character. Not always fitting the right "check boxes" in their character analyzing quizzes.
She's goddamn right, I am... Ba-ba-ba-bad to the bone! **riffs the guitar**
🤣
Survival is so deep in our dna, that expressing emosions does not come naturally. Emotions kills logic and survival so we had to depress it for hundreds or thousands of years
That is beautifully said and very true!
Emotions are also the reason why your mother didn't leave you to starve after your birth but instead cared about your survival so much that she even put back own needs.
@@rebeccawilhelmsdottir4260thats a different topic..
@@mattitontti3694 Why should that be a different topic?
@@rebeccawilhelmsdottir4260 Emotions are also the reason why mother would abandon their babies too.
Have you heard about baby drop box? 🥸
Love this vid, Thank you, clear concise and too the point, I used to live in Sydney Australia 🇦🇺,Finland couldn’t be anymore different, but I find that a positive thing about Finland 🇫🇮 I always think if conversations get tense and difficult go and sit in the sauna or go for a swim in the lake 🏔️🗻 I would say that Finnish people are experts at meditation, no need to say anything just let the scenery do all the talking, that’s the Finnish way of life ❤ Japan 🇯🇵 is quite similar, very structured society, visitors to Japan stay quiet and wait to be spoken too, I’ve been to a dinner in Japan with my father and his biggest Japanese customer, quite tense, you don’t speak for approx 2 hours, while they talk business for the length of the meal 🥱
I agree 100% with that 04:00 convo have had that so many times with family and friends.
Finland is a unique country with unique people. They are as they are ! That makes an incredible culture, people ! Kiitos
Thanks for sharing Edward!
Hello! 😊 I agree. We Finns are social and loud, but in our own special way. We don't usually start a conversation, but we're happy to talk if the other one does. However, if this is done in English, some may be shy to speak it, which may make it quieter than normal.
We know how to have fun and we do it a lot and we are very humor people and social. Usually, though, this includes a little alcohol. 😅
But we also value our own time a lot and analyze a lot of things in our minds. Like Sauli Niinistö. 😊
Perhaps this combination is partly the secret to why Finland is the happiest nation in the world for the seventh time in a row.
During the last couple of years, I myself have started to appreciate Finnish culture even more.
When you get to know the history of Finland starting from The Great Wrath time (Isoviha) when half of the entire Finnish populasion were killed, you may understand Finns and their behavior better. At least that's what happened to me.
Few nations have experienced such hardships as the Finns have had to experience. So it shows, for better or for worse.
I am at least super proud of our nation and our history and our finnish culture.
It is said about the Finns that it can be difficult to get to know them, but when you manage to do it, you will have them as your most loyal and best friend in the world.
In my personal experience, you will not get hugs and kisses from Finns like you would get from the French or or the Italians, that's for sure ! Finns are VERY reserved; I think it is because of the long months of darkness in the winter. I do think that Finnish culture is very unique (language, clothing, jewelry, arts, etc.)
Nothing to do with the darkness. I'm hugging family and friends. F.ex. every time I visit my mom I hug her when leaving.
But I'm not touching unknown people, because it is polite way to act. If someone (unknown) is crying or panicking I'm asking if it's ok to hug. Normally it is.
We think everyone should have their own space and it's their decision if they want to be touched or not.
@@haneski8020 That's not very cultural for Finnish people. I'm very international person (have studied with people from various cultures and countries) and I have very seldomly hugged my close relatives (unless it has been a very long time since I've seen them). Then again, I m very open and "brave" to approach new people I've never met b4 in my life. So definitely it's more of a individual thing.
For us, silence speaks volumes...
Nice video. 👍🏻So you are half Finnish and what is the other half?
😮😊thanks for sharing 😊
So Finland is the best place to go if you want to be alone...
That is rather what I got out of that.... Being to together but alone. Do not express an opinion or have a feeling out loud. Keep it all to yourself. Do not speak to each other if it is not a mundane expression: Ex: "What a beautiful day." Walk away. Never touch anyone in any way. Be in the world but, not part of the world. Did I misunderstand most of what he was saying?
