These 4 phrases help Finns to be the happiest people in the world

For the past nine years, Finland has confirmed its position as the world's happiest country - at least according to the World Happiness Report, which each year collects the opinions of the world's inhabitants on their well-being and perceived happiness.

The record held by this northern European country is prompting more and more people to ask what the Finns' jealously guarded "secret of happiness" is, and whether there is anything we too can do every day, on our own scale, to bring more happiness into our lives.

The first secret, if we look at the Finnish way of life, is not to chase happiness at all costs: as one study has shown, the more we chase happiness, the less happy we actually are.

A large part of Finns' happiness depends on their perceived level of well-being and security, the good quality of life and the infrastructure that the state makes available to its citizens - but there's more to it than that.

Culture and values also play a key role in how we deal with life and the unexpected - and in this respect, our beloved Finns seem to be masters.

Here are a few proverbs and mottos linked to happiness on which the Finns base their existence, and which we too can introduce into our lives to make it happier.

"When you have happiness, it's better to hide it"
This motto by Finnish poet Eino Leino (1878-1926) urges us to avoid ostentatious displays of success and wealth - something everyone does in Finland.

In Finland, it's rare to see luxury cars parked on the streets, or people wearing designer clothes costing hundreds of euros.

Even in the most affluent parts of the cities, wealthy people tend to drive small cars and wear clothes that aren't excessively expensive.

"The pessimist will never be disappointed"
Our unhappiness stems in fact from the gap between the life we imagine and the life that actually happens to us: we'd like things to happen a certain way, and we're unhappy when they don't.

We'd like the people around us to behave according to our way of thinking, and we're disappointed when we see them make choices that run counter to our vision of life.

In other words, we have high expectations of events and people - expectations that, inevitably, are disappointed because life never follows our plans (and all the better for it!).

"Everyone is the forger of his or her own happiness"
This motto has its roots in the fatalism of ancient Rome, where everyone was considered responsible for and the architect of their own destiny, and it reminds us that we must commit ourselves to forging our own happiness every day.

Rather than passively waiting for something to happen, for the ideal conditions for our well-being and happiness to manifest themselves, let's make a concrete commitment to ensure that our successes are achieved and that our goals are realized.

Let's bring about the events that can lead us to happiness, by assuming our responsibilities and becoming the protagonists of our lives.

"Some have happiness, everyone has summer"
The last motto we propose in this article refers once again to the coexistence, within our existence, of events we can control and others that are beyond our control, and about which we have no cause for anxiety.

While there are many aspects of our lives that we can influence or change, there are also many things that we simply can't control, and for which there's no point in getting exhausted or angry about.

It's pointless to envy those who, at the moment, are happy while we're going through a difficult period. If we're experiencing pain today, we can always count on one thing: sooner or later, summer will come for all of us.

The most common mistake is to think that Finnish happiness can be imported as a recipe. In reality, what works there can't always be transposed elsewhere. We can't reproduce a social protection system or a level of collective trust built up over decades in just a few years. Similarly, we can't imitate a lifestyle shaped by highly specific climatic and cultural conditions.

On the other hand, we can observe certain basic attitudes: sobriety in consumption, less obsession with the social comparative, the ability to accept uncertainty without transforming it into permanent anxiety. These are adaptable elements, which do not require us to change countries, but to adjust, at least in part, our day-to-day approach. Rather than copying, we need to filter and translate.

Happiness, understood as an emotion, is by nature unstable and intermittent. Well-being, on the other hand, is a broader and more enduring condition, creating the foundations for happiness to emerge with greater continuity. In this sense, Finland is not so much the "happiest" country as one where it is easier to live without a constant burden of stress, precariousness and mistrust.
 

(©GreenMe.it 2026 / Managing Editor: Malvina Parker - The Global Lifestyle / Pic: ©Unsplash)