Happiness

This post is inspired by a magazine's cover story on happiness (The Week; April 23, 2023 edition). I have been a subscriber of The Week for years now and must commend them on their balanced journalism and the great lengths to which they go to bring readers enriching content!

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The Sustainable Development Solutions Network of the United Nations produces a World Happiness Report on a periodic basis - these rankings of national happiness are based on citizens' responses to surveys and on socio-economic data such as life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, social support, absence of corruption and GDP per capita. 137 countries participated in its most recent iteration.

For the sixth year in a row, Finland topped these rankings. Such consistency suggests that there's no fluke or conspiracy theory here; as a nation, it must be doing something right!

On the surface, it appears that Finland shouldn't have much to be happy about. Located on the northern fringes of Europe, it experiences dark, long and cold winters. Cases of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) are high due to sun deprivation. When the short summer does come around, there is danger in the form of large mosquitoes. 80% of Finland's land is covered in dense forests. Among the Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland), Finland has the highest suicide rate. Alcoholism and taxes are both on the higher side.

In spite of these factors, Finns are, on average, happier than citizens of 136 other countries. What ingredients go into their secret sauce? Let's dive deeper...

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Simple pleasures

Finns enjoy going on vacations to their mökki (summer cottages). Finland's population is about 56 lakh while there are about 32 lakh mökki dotting the Finnish landscape - this gives a sense of how integral these are to their culture! While on these vacations, Finns live rustic lives in nature without electricity and running water and leave the cares and hectic pace of city life behind. They hike, pick berries and mushrooms, fish, chop wood, kindle fires and play outdoor games while spending invaluable quality time with their loved ones. They usually go offline and do a digital detox during these trips. To quote a Finnish social scientist, Roosa Tikkanen - "Nature makes us happy. We appreciate the silence, which is a big part of our culture."

As someone who enjoys the tranquillity of nature (check out this post), I could deeply resonate with how Finns treasured their time in nature. It made me think about the elements that I'd like to infuse into my holidays and, if possible, in my daily life too!

I'd like you to take some time out to slowly reflect on the following...

• How often do you/your family/your friends go on holidays involving activities that take you closer to nature?
• What is the duration and pace of such holidays?
• What kinds of activities do you engage in?
• Do you do a digital detox while on these holidays?

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Values and culture

The features of the Finnish value system and culture that stood out to me as ones that contribute to their sense of happiness are honesty, modesty, sisu (more on this in a bit) and balance.

Like other Nordic nations, Finland ranks high on honesty. If someone forgets their laptop or phone at a restaurant, they can count on finding it when they go back. As writer Merete Mazzarella concisely put it - "It (honesty) is an old tradition. You don't take what is not yours." Consequences of honesty are low crime rates, high public safety and a generally more open society.

Finns are not in the habit of bragging, showing off or being ostentatious. They also tend to downplay their happiness/success. According to Gunvor Kronman, CEO of Hanasaari (a Nordic cultural foundation), "We (Finnish people) don't flash wealth; it creates negative feelings between groups." They believe in productive cooperation over cut-throat competition. This modest attitude of not flaunting one's wealth eliminates jealousy and envy which directly contributes to increased happiness.

Stories and literature play a vital role in shaping a community's identity. The Finnish epic, Kalevala, has protagonists who perform great deeds but also experience humiliation and tragedy. Finns realise that life isn't a bed of roses and that defeat, loss and dejection are a part of the ride. Hence, they temper their expectations and take pride in sisu (perseverance when faced with challenges) over heroism - both these contribute to increasing happiness.

In the preceding section, I wrote about Finns vacationing in their mökki - this is part of a larger theme of balance that Finns strive to have in their lives. Over 90% of those surveyed for the happiness report said that their lives were balanced. They don't ascribe to conventional definitions of success and prioritise balance and contentment over running a rat race. To quote Jeffrey Sachs, co-author of the happiness report, "They (Finnish people) are not aiming to become gazillionaires; they are looking for a good, balanced life and the results are extremely positive." Pursuing hobbies and having leisure time are seen as foundational to happiness; to this end (and these are just a couple of examples), offices close early in the summer to allow citizens to enjoy the limited hours of sunlight and the workforce gets about 5 weeks of paid vacation time every year.