@@oliviablackstar6339Interesting thoughts, and I would love to add my perspective if you let me... In my case, I've felt something different about what he have said... I think it's more related to being able to enjoy the world with others and feeling that the other one is feeling the same as you. Since they were a more intimate community for many years, I guess they have a different kind of extorversion. Maybe like we are in other types of societies, we are used to speak out loud everything we feel. But they have developt a "silent" or wordless way of expressing good things. It would be good to know about how they manage mental health topics and the inner-worlds of the Finish people in general.
❤
@@adasoulful2238 I will add my reply as another comment. :)
You guys shared two great viewpoints that I think are both true 🔥
Yes, Finland is perfect for wanting to be alone without needing to go to a remote island and rent a villa there 🤭
Mental health in Finland, how about it? somebody asked. That's a many layered thing, and also here Finns maybe differ from the other Nordic countries in their experiences. It is a very generational process. Those people, born 1915-1923 who got their youth totally occupied by the wartimes 1939-1945 were taught to suppress their feelings and do what they had to do - first fight and struggle, and then build up and struggle. It was a lot of hard work and just doing, and talking hadn't much status.
Talking was dangerous during the war, one could by mistake give away things that were bad for the country, family, individual. Silence was golden. It was not impolite.
Many were badly traumatized and as always it was partly casting a shadow over the next generations, the kids born 1925-1947, and then the boomers, born around 1950 (1947-1953) - their childhood and youth was very troublesome, too. Spanking was not yet forbidden; food and housing was deficient, some mothers and children had been torn apart. Adults had lived under wartime laws and forbidden to leave the country, and needy children were sent alone to Sweden, to escape both bombing and famine. That was really traumatic.
Soldiers who were wounded during battle, and persons wounded or becoming homeless during bombings, were left to their own devices, as best as they and their relatives could arrange things. Many lost their homes 5-6 times over because bombings, and shelter was not easy to find. The people from the vibrant town Viipuri and the countryside sourth-east of Finland's current boarder added a fourth or a fifth to those who needed help and accomodation within Finland's narrowed territory. They were a living reminder of Soviet's victory, and were sometimes, esp in Helsinki, not very friendly received. All of this troublesome.
Many war-veterans, disabled both physically and mentally, were never rehabilitated. Alcoholism, homelessness, and unemployment made their lives very hard, Some didn't survive the cold winters, sleeping rough. Others contributed heavily to the Finnish suicide rates.
Only in the 1970's menthal health issues became more of a topic, and then also a social and governmental responsibility. Finnish directions in this respect have been very much to try to support healthy habits, limiting drug use, promoting sports, developing child care, school and education, safeguard healthy food, primary health, and regulations and laws of all kinds.
Finnish specialities that promote mental health, that I recommend that foreigners also would take part in, could be singing in choirs, join Nordic Walking clubs, Karaoke clubs, local sports clubs (dependent on voluntary work), learning new skills through study-circles (names to look up: työväenopisto, kansalaisopisto), all kinds of dancing. And do become aware of how seasonal life is in Finland: month by month the habits and traditions vary, but will return year by year. With a southern life-style you will easily be out of sync with Nordic traditions. For most Nordic people sitting and chatting at a pub, Kneipe, caféteria, or taverna is n-e-v-e-r in season. But their calendars are full to the brim. Even longer phonecalls have to be scheduled in.
Bla bla bla, Finland is not the only country that has war veterans you know?
@@arcabuz Of course all countries that have had wars, also have war-veterans - why would you write such a comment!?
@@DNA350ppm because Finns hide too much behind the trauma of the war to justify present status. Some other countries had also civil wars and they’re not brining in every now and then they have to justify quirks
Applies to some Finns yes. People in my inner circle, including me, are quite expressive and show emotians, as well as speak about them. I know I'm biased and living in a bubble because we all have traveled a lot abroad and have friends from many different nationalities.
Yes. Finnish people who lived abroad or have plenty of foreign friends are totally different! How do you like living where you are living right now?
