According to the results ofWorld Happiness Report, Finland was awarded the top title based on criteria such as GDP per capita, social support, social freedom, healthy life expectancy, generosity and corruption levels. The report also asked people to rate their own happiness levels and collected their opinions.
"I was curious what Finns think about the supposedly happy life here. So I went to the two cities of Helsinki and Lapland in this country and asked 10 random people on the street, of all ages, what the key to their happiness was," - journalist Rachel Hosie began to share.
First person: “The government supports us a lot, but we still have freedom.”
“Happiness doesn’t mean everyone is walking around laughing. It just means everyone is satisfied with everything and content with their lives,” Heidi said.
“Society provides a lot of support and great benefits, but we still have complete freedom to decide what we want. A great welfare system follows us from birth to death, but it doesn't feel too intrusive.”
“I have the life I want. I love the work-life balance, and the opportunity to be close to nature is always there. Finns are not good at expressing their emotions, we are just content with the present.”
Second person: “I'm not sure either.”
Honna also thinks like Heidi, that Finnish happiness comes from inner contentment and peace.
However, she also added that she really doesn't know why Finland is always at the top of the list of the happiest countries in the world, and she is "not sure" whether she is happy or not.
Third person: “Nobody wants to complain”
Sina said she was happy, but she didn't know why. She guessed that many other Finns were the same, they just admitted they were happy so they wouldn't have to complain.
Fourth person: “Finns never lie”
Behzad is a Pakistani immigrant who came to Lapland to study in 2013 and later moved to Helsinki. Behzad said he believes Finns are genuinely happy, but “most of them are very reserved” and don’t talk much to strangers.
Behzad is now a Finnish citizen and is very satisfied with his life here. He appreciates the financial support from the Finnish government and comments that the people are very honest.
“Most of them are very punctual and extremely productive,” Behzad added.
Fifth person: “I have a happy family and always have good books to read.”
Mrs. Silke asserts that it is simple pleasures that make her happy.
“I am happy because I have a good husband, good children and grandchildren, good books to read,” she smiled, “I am having a good life.”
Sixth person: “It's mostly because of alcohol.”
Juho, a middle-aged man, quickly assumed that Finns were happy because they liked alcohol and drank to feel happy.
Seventh person: “We don't have a big difference in income.”
“Of course we have democracy. We also have very good health care, and there is not much difference in income levels. Social security is also excellent.”
“Plus, the education system in Finland is one of the best in the world,” says Kimmo. “Everyone has access to school, and they have the right to decide for themselves how much education they want to receive.”
The eighth person: “We have equal rights since birth”
Greeta agrees with Kimmo: the Finnish education system is very good, and since university is free, everyone is equal.
“We all had the same opportunities from birth. We all received a good education, and there were very few private schools,” she said.
Ninth person: “Everyone gets free health care”
Marja believes that Finland's happiness comes from everyone having equal health care, because everything is free.
Tenth person: “It seems happier in my homeland than in Finland”
Francis, an immigrant from Kenya, is not sure whether Finns are happy. He thinks people in his home country seem happier than here.
Francis asserted that the welfare system in Finland is very good and the quality of life is high, “but human emotions cannot be measured by these things,” he said.
Winter swimming (ice swimming) - a traditional Finnish outdoor activity for health improvement.
After a week in Finland, I finally understood. Finns are not cheerful and lively, not the type of people who always have a big smile on their face or are full of enthusiasm. But people really feel peaceful and satisfied with their lives. And they don’t need to prove this to anyone.
I don't think there's any particular reason for that inner happiness, but everything combined creates a balanced and healthy life.
And thanks to the wine, of course.
That is the conclusion of journalist Rachel Hosie.
