code dictionary

Finally we decided that instead of doing a protest, we will publish a book that is going to be something like a code dictionary.

Finland has the most vital rate!!

A brief abstract from the lecture "Measuring Mental Health and its differences in European countries, if there are any" from Sami Pirkola:
Finns are not more depressive than other Europeans.

By one hand Finland has the highest suicide rate,

but by the other hand Finland has the most vital rate!!

Transcriptions of yesterday meeting will probably be in the blog at the ends of next week.

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What part of me is genetically Finnish and what I learned socially by growing up in America

I was born in North Carolina, USA to Finnish parents. My parents moved to the States from Helsinki because of my father’s career when my older sister was a 2-year old in the 1970’s. They ended up staying in the country longer than expected, and continue to live there to this day.

I learned Finnish through hearing my parents speak to one another and from occasional meetings with our relatives. We would travel to Finland on summer holidays every few years to see family. But as soon as I entered school, English language took over my speech.

I was a very ‘Finnish’ child. I was shy and refused to smile to strangers or to a camera. This was a bit hard to explain to inquisitive Americans; people would often ask my mom if I was ill or upset. In school I was very shy and socially, I bloomed comparatively late to my American classmates. I was considered anti-social perhaps. I was also very close to my parents and maybe subconsciously preferred their behavior and demeanor. My older sister, on the other hand, had a sort of different experience with her American childhood. Perhaps because she came to the States as a 2-year old Finnish child, or because of personality differences in us, she really wanted to fit in with the ways of the American kids, in order to survive those years. She has much more embraced American culture than I.

Growing up, I was always stubbornly myself, and a true introvert. It wasn’t until I separated from home, went to University, and made new friends, who, maybe being of a higher maturity level could understand that a shy person, like myself at the time, was worth getting to know. And then, in turn, I loosened up and learned from friends that it’s okay to be goofy and to hang out with people even in a sort of superficial way. Who cares; life is short anyway. I just blossomed from there and have had wonderful relationships since then. I lived in New York City, met and made friends with people from all over the globe. I’ve traveled a lot and often felt more at home in European cities than in the States.

I moved to Helsinki a year ago out of curiosity, convenience, and a result of being bored of NYC and USA-living altogether. This year has been revelatory for me in many ways. Now I really understand better that the reason for my anti-social behavior as a child, was because I am Finnish. I rejected the American social habits initially… but now, I have to say that I am really glad that I was raised in the States. Now, I almost reject the shyness here because I feel like I’m regressing back to that behavior that I got over as an adolescent. In another way, I really appreciate the familiarity that exists here among Finns… something I always missed in America and didn’t even know it. People there are raised to be social, always around others, and working in groups. It is almost looked down on to be alone there. I do feel much more at home here because naturally I choose to be alone often.

Also, although I live here now, I try to speak Finnish, and would like to have more Finnish friends, it seems that most of my friends are still foreigners. I feel like I can’t be completely my sort-of-goofy-American-self when speaking Finnish; somehow it just doesn’t translate. I’ve talked to other part-Finnish, part-foreign people with similar frustrations. I have these conversations everyday it seems. Generally, it takes a long time to be ‘warmed up’ and ‘accepted’ by Finns. My relatives here are the same way. It’s taken a long time to become a part of their very routine-driven lives. I find a lack of spontaneous warmth in Finland. There is a general guardedness that is somewhat suffocating… but in other ways you get used to it and start to go along with that behavior yourself. I think over time perhaps I will figure out how to overcome that barrier with people here. After all, I do understand it because I was always the same way, and sort of unapproachable.

My parents, also, have changed as a result of their time in America. Now, when they come to Finland, they of course love and appreciate it here, but feel a bit foreign to the social habits. I’ve observed that, unlike, my relatives here, my immediate family is much closer, more spontaneous, and laugh more. If we had stayed as a family in Finland, I’m very sure that I would still be very shy and reserved.

There is very little room for social behavior change here. I notice it slowly changing though, as more foreigners visit and move here, and also as Finns move and travel abroad. Most Finns who have lived elsewhere, I’ve noticed, are a bit different.

All cultures have their own social habits. Some cultures, like Finland, have culturally been more isolated and therefore, slower to grow and change. I think all of this is a combination of genetic, environmental, and historic elements. I still can’t say for sure… but I’m sure there’s something in out genes…

Orvokki Halme
9.8.06

Sinisyys...