@@loweffortedward I do have a lot of foreign friends and have traveled a fair bit but I'm not sure I agree that that makes a difference. I think it's more fundamental than that. I know a lot of Finns who are far more sociable than I am even if it's centered more here at home.
Also, don't underestimate Finns' insecurities when it comes to speaking another language. It's a weird thing but a lot of Finns who speak quite good English don't like to do it because they have a Finnish accent. Duh, right? But for many Finns that seems to mean they don't speak the language well and that combined with not speaking it often enough to get feel for it is a major issue for a lot of people. It shouldn't be, most nationalities don't care about accents. But a lot of Finns do. IDK, maybe it's another aspect of the Finnish mentality of speaking only when they feel they have something to say, something that means something.
Sounds very simplified and exaggerated...there are many types of people in Finland, some very outgoing and talkative, others less...generalizations are seldom useful
As a Finn I found this video very interesting. We can still learn 😊
You’re very open-minded. Welcome!
🇫🇮no time/need for chit-chat most 🇸🇪and others use... ”so lovely ” and how are you😀, ?+ and walk just by and do not ever hear what was said in response😏❤ what a warm feeling😂😂😂😂
In Finland, don't ask for help, if you don't really need it, and do not offer to help anybody, unless specifically asked for it. But ask, and you shall receive, generally.
And even so, your perception of the level of desperation may be different to the locals, so, for example, when in the lake drowning, be sure to make clear that you actually can't swim...
lol😂
Idk how I got here…
Keep it up
Greetings from Mexico
Still about 3 generations ago most finns just tried to survive alive. You don't stop to chat about emotions with a bear, or a wolf. You don't stop to chat about love with a foreign death patrol or war band (not always a peaceful land). You don't negotiate with summer frost to not kill your crops.
The survivors managed to build the infra and develop the land precisely because they avoided death. That is still recent enough for us to carry its legacy. You don't get to vilify the children of pioneers for carrying a pioneering legacy nor the children of survivors for carrying a survivors' legacy. The land has finally been developed (1970s-1990s), so the coming generations will adjust accordingly, and they will pick up on the social customs that follow urbanisation.
Survivors and pioneers are not bad, they're rugged, and their children & grandchildren are accustomed to ruggedness so they're unsure how to react to "warm" approaches.
Edit: i should say finns actually like people engaging with them, even if it throws them offguard. There are lots we can learn from others. More and more people are already getting used to chatting and being actively social - hopefully without forgetting the contemplative side ;)
Every man for themselves. And when you come to Finland and speak in form of "we" or "you" (as in multiple) you don't give very good image of yourself.
It isn't that long that Finland was oppressed by communist thoughts which of the 1918 civil war was fought in and luckily won by individualists.
Finnish people tend to lean to inform things personally and exclude others from their own opinions.
Finnish don't tend to "share the pain" nor "share the joy" but at most enhance or relieve the experience of individuals as individuals, depending what Finnish think as 'bad' or 'good'.
Now if you seek for an emotion, from a Finnish person, for your success or failure you need to redeem them or you are despised or ignored.
In some countries this habit is done in community such as 'family' by the head of the community addressing and having responsibility to speak for the others without asking their kin. So I could almost at certainly say that this girl was too young to speak for herself to redeem her deeds and was seen through to try seek approval without taking responsibility.
Introvert people have usually deep thoughts and rich internal life
Born in Finland I have to say, you got just right.
I hope you read this comment, because I have my own beliefs about the mentality of Finnish people. It comes from the way your society raises and treats its children, if you want to understand it, have a child from in another country, then bring them to Finland when they are about 4 years old and observe all the differences you will see. The way children interact with each other in a playground, the way parents interact, the way society expects children to act in and outside the home, the way the children are socialised, the way the children are treated by the teachers in kindergarten... You will not see random interactions in a playground with children that do not know each other, but guess what, if you lived in another country you would see that. In other countries children are the 'heart' of the culture, but in Finland they are sort of something you hide away and expect it to be quiet and not cause trouble. I could honestly keep writing about this, but it surprises me no one realises this. I saw so many things I disliked about Finland after I brought my daughter here, enough to make me decide to leave.
