Scan Magazine | Culture Feature | Sisu
Sisu for the people The Finnish concept of ‘sisu’ (pronounced ‘see-su’) is at least 500 years old. In the most literal sense, sisu refers to the guts (sisus, sisälmykset) inside our bodies. It is thought to stem from the ancient belief that the belly was a location of strength (think ‘fire in one’s belly’) and the place where our determination originates. By Joanna Nylund | Illustrations: Naomi Wilkinson
Sisu is one of those ‘untranslatable’ terms that refer to a whole cluster of traits, in this case courage, resilience, grit, determination, tenacity and perseverance. In the family of Nordic word exports (think ‘lagom’ and ‘hygge’, among others), sisu would be the obvious Finnish contribution. It is a favourite word of ours, and the concept colours our worldview in a surprising number of ways. A simple definition that I personally like is ‘cheerful determination’. Sisu is something to be desired. It communicates an 126 | Issue 109 | February 2018
outlook on life that is curious and selfassured. It denotes an inner strength that exists independently of outside reinforcement. For me, sisu boils down to having the courage to fill the space that is mine – no more, no less. I would argue that sisu is one of the best-kept secrets of Finland. If you know something about our national character, that will not come as a surprise. Here, modesty and understatement rule the day: tooting your own horn (or worse: bragging!) is considered extremely un-
civilised. For this reason, Finland has a tendency to downplay its own successes. However, we are secretly proud of our sisu and would share it with the world if that were not so presumptuous. With my book, SISU – The Finnish Art of Courage, I decided to throw my Finnish caution to the wind and do just that.
Growing up with sisu When I told a good friend about the book, she said: “It’s one of the most beautiful things you can say to someone, isn’t it, that they have sisu. I still remember vividly the first time my parents said it to me.” Growing up in Finland, the concept of sisu is sort of invisibly present everywhere. Some even argue that it is impossible to understand Finns and Finland without first understanding sisu. On the eve of a