Sisu: The Finnish Word for Willpower, Tenacity, and Perseverance
Guts, feelings, wars, marathons and power
Sisu is a Finnish word with an intriguing origin.
The word comes from the Finnish word "sisus," which means "guts" or "intestines." Daniel Juslenius, a Finnish bishop and linguist who created the first extensive Finnish-language dictionary, defined "sisucunda" in 1745 as the location in the human body from which strong emotions arise. Today, we know how important our guts is to our body, that it even works as our second brain, affecting even our emotions. However, having this information about 300 years ago, it is admirable to give this name to a word.
Sisu is also the concept by which Finnish people define themselves. Sisu philosophy empowered after while their independence from the Russian Empire in 1917 and then their victory in the Winter War with the Soviet Union in 1940. The New York Times published an article in 1940 as “Sisu: A Word that Explains Finland”.
Emilia Lahti is the most well-known researcher who primarily studies Sisu. She is interested in learning how people recover strength from adversity and emerge with a stronger sense of purpose and adaptability.
In 2018 she completed a 2400 km run and bicycle marathon across New Zealand to support the development of cultures that have zero tolerance for abuse in any form.
In her TEDX speech she gives keys about Sisu:
Also, Finding Sisu: In Search of Courage, Strength, and Happiness the Finnish Way, by Katja Pantzar gives practical info about adapting Sisu in our daily lives.
May the force of life be with us.