It's how Finland is, we mind our own business and let other people do that as well. So bothering other people with trivial chitchat is frowned upon. Children in kindergarten do know each other and make lifelong friends there.
I liked the video much and I liked you Edward , right ?!... You remind me of good friend who migrated years ago to other far country ...
Best vlog about Finland that I have come across so far. Thanks!
Thank you :)
The British did fight the Russians at least during the Crimean War (1853-1856). Finns were involved in that too. The British and French fleet destroyed a number of fortresses built in Finland. You just don't seem to know what you're talking about.
Yes, I'm sorry I'm very dumb. Thank you for teaching me 😉
@@loweffortedwarda lot of finns don't even know this, don't worry
When Europeans were building cathedrals, Finland had a population of under 100 000. It took a millennium to get to 5 000 000. Faced extinction every 100 years or so.
Your Right,,There Are Beautiful Clouds Up there,,Here in NY Who Notices them,,, Maybe everybody,,You wouldn't Know,, Cause everyone is focused on the Grind. Sad,,So SAD,,,Grind meaning, trying to Survive the Day
The Finnish people aren't bad, but politely avoiding each other, including frogiener. It dose not mean they're bad. I'm not originally Finn, but I'm almost growing up here ,I understand the Finnish traits behaviour patterns. I appreciate it, but the problem is that I'm now like them avoiding everyone, with out any social contacts after 24 years ,I never thought I would be like them.
Videolla hyviä huomioita, erityisesti kehnoon itseilmaisuun liittyen. Suomen kielen suhde unkariin on vain kielitieteellinen. Merkittävää kulttuurista yhteyttä ei löydy.
Totta ja kiitos :)
A Brit, who lived in Finland over 20 years, was asked if he would change some things in Finland. His answer was:
people, location and climate. Now the first one due to low birthrate and large immigration shall happen in near future.
After some decades the people here will be mainly African an Middle East people. Sadly we cannot change the location,
but the climatechange will make the weather suitable for nicer people.
People are rude and hate eachothers here. The weather is horrible. Lots of suicides, poverty and domestic violence. I live in Finland.
Introverts paradise” Our culture is just diffenrent, we are not inteovert at all and love to talk witho friends and foreigners.
Finnish people start the conversation only when somebody says something to them.
Finnish people do not talk just to talk that would be same thing as small-talk, but when we say something important etc.. to each we listen and take everything seriously
If you try small talk with Finn it would sound like this;
SmallT: Should we meet on (someplace) at 17.30 o’clock
Finn: Ok🤙, (Finn now believes that he must be there at 17.13 o’clock, because SmallT said he would be there at 17.30)
IE: Finns took eberything very seriously.
PT2:
NEVER SAY SHOULD WE DO SOMETHING ON A SPECIFIC DAY like 18th of may, because,
Finn will understand it like this:
SmallT asked about this date so we will do something on that day!! even if SmallT just threw it as an idea.
INSTEAD
Use this sentence instead:
We should do something soon togethet”
This means that neither side knows what the day would be so there are no mistakes🤘🔥🇫🇮
Go talk to the people from Savoia or Carelia origin and your tiny sample of knowing the very soul of the Finnish people will get a shock.
“Finnish People Are Bad People” - She Said. I love people with no filters like that girl lol. It really doesn't matter how you advertise your country afterall the experience of people that visit/live there is the truth.
Did you mean she was a Swedish girl?
Nope :) But young Swedisn people do have that kind of attitude sometimes too :)
Finland was less homogenous 300 years ago than it is today. The Finns themselves were more different from each other than they are now. Regional differences were greater. Have you heard of the notion of "The Finnish Tribes" as in Tavastians, Karelians, Ostrobothnians and so on? No one talks about those any longer.
The history of Finland begins from 12th century. The earliest written documents are from that era. Around that time, the concept of Finnish people didn't even exist. Tavastians (hämäläiset) fell under Swedish rule when the Kingdom of Sweden built a castle in Tavastia in the mid-13th century. In 1293, they fought against Karelians, won and built the Viipuri castle. Until that time, the Tavastians and the Karelians were adversaries competing for the same hunting and fishing grounds. There was no political structure uniting these two groups before rule by the Kingdom of Sweden.
