Have you ever wondered where the best place on earth is, and which nation is the happiest people in the world? Many imagine a pleasant land with a blue sky, everywhere full of flowers and trees, a seaside city where you can open the window and see the ocean shining in the sunlight, or a dream city for the rich.
The fact is that happiness depends on many factors and is fundamentally different from what we imagine. The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network published its ninth report, based on 2020 surveys, naming Finland the happiest country for the fourth year in a row.
Covid-19 shocked the world
Of course, in 2020, the pandemic had a great effect on people’s lives. Many countries failed to contain Covid-19, which had a negative impact on citizens’ lifestyles and attitudes, but some countries succeeded in gaining public trust.
Covid-19 affected professions and the economy of individuals and families and some studies show that depression and suicidal ideation multiplied. A study in the United States found that depression tripled during the pandemic.
To date, more than 3 million people have died from Covid-19 and about 154 million have been infected. The death toll is rising and reports from some countries, such as India, are raising concerns. 916 people have died in Finland, which indicates that the Finnish government has done well in comparison with many other countries.
Finnish citizens are confident in their country’s healthcare system and government and have shown little resistance to restrictions.
Introverted nation
The authors of the report gleaned information from 350,000 people from 95 countries and divided the criteria of happiness into six categories: GDP or gross domestic product per capita; social support; life expectancy; freedom to make life choices; generosity; and perception of corruption levels. The rankings are based on how people rate their happiness on a 10-point scale, ignoring factors such as income.
Finland is a cold, dark, and snowy country; obviously different from the hot and sunny cities of our dreams. Although at first encounter, the Finns seem cold, Heli Jimenez, Senior Director of International Marketing at Business Finland, believes that Finnish happiness isn’t skin deep and immediately visible – it’s deeply ingrained in their being.
“Sustainable happiness is our superpower, and it means we tend to take life as it comes – a trait that is helping us through these challenging times. We appreciate the small things in our daily lives, such as sitting quietly on a bench and staring at the empty lake after a relaxing sauna session or taking a morning dip in the sea before starting the working day,” she explains.
The country’s climate has influenced the attitude and lifestyle of Finns and led to widespread introversion. Unlike other nations, they prefer to seek joy in deeper things. This may be one of the reasons for their low presence on social media, as they avoid showing off and try to keep their relationships private and trusting.
When the system works properly
It may be a little difficult to find a friend in Finland but immigrants and tourists point out Finns are honest, trustworthy, and heavy drinkers. Citizens trust each other, and the children walk to school without problems.
The education is free and teachers rarely test children. Thus, stress and anxiety are eliminated and students are more eager to spend their time learning and schools value social relationships. Such a system emphasizes cooperation, not competition.
Such children, when they grow up, often focus on what they like to do and try to enjoy their jobs. In Finland, the income gap is not large and most people have more or less the same income. While eliminating class conflict and inequality in other countries may seem impossible, Finland has made it a priority.
Is knowledge better than money?
Another characteristic of Finns is that they are content. People who are not extravagant do not see happiness in money and do not care about it, they are not greedy and they do not want to have the whole world in their homes. Finns prefer to borrow. They borrow 68 million books a year.
Finland is not the richest or most powerful country in the world but, despite this, people do not complain. They have equal opportunities to study and use healthcare services and university is free. All in all, conditions have been provided for the citizens to freely choose their fields and professions and not have the anxiety and worry of high tuition fees.
Image credit: Andreas Weiland