Journal:Tiltai
Volume 87, Issue 2 (2021): Volume 87, pp. 136–150
Abstract
The Finnish concept of sisu is a phenomenon in Nordic culture that has existed for 500 years in the Finnish nation. This cultural construct, a kind of lifestyle, a kind of ideology of life, enables the development of a persevering, balanced, enduring, resilient, healthy and harmonious personality. The sisu phenomenon inspires one to persevere, and to fight for success despite difficulties, even when it seems that the limits of human power have already been reached. The Nordic cultural construct of sisu has been linked with mental toughness and resilience, and good physical and mental health. There are elements that help to develop sisu in the individual and in society. They include the mindfulness of nature, physical activity, positivity, relaxation and recreation, withdrawal and stepping back, task fragmentation, leaving the comfort zone, and reward for completing a task. All of these are important elements for developing perseverance and inner strength, or sisu.
The Nordic Baltic region (5+3) is now closely interlinked via trade, investment, mobility of people, and banking. All the countries in this group have pursued some form of integration with the European Union (EU). Six of them are EU member states, four of them are members of the euro area, and all of them are within the European Economic Area (EEA) and are Schengen member states. But can these small countries as a group cooperate more closely and perhaps exercise more collective authority in Europe? The Nordic countries and the Baltic States cooperate in the Bretton Woods institutions, the World Bank and the IMF, and six of them are among European NATO member states. When it comes to European integration the lack of common approach complicates their cooperation. Within this group there are internal divisions between the hardcore EU and euro area member states (the Baltics and Finland), EU members (Denmark and Sweden) and EU outsiders (Iceland and Norway). Common pathways for the future cooperation in Europe may be hard to find. Also, the Nordics are high income welfare states, but the Baltics are neoliberal with minimal governments and low-tax regimes. Additionally, external forces continue to challenge the Nordic Baltic region, including revanchist Russian policies threatening Baltic Sovereignty, unpredictable US policies towards NATO as well as reduced military presence in Europe, and dismal EU and euro area post crisis economic performance. All point to a future of uncertainty including both economic and security risks.