The current monoculture is the result of a long process of homogenization. These days, many of the differences between Finnish regional dialects clearly present until many decades ago have started to disappear from young people's speech. This has been documented. For example, in my dealings with people from Lappeenranta about 10-20 years younger than myself, I've found that their speech sounds much closer to Standard Finnish than that of my late grandmother who was from that region even after her living in the heart of Tavastia for nearly 60 years.
A couple of generations ago, people from different regions spoke in different enough ways as to sometimes get mocked for their speech if they relocated to regions other than their home region. These days, accents may differ between different parts of the country but vocabularies are fairly uniform and Tavastian syntactic and morphological features are making inroads into the speech patters of people in other, faraway regions.
scandinavians like their privacy and a certain amount of aloneness. friendly not necessarily your friend. there is a distinction.
Really?
People lecturing about men/women relations and psychology of that keep mentioning "the nothing box" that men spend time in. Just switching the brain off, thinking about nothing. Finns are very good at that, finns can do that in groups.
if Finland People is Bad - Estonians should not be....you know, there is the "reverse Finland".......
But, "bad people"? That sounds so strange.
And please stop saying that we Finns are quiet. It simply isn't true. We talk a lot, but we don't have to talk. That is the difference.
Nonsense, I lived there and I observed the Finns up close. They do NOT talk (at least in comparison with English countries)
@@marlenaeva3813Where did you live? And I never said that Finns talk as much as X - I just said that Finns talk, but they don't have to.
That is more or less a must in some cultures like the English-speking ones, isn't it? E.g. small talk is not necessary in Finland, and you can have a pause in the conversation without it feeling uncomfortable.
If you think about it,,, it's a very enlightened way to approach life,,,, but,, I've learned so much about myself through interacting with others,,, the Finnish way,,, can result in immature emotional people though,,
For a percentage of the pop
In short Finns want's to be left alone and enjoy the place and quite and don't want bother you. And don't do very well with just talking nonsense, and takes a while to be friends with but when you get a Finnish friend it will be a lifelong friendship. And the swedes are the opposite exept the Northen Swedes. And yes i'm a Finn that lives in Sweden and i have 40 years of experience. And what ever you do don't even mention Finland vs Sweden in Hockey to either a Finn or a Swede that will bring you alot of trouble.
Yeah, everybody knows Finland is better 🤣
Funny, initiating a conversation is a microaggression 😅.
Lievää yleistämistä 😉
Half of what you said is just a complete BS😁
I'm finnish person I feel so suffocated in this country. Espoo and capital are is much better (minus all the crime) but here where nothing happens feels so suffocating.
I always tend to be friends with foreigners in schools etc.
@@Redlights111 Hi! Thank you for sharing! What's holding you back from moving away now?
@@loweffortedward money and family since I have small child and being without family support is hard.
@@Redlights111 I see. I hope you'll find a way. Sometimes money is not that important if you are in the right place. But developed countries do make us feel like we are deeply dependent on them.
anybody not north euro is bad people. i dont associat with *** haha
What is the thing with Moomins? Some half swedish L women write stories about fictional creatures so what's the point?
Finland IS the moomin valley and finns ARE moomins. 🤯 Think about it. Deep dive.
Just ask something, you will get an answer if you don't talk too much. If you talk a lot, we think you're a weird talker.
We are bad people, but we are mostly staying in our reservation. Dont come to feed us, just stay where all the good people go 🙂
So comical 😂
Glad that you liked it :)
Poor assessment of Finns
You’re welcome to try better ;)
@@loweffortedward Indeed! 🙂
The old "Silence is golden" rule. Language is an amazing thing, it almost has a life of its own and there are so many incredible concepts and subtleties in a conversation. I think Finns need to learn that sometimes silence is just 'Silence' and it brings no value. Isolating yourself from things that make you uncomfortable is Not- strength, or some special unity, it is just running away and choosing not to learn and grow. If you are so regimented in the structure of your society that everyone knows what everyone else is thinking... then you need to come out of your cocoon and realize there is a whole world out here to discover.
