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If the aspiration for a problem-free life is utopia, then making it our driving force and touchstone is the essence Siso. This is a Finnish concept It defines the ability to face great challenges without losing spirit or the ability to have funsomething we can apply in our lives.
What is Finnish sisu?
“What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger“. this Nietzsche’s sayingPopularized by Viktor Frankl in his works on logotherapy, it is related to the concept to which we devote this article. In the face of a difficulty that – it seems – overwhelms us, there are two ways: to give up abilities that we did not think we had, or to develop them.
Siso It’s one of those untranslatable words that contains the virtue of culture, in this case Finnish culture. If we stick to the etymology, the root of the term in Finnish means “internal”, and in fact Sisu is often translated as “possessing inner strength.”. A proverb in the country where he grew up says: “Sisu will also help you cross the granite“.
At the Third World Congress on Positive Psychology, held in Los Angeles in 2013, this concept was defined as: An inner disposition that allows you to undertake an unusual physical or mental challenge. Sisu is therefore the action mentality that guides us in extraordinary situations. Let’s look at some examples:
- A person who does not allow himself to be discouraged by a disastrous medical diagnosisAnd he is continuing with his plans and even hoping for recovery.
- When someone sets out to accomplish a feat that is theoretically impossibleAs happened in 1968 with Jim Haynes, the first athlete to run 100 meters in less than 10 seconds, something that no one thought possible.
- Unequal conflicts Such as the Winter War of 1939, in which the Finns faced off against the massive Soviet army to defend their independence.
Sisu: Where perseverance ends
One of the greatest specialists in the Sisu concept is Finnish researcher Emilia Lahtiwhich guarantees that “Sisu begins where perseverance ends“. Author of the book Gentle power And the creator of the invitation Siso LaboratoryConnecting this source of motivation to a powerful goal allows us to extract strength from weakness.
Lahti establishes a Differentiate between flexibility and SISU. While the first is our ability to recover, the Finnish concept begins when a person feels they have reached the end of their physical or mental capabilities.
Another author, Katia Pantzargives us his own definition in SISU: The Finnish secret to a happy lifestyle: “that it An energetic approach that encourages us to try new things and experiences actually Beyond our bordersWhether physical, mental or emotional; It is also about finding practical solutions and ways forward to develop strength and flexibility. No matter where we live and what we do, we all face similar problems in daily life.“.
Finns train this motivational muscle in their daily lives by swimming in icy waters, using their bike – even in winter – to get to work, or patiently enduring the perpetual winter darkness, knowing that a bright light awaits them on the other side of the world. The tunnel. .
How does Sisu help in the combat part?
In one of his youthful quotes, Woody Allen said:The only way to be happy is to love suffering“, referring to the flow of problems that we are always exposed to.
In fact, the surest source of mental suffering is fear of difficulties. We all know People who always live in worry about what could happen. They constantly anticipate catastrophic scenarios and this makes them suffer from anxiety before anything happens. We can talk in these cases Expected suffering. Just as the fear of fear becomes a paralyzing phobia, the fear of suffering can become the worst kind of suffering.
The way out of this maze is… Look at life as a series of problems that we must face and solveAnd grow and learn from every obstacle. When one difficulty ends, a different one begins; It is an illusion to aspire to calm.
This is how the American psychiatrist explains it Phil StutzWhich he calls “Part ten“To that aspect of reality that has three aspects from which we cannot escape: Pain, uncertainty and constant work to overcome challenges That life gives us.
Part 10 is the “villain” in the movie of your life“, notes actor and director Jonah Hill in his book Stutz’s wonderful documentary, the opponent who always tests us. As the New York-born psychiatrist put it:Part X attacks you by making you feel exhausted and makes you think that you don’t have enough energy. And as soon as you feel like you don’t have enough energy, it’s over An excuse to do almost nothingFrom accepting a new job, socializing, or meeting people. When I trained as a psychotherapist, I never heard anyone mention that energy. Your energy was meant to be what it is and you can’t change it.“.
he Siso It’s specifically a way to change that energy, because The mental attitude of the heroes in the face of difficulty.
Sisu and stoicism
Despite its harsh weather conditions and difficult geographical location that give the nation an inescapable X-part, Finland often appears on lists of the happiest countries in the world.
This may be the deciding factor The famous Finnish educational systemBut another major factor, according to the philosopher Frank Martellais sobriety His vision of happiness that does not exclude setbacks. In his words:
“Sisu, as an internal attitude of commitment and renunciation, can help us in these situations. Instead of seeing challenges as failure or evidence that you’re not happy, you almost welcome them as an opportunity to show what you’re made of. So, The better you are at facing adversityWith an attitude of acceptance and courage, The easier it is to experience well-being and happinessEven when life doesn’t make it easy for you“.
This vision refers us to the ancient The philosophy of Stoicismwho maintains it Nothing is good or bad in itself, because everything depends on interpretation Which we give to what happens to us. As logotherapy would say two thousand years later, our freedom lies in how we react. Therefore, it’s all about perspective.
Another key to stoicism is Distinguish between what is within our power and what is beyond our controlTo put our energy into the first without wasting energy on the second. he Philosopher Epictetuswho had been a slave in ancient Rome for a long time, defined it as follows: “As for the things in the world, some of them depend on us, and some do not depend on us. Our opinions, movements, desires, inclinations, and aversions depend on us; In short, all our actions (…) The things that depend on us are inherently freeNothing can stop or hinder them; Those who do not depend on us are weak, slaves, dependent, subject to a thousand obstacles. Already a thousand inconveniences, and completely irrelevant“.
Sisu invites us to care about what depends on usAnd what we can do here and now to overcome current obstacles and thus improve our lives and the lives of others.
Sisu begins to accept
CJ Jung He warned that what you deny submits you and what you accept transforms you. The first step to applying Sisu is to accept that the difficulty existsAnd take an active role in resolving it. These keys can help you:
- The fewer battles, the more victories“We’ve all heard it at some point.”Choose your battle“. Not a topic: Taking care of too many fronts drains our energy It makes us lose focus on what is really important.
- Are you part of the problem?: “Sometimes the easiest way to solve a problem is to stop being a part of it.“It is a phrase attributed to Einstein. He invites us to… Clarify our responsibility for what happens.
- We need difficultiesJapanese engineer Taichi Ono, responsible for the Toyota production system, stated: “There is no greater problem than no problems“, because we will not be able to develop our potential.
- Immediate solutions do not suit SISU, based on sustained effort that ends up breaking down walls that seemed impossible. Long-term thinking is a key component of this philosophy.
- Perseverance is key. Facing a sudden health problem, the singer-songwriter, who was only twenty years old, announced to his fans: “In my case, you can only do two things: cancel the concert or die on stage, and I decided on that He dies on stage.After a standing ovation, Aznavour spent two hours singing.
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