It’s something we all aspire to be: happy. You are the creator of your own happiness, but sometimes it’s not that easy. Sadly, there’s no manual for it. I asked a Finnish student what we could learn from the happiest people on earth.

The happiest people on earth
As stated in the World Happiness Report of 2022, the Finnish take the honor of being the happiest people on the globe. This report is based on individuals’ own assessments of their lives. But why do the Finns take the crown? According to many articles on the internet, it has everything to do with breathtaking landscapes, forests, lakes, and wildlife. Going outside into the clean air has been long known to make a person feel happier. It also mentions Finnish culture and their ‘relaxed’ way of life. The Finns are more laid-back and at peace. The low crime levels contribute to a safer and happier society, and the great school system brings out good results and more opportunities for students. There’s even a Finnish saying that goes: ‘Being born in Finland is like winning the jackpot’. Now, this all sounds like a dream. But is life in Finland really like a fairytale, or is our image of the Finns completely wrong? 

A Finnish point of view
Inka is one of the international students at the HAN. Does she consider herself one of the happiest people on the globe? She immediately answered no. “I don’t think so, happiness is very hard to measure. The data they use for the analysis is based more on practical things, rather than mental health.” Why does she think Finland scores the highest on the report? “It’s probably because the circumstances are quite good in Finland. It’s a safe place by all means, and the people get great support from the government. A lot of stuff, like education and school lunches, is free. There is a lot of nature and space, whereas there are not many people.”

The Netherlands is a country quite familiar with social issues like pressure to perform, burnout, and depression. “That’s actually not very different from the situation in Finland,” Inka answered, “we also have a lot of suicides, people struggling with depression, etcetera. At the moment there’s a shortage of nurses, so a lot of people are seeking help but not receiving it.”

While I was taking in this new perspective, and realizing that my last question probably cannot be answered, I asked anyway: “what do you think we could learn from the Finns about happiness?” And as expected, Inka’s answer was: “I really don’t know, haha!”

Some ‘wise’ words
Well, it seems like the Finns can’t tell us how to be happy. Such a shame, right? I think what we can take from this is that you can’t measure happiness that easy. Many is just luck, being born in a safe country, getting support, having a lovely family, and having money to spend. Happiness has to come from within, it has to come from you living the life that you love. Don’t know how to? Neither do I, but let’s start with being thankful for what we have and keeping ourselves busy with things that give us energy.