Wise words. I hope they’ll help some Finnish person who wants to explore the world 😊
I've heard about this "silence is golden" thing before and it's such a terrible thing to say. The fact that people in Finland are still spreading these negative ideas is making them more anti social and sabotaging their capacity to learn social skills
As a Finn I have a somewhat different perspective. From our point of view (this grossly generalized of course, we're individuals too) it's about feeling comfortable in the silence but also sometimes it feels like people who talk a lot and have a lot happening are uncomfortable with silence, with just BEING. And that sometimes a lot of words are spoken but little meaning conveyed. It's just a different culture. I don't think either way of being is inherently wrong, just different. People thrive on different things. I can see the value of close knit communities and a bustling social life, but I don't think it's the only right way to be and it can sometimes seem superficial when you're a different kind of person. I do have to say when I lived in Helsinki for the first 26 years of my life I went out several nights a week,, sometimes just on my own even and enjoyed the bustle and talking to people. But I got over it :D I do enjoy being with friends and family and i do meet new people through my hobby and have a lot of foreign friends as well. And when I'm with them I talk a lot. But I need a lot of silence and solitude in between to recharge and center myself. I don't think it has to be either or. You can have the best of both worlds in whatever measure makes your life worth living.
@@shaairah You're overcomplicating this. This is not that complicated, people just talk because it's fun but Finns just don't know how to make it fun. I think what you're saying about being comfortable in the silence is very ironic because when I've talked to shy Finns they're the ones who get the most uncomfortable and feel bad about it so I don't feel like Finns are particularly good at dealing with the silence, they'll avoid all the interactions to avoid that situation in the first place.
I live in Helsinki and I also feel socially drained when I go out to talk to people and the reason why it's because having conversations with Finns is usually very tedious and makes you feel worse afterwards. When you meet a person who knows how to talk it's the exact opposite, talking to them is fun and you want to keep talking to them, the issue is that most Finns don't know how to do it.
I also want to add that usually Finns have very little experience with foreigners and tend to generalize a lot, out of Finland there are different kinds of people with a lot of different kind of personalities that you don't see in Finland. Some people do talk a lot of meaningless stuff which is what it looks that you're saying but there are also a lot of people that are fun to talk to and have very interesting things to say and to express, the issue is that most Finns have never seen that and don't understand how they work.
@@sanher20 Actually I think Finns have been become more social in the last 50 years. Having said that I enjoy a good party and I enjoy a good silence - but I prefer the latter as a default setting and the social stuff in moderation :D That's just a preference, I don't think it's wrong. Rudeness is wrong but that's a whole other discussion. Plus, I have foreign friends who come from very gregarious cultures who are themselves introverted and enjoy the Finnish way of being. Just as there are Finns who prefer a more bustling lifestyle. It's not right or wrong, just individual preference. Though I do agree that on the whole the Finnish culture is more introverted than most. Not antisocial - just enjoying silence and personal space and speaking when we have something that we want to say rather than going in for small talk. I recognize that is probably hard to understand and break into coming from the outside, just as it's hard for me to spend more than a couple of weeks abroad in countries where people are very open and talkative. I just think it's one of those cases where the variety of cultures makes us richer, rather than everyone needing to conform to some baseline state of being.
I like your videos and your analyses but I disagree with one of your points. I don't think Finns lack social skills because the society is homogeneous but because they just don't know how to be sociable and don't know how to have fun socializing.
I've noticed that this is a big problem in all nordic countries not only in Finland, people in Sweden, Norway and Denmark also have poor social skills. I'm not saying that Finland is the same as these countries, of course it's not, but when it comes to social skills all nordic countries have the same problem. And I think the reason why is because Finland and other nordic countries are located at the edge of Europe so they are isolated and it's more difficult for them to learn more about social skills. Finland is a country sandwiched between Sweden and Russia, not a lot of neighbors and not a lot of visitors to help them socialize.
