I first met my Finnish friend S in Shanghai. S doesn’t speak much, appearing to be a bit afraid of social awkwardness. Then I read a comic book named Finnish Nightmares: An Irreverent Guide to Life’s Awkward Moments, which shows readers many different scenarios that bring social anxiety to Finnish people through fun drawings. One example in the comic book shows how a Finnish person will think the bus is already full if every row has been occupied by one passenger.

The Finnish character in the comic book is just like my friend S, who is quirky and seems indifferent. But it doesn’t necessarily mean S is not feeling happy. We tend to hold the assumption that people who are happy will make all the noise they know and party like Latin Americans non-stop in a carnival. In our perception, happiness is coupled with laughter. But Finland is a country that enjoys silence. The Scandinavian country has topped the World Happiness Report for several years as the happiest country in the world. When visiting Finland, the impression that most people will get is Finland is very quiet. Perhaps, silence is the country’s preferred way of communication.

If you look at different types of country index, you will probably notice that Finland excels in education, social welfare, healthcare, etc., which makes it truly a role model among nations. In Finland, income tax is incredibly high. But that also means society’s overall wealth can be equally distributed, allowing the government to make use of tax to improve life quality in the country. When celebrating the 100th anniversary of its independence, Finland gave itself a special birthday gift: a library. This truly shows how much Finnish people value knowledge. Perhaps having knowledge and the freedom to pursue knowledge are the source of happiness for them. The library is so much more than a space that houses books. It was designed as a living meeting place of the city, encouraging people to do more things than reading books inthe library. Different workshops can be found in the library. Local residents can use sewing machines, 3D printers and even laser cutting machines through the workshops available in the library. Besides borrowing books, local residents can also borrow a variety of entertainment items from the library, including board games, iPads, earphones and more.

Finland is famous for its education. The book Finland Unveiled wrote about how learning for children in Finland can be incredibly fun while providing kids with the opportunity to expand their international outlook. For example, a Finnish school will use the national flag to teach proportion in a math class. This allows children to also learn geography while learning mathematics. Finland’s diverse education perhaps teaches Finnish people to be inclusive as well. United Nations’ World Happiness Report also takes the happiness of foreign immigrants into consideration. If even foreigners will feel happy in a particular society, then the locals will definitely love their life there. Knowledge comes from our life experiences. The boundary between learning and different subjects has been erased, inspiring Finnish people to think wild. This is perhaps the reason why Finland, home to only 5.5 million people, can be a robust hub of technology and design. Famous international brands such as Nokia, Marimekko and Iittala were all home-grown in Finland.

Photo courtesy of finnishnightmares' website

Finland’s happiness is even considered as the country’s soft power. The local tourism department had launched a free programme—Rent a Finn, for tourists get to know Finland’s happiness better through interaction with the locals. “Finnish people’s happiness comes from their close connection with nature,” a tour guide from Rent a Finn said. “Whenever I have questions that I cannot find answers to, I would turn to nature for answers.” Finland’s capital Helsinki is actually a small town surrounded by nature. You can escape the bustling city life with a 30-minute bus ride or ferry.

If you wish to experience the Finnish way of happiness, you can look up the Finnish word kalsarikännit. Lots of discussions can go into this word. Some people even wrote books that specifically talk about kalsarikännit. The word might appear to be vulgar at first since it can be directly translated as drinking in your underwear. It actually means “me time” for Finnish people, which they care the most. Drinking in one’s underwear means relaxing in the most comfortable environment. The local government even designed emojis for kalsarikännit. It is said that Finland is the first country to produce country-specific emojis inspired by national identity and culture.

We have been grown accustomed to being surrounded by people and looking at our phone all the time. We are having less and less quality time for ourselves. It is quite common for us to rely on others to bring happiness to us. Our happiness is established on others’ expectation, which can drastically change like the clouds in the sky, turning the sunny weather into a downpour. Finnish people’s kalsarikannit is a reminder that tells us we should try to have some me time and just be alone. Then the interference around us will gradually disappear. If a person can find happiness when he is alone, then that happiness cannot be easily taken away.

When Finnish journalist Miska Rantanen was writing about kalsarikännit in his book, he wrote that Kalsarikännit wants people to face their true self with total honesty. This is similar to travelling alone. When you are travelling alone, you might lose the fun of having a bunch people around, but you also attain soberness for yourself. This is a must-learn lesson for everyone in life.