Sisu

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Sisu is a Finnish term that could be roughly translated into English as strength of will, determination, perseverance, acting rationally in the face of adversity. The equivalent in English is "to have guts", and indeed, the word derives from sisus, which means something inner or interior. However, sisu has a long-term element in it; it is not momentary courage, but the ability to sustain the same. To anthropologists, it is an appropriate invention for a cold northern land, dotted by thousands of lakes, and long under threat of being overwhelmed, militarily, linguistically and otherwise, by more powerful neighbours. Similar concepts exist among other cold-weather peoples, such as the Inuit and Chukchi.

Due to its cultural significance, Sisu is a common element of brand names in Finland. For example, there are Sisu trucks (and armored vehicles), a brand of strong-tasting candy manufactured by Leaf and a metapolitical nationalist organisation Suomen Sisu. Sisu is also the name of a mountain discovered by mountain-climber Veikka Gustafsson in the Antarctic.

Foreign users of the term include Sisu, a Canadian company that makes vitamin and mineral supplements; SISU, the educational association of the Swedish National Sports Confederation; and Sisu Medical Solutions, an American non-profit company providing IT support.

The term is commonly used in everyday speech to describe stoic toughness. It is widely understood in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, which is home to a large concentration of Finnish-Americans. For instance: Even after cutting his hand open and getting 12 stitches, he didn't shed a tear. Wow! He's got sisu! By analogy, the term has picked up new meanings. Depending on context, "sisu" can refer to spunk, attitude, self-confidence, and so on. However, sisu is not bravery, nor strength, and needs to be distinguished from courage, especially when talking about the military. In contrast, sisu is an ability to finish the task and get things done, as defined by Roman Schatz in his book From Finland with Love (2005). Usually sisu means will and decisiveness to get the things done against impossible odds, or to succeed when given the chinaman's chance. An example of sisu in sports could be evening up 5-1 loss into 5-5 draw in ice hockey game on third period and then score the winning goal on overtime.

Sisu can be either good or bad; the usual meaning is good. Bad sisu (Finnish paha sisu) means malice combined with ruthlessness and implacability: it means relentless strive for mischief, persecution and vengeance. It is in a sense the mirror image of good sisu. The verb sisuuntua refers to getting angry, but with an element of determination and even being unforgiving. The idiom meni sisu kaulaan "the sisu went to the neck" returns to the original meaning, "innards"; "get a lump in one's throat", as in become too intimidated to act.

In Finland, there's a well-known saying that the Finnish culture can be condensed in three s's: "sisu, sauna and Sibelius". Also three s's in "sisu, sauna and salmiakki. (The Finnish name of Finland, Suomi, also starts with an s).

External Link

• Washington Post: The Finnish Line (article about Finnish renowned fortitude and resilience)