As a Finn I'll disagree about Finns not knowing how to be sociable or how to have fun socializing. We just do it differently a lot of the time. I think it's just a cultural difference. Even most of us city kids have grown up spending much of our summers at out of the way summer cottages, most places without a TV or anything else but the sounds of nature and without other entertainment than swimming and hiking and our own thoughts and a handful of family & friends. It's very fundamental to the Finnish way of being. And while I can understand it can feel daunting trying to get into that kind of society, I don't think it's a bad way to be. Maybe it's because I am a Finn but I don't see anything inherently wrong with being at home with a more quiet way of life. I enjoy traveling and spending time abroad, but not too much because I find it stressful pretty fast. like the first week I'm liike "oh these wonderful people and this great sense of community and getting to know new people and how will I ever go home" and by the end of the second week I'm like "take me home and dump me in a forest with no one around for at least a month because oh all this noise and all this socializing is too much" :D Actually, now that I've spent the latter half of my 52 years living tucked away in the countryside instead of Helsinki, I feel that way after a few days there too - or just hanging out with family and friends for a few days :D It's fun, yes, and I babble with the rest of them, but only in small bites and with a lot of recharging in silence and solitude in between. I don't think either way of life is wrong, they're just different, and suit different people.
@@shaairah There's a big difference between social skills and culture and this is part of the reason why a lot of Finns are not capable of learning social skills because they'll mix it with culture and they'll use it as an excuse to not learn social skills.
We know if isolate the facts from the culture and identify the facts that all human beings can learn social skills then Finns can learn social skills despite the culture because social skills are not related to the culture unless you were to recognize and accept that having poor social skills is part of Finnish culture such that Finns should avoid learning social skills as part of the Finnish culture.
@@sanher20 Of course anyone can learn social skills, however you define them. But it is absolutely a cultural thing you you do define them and to what degree you want to exercise them. If my culture values personal space and silence, that is cultural. If yours does not, that's cultural. What I'm saying is neither is right or wrong, just different. But certainly if we as people keep calling ours differences flaws then that makes me quite sad because that means that reaching across those differences is all the more difficult.
you are half finnish, pick a side then, you arre in our borders you are in finland you gonna stick to our rules or neglect them???
I am Americans but I like most Finns, but some of them are unduly arrogant and have a know-it-all attitude. Much of this has to do with The Law of Jante and trying to overly assert themselves as relevant and of value vis a vis citizens of a larger more powerful country. Why do I say this? Because I only see this behavior as soon as they learn I am American. I only encountered it from Finnish women so there might also be an "empowered feminist" element to this also.
Has nothing to do with that. Has all to do with our mainstream media making Americans look like idiots. Personally, I like 99% Americans I've met. Friendly and curious bunch, talkative and fairly open-minded.
@@turpasauna Well only true idiots assume an entire nationality is idiotic because of media portrayals. But I still can't agree because, again, it is only with some Finnish women, never ever with the men who consume the same media. It is as if a chip is on their shoulder trying to prove themselves as not being beneath me since I am a man who happens to be from a country far larger and more powerful than Finland. Some call this Little Country Syndrome but here it has a bit of toxic fempowerment mixed in. And I would say I get on well with about 99% of Finnish men, but only about 40% to 50% of Finnish women depending on the city.
@@turpasauna I can't agree because, again, it is only with some Finnish women, never ever with the men. It is as if a chip is on their shoulder trying to prove themselves as not being beneath me since I am a man who happens to be from a country far larger and more powerful than Finland, AKA Little Country Syndrome with a bit of toxic fempowerment mixed in. And I would say I like 99% of Finnish men, but about 40% to 50% of Finnish women depending on the city.
@@ContrarianExpatriate Well, I am a female and never heard about this so...out of the American men I know, all have found a Finnish girlfriend/wife.
you're videos are kinda boring, you're explaining a point over and over again
Half of what you said is just a complete BS😁
Why is that? 😂
@@onld6230 You don't know much about the finnish society😁😉