Once again, reflect on the questions below...

• Do you feel/believe that the people you interact with on a regular basis are, by and large, honest? How does this impact the way you interact with them?
• How modest are your friends/colleagues when it comes to either their materialistic possessions or their professional achievements? How do you find yourself internally reacting to public displays of wealth or success?
• In your culture (or family/community), is sisu valued? How is failure regarded? How do people handle loss?
• Is your life balanced? How is balance viewed in your family/community/culture?

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Strong institutions

All constitutions of government are valued only in proportion as they tend to promote the happiness of those who live under them.

~ Adam Smith (1759)

Finnish institutions are the bedrock on which the Finns' wellbeing is built. Strong social support from family, friends and government is a given and democratic institutions are accountable and citizen-oriented. Corruption is nearly absent and salaries, standard of living and civic and press freedoms are high. Some of the Finns interviewed for the cover story sum it up best!

• "Free education and health care, income security and pensions are guaranteed to everyone." (Teemu Tanner, diplomat)
• "We pay our taxes happily because we get lifelong benefits in return. I can be sure I will get support when I need." (Katriina Apajalahti, teacher)
• "Equality is not a sentiment. It is law. If you see enormous differences in wealth no matter how hard you work, how can you be happy?" (Merete Mazzarella, writer)
• "What is good in our society is that everything functions well. We can trust the police, institutions and politicians. Authorities are not corrupt." (Iiris Härmä, documentary filmmaker)
• "The Nordic model is well-known for taking care of its citizens from cradle to grave, we have no fear of injury, sickness or losing our jobs." (Roosa Tikkanen, social scientist)
• "The biggest difference I find when I travel to other countries is the safety and life security we have in Finland." (Emma, sociology student)

Questions to reflect on...

• What is the cost of a good quality education in the area you live in (or grew up in)?
• How does the health care system in the area you live in (or grew up in) operate? Is treatment accessible and affordable?
• Think about your family/community... how honest are people when it comes to paying taxes? Why?
• Is there equality in your society?
• What is the level of trust you have in the government institutions in the area you live in (or grew up in)?
• How safe and secure do you feel in the area you live in (or grew up in)?

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Moving away from Finland and closer to home...

A reputed human resources firm published a report on 'The State of Happiness' in India. The parameters considered were quite similar to the ones taken into account by the UN World Happiness Report - social support, freedom of choice, life expectancy, state domestic product, literacy rate etc. Himachal Pradesh (HP), a small mountainous state in northern India, topped the rankings as the happiest state in the country for the second year running.

Could there be a parallel between Finland and HP?

As it turns out, yes.

The landscape of HP displays nature in all its glory - be it snow-capped mountains to lush green forests or apple orchards to valleys with gushing rivers. The people of HP are hardworking, have few needs and develop bonds with nature. Their pace of life is relaxed and uncomplicated. Clean air and water keep away most ailments. This simplicity in living and appreciation of nature are two common threads that run through both Finland and HP and seem to contribute significantly to the happiness of people in these regions.

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Everyone's life experiences, situations and priorities differ. There is no one path or set of rules towards experiencing happiness. Through this piece, my goal was to share aspects of what seems to be working in Finland; it is up to you, the reader, to reflect on how relevant or important these aspects are to your life.

(This is not the first time I've read or written something positive about Finland - here's a post on the Finnish teacher education system that I wrote a couple of years ago!)

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References

• Martela, F. (2023, April 23). It's not about Finland. It's about the Nordics. The Week, Vol. 4, No. 17, 52.
• Mehrotra, R. (2023, April 23). Mountain Magic. The Week, Vol. 4, No. 17, 56-57.
• Pratap, A. (2023, April 23). Happiness Finn-tuned. The Week, Vol. 4, No. 17, 38-49.
• Pratap, A. (2023, April 23). Utopia, Unlocked. The Week, Vol. 4, No. 17, 50-51.