Summer makes us come out like flowers, happy and free. Wintertime is another story; it is a much bigger challange to show a happy face when its cold, wet and windy. Lack of sunlight and vitamin D makes us tired. Winter is more introvert time, summer is extrovert. Perhaps that’s the way, we follow the nature. Perhaps that makes us natural.

Could it be that as we see and realice the maddness of the world we have created, the least we can do if be sad and depressed about it. Is depression a healthy reaction to a sick world? Even if it is heavy, I would rather be sad about it than live in the shallow surface of material world.

I think that the Finnish history under the rule of Russia and Sweden has made us quite humble, making us feel we are somehow “lower-cast”. The same reason has also made us quite strong.

The last generations lived the war and famin and it was not that long ago. Things have changed so fast, that our souls have had a hard time catching up. Pace is fast and as we try to keep up, we have forgotten to live. Forgotten that life is for living and not for serving technology and money and more and more. Our souls need feeding, as without if dries. It’s fine as long as you keep running after more, when nothing is enough, we are never enough. But if you stop, or more often if and when life makes you stop, you can see your soul a size of a rasin, where do you stand? What else can follow but depression...

Depression is a serious illness and has to be treated. It is an illness as anyother . How can we have such a mystified picture about if when at the same time we are flodded with information about this that and the other. We talk about all our aches and pains, but when it comes to an illness of the head, we dare not say. We keep if under the table where it grows until it bangs its head on it and spills our coffee.

My dear brother took his own life when he was only 24 yars old, after a short period of depression.

I was angry whis my society and blamed it for demanding so much of young men. Get a good and accepted education and job, or you are not worthy. I guess he was in a dark tunnel where he saw no light at the end of it. I declared war against Finnland and left abroad for many years. One day I had to return to dig deeper into the roots, to try to understand.

Finnish people have a natural nature-connection. But somehow that has become less appreciated and other things have become more fashionable. We are a bit lost and don’t even ask what is the meaning of life. I try to remind myself that I am here to learn what it is to be a humanbeing, with everything that comes with it. Happy, sad, silly, clever, stupid, selfish, emphatic, brave, scared and blue. Human.

-Ira Tirinen-
Finland

Two Finns in Tokyo

I was visiting my japanese friend Masaki in Japan two years ago with another friend of mine (a Finn). We had met Masaki in Finland while he was studying here. In Japan we were staying at his parents place, where he as well was living. It is quite normal in crowded Tokyo that
people at almost their 30´s still live with their parents.
Masakis parents were extremely nice and hospital. They took us to see nice places, offered us lovely meals and even gave us some small presents. We tried our best to show how gratefull we are. They didn´t understand that much english but they knew words like "thank you" for
sure. We learnt some japanese words. We knew for example how to say that the food is delicious. Because of the lack of the words we tried to use more body language that we normally do in Finland. I was smiling all the time so much that my cheeks were hurting.It almost felt like faking.
After a week or so Masaki told us that he had had serious conversation with his parents. They wanted to know what is wrong with me and my friend. Why are we unhappy? Are we home sick? Masaki told us that he had tried to tell his parents even before we arrived about he´s
experiences about finns and how we differ from japanese. Still they were sure that we are not having good time at all and we are unhappy.
I'm still wondering what in our behaviour make them to missundertand us so totally.

Kaisa Kontio

More documents about Menthal Health in the European Union

Here are more documents showing that Finns are not more depressive or pessimistic about their lives than other Eueopeans. Why then, still, this cliché about Finns? Might it be a cultural misconception?

Kovess, V. and “The State of Mental Health in The European Union” collaborators. The State of Mental Health in the European Union. European Communities, 2004

http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph_projects/
2001/monitoring/fp_monitoring_2001_frep_06_en.pdf

The European Opinion Research Group. Eurobarometer 58.2: “The Mental Status of Europe population 2002”. Brussels, April 2003.

http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/health/
ph_determinants/life_style/mental_eurobaro.pdf

Finns do not suffer from depression more than other Europeans

There is research evidence indicating that Finns do not suffer from depression or would be more
pessimistic about their life than other Europeans.

You may wish to take a look at cross European data at: http://info.stakes.fi/mindful/FI/etusivu.htm

By clicking "indicators" you will find all sorts of info that can be summarised like this: Finns commit more suicides, have more problems with alcohol than other Europeans, but they are no more depressed and are as optimistic/have as good self-esteem as other Europeans. Suicide rate has been decreasing and the rate has been previously associated with use of alcohol.