pjarmala198110
15866
314
7
Humor
Mar 20, 2026 8:14 AM
pjarmala198110
15866
314
7
Humor
TungstenOrbital
Interesting
CandidGamera
Finns are a great illustration of the difference between "happy" and "content". (in that sense I think the study should call it "contentment" not happiness)
Akaszkronos
Well, they don't have to be happy about it.
CALAMOSCOPYJANE
All the happiness in your country isn’t worth anything if the rest of the world is going to shit. If there’s a World War III, nobody’s gonna be happy.
FiftyShadesOfCauliflower
"Most content country" or "least stressed and worried country" might be a better way of framing it. Humans and other animals didn't evolve to be truly happy for extended time periods. We wouldn't even bother getting out of bed in the morning if we were blissfully happy all the time.
IakobZ
Skuggen
Everyone else: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/StepfordSmiler
fishbicyclerepairman
Kimi Raikkonen is fucking hilarious
Dawgsarethebestpeople
They aren't happy because whoever took the photo is too close, give them space or a sauna and they'll thrive!
RandomFinnishPerson
Being happy is not shown with smiles.
NKato
"Liberty is freedom from fear."
- Some Scandinavian dude.
hsalonen3000
The guy in the first picture is actually a famous comedian here in Finland. The image is from a comedy sketch "one thousand mark bill".
AlexSomething
Smiling =/= being happy.
Similarly, you can be depressive and suicidal and still find it possible to laugh your ass off.
Happiness is deeper than just an expression on your face. Especially when they rank countries, it's more about access to healthcare, safety, housing, etc. than just having a big smile on your face.
Sakkura
True, but the world happiness report's definition of happiness is also debatable. To some extent, these lists give you what you ask for, rather than objective truth. That being said, I for one am very content living in Scandinavia.
brandsilven
A poll worker doing in-person polling found out that Finns are all "Quite happy", especially with the poll worker "staying where they are and not coming closer."
LadyGreybird
Sisu
OozingRabbit
You guys don't know Finns like I do. Guy on the left is straight up having the best orgasm from a blowjob given by Hamasaki Rio and the guy on the right, just found out he won 999999 billions in the mega lottery.
fredhoffman1968
Finnish him
FentuckyCriedKhicken
It says “the happiest country”, the country probably is all high and partying, who said the people in the country should be happy?
usingYourMomAsAHat
PERKELE!
FuckingTurtleBear
great band too
Haemaelaeinen
Swedish band tho. From Göteborg. Afaik members have Finnish roots in some way (parents etc Finnish maybe).
Sebastopol140
Leave him alone, he knows what he's doing.
hereforthememes420
Bwoah
Hoopdajon
Gloves! Gloves! Somebody tell him to give me my gloves!!
mcbotulism
He was having a shit.
Hoopdajon
https://media4.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1aHUwdGdhZzJrZ3AwdGJqd3JjMjFnM3BmbDR0dHRvc2Y0czJ1MXI1cSZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/xMPYKtaasMUhsFAnxw/200w.webp
HisRoyalMajestyKingV
That's their Happy faces. Would you prefer to see their Mildly Disappointed faces?
dsnowball
By their definition of happiness, they're not looking for country 'most loaded with lolipop and sunshine' rather, countries that make the people most content. "What more would you need to think you have everything you need in life?" and Finland goes "Nah, got it. Don't need nothing else." So not everyone in Finland's jumping up and down celebrating life, but nobody in Finland's thinking "damn. I can't make it this month." Which counts for a lot.
Haemaelaeinen
A lot of us is thinking I am not making it this month. I couldn't even pay the bills on time this month. And I have at least a job. Our government is taking everything away from the sick and poor and benefiting the rich. We are fucking miserable. But we roll with the punches because what else are we supposed to do?
KingYinzer
BWOAH
PostHartmann
Obligatory.
Seethreepeeoh
Yeah yeah, really funny, pick a photo of a Fin when they're not smiling like when you've become world champion
Fanner50
Just because people are smiling ‘like a possum eating shit out of a haibrush’ does not mean they’re happy.
alt86er
*politely laughs in service industry*
UncleRat
So, what country is the saddest?
ElusiveThing
Afghanistan.
Seethreepeeoh
The one with the most spent on therapy per capita in US$
Silent1fd
Almost like everyon else gets it for free... :P
BlackTrashTiger
Who are these two people?
Noonius
left one is a character from a 90's Finnish comedy show Kummeli, the right one is Kimi Räikkönen, a Formula One world champion. Kimi is one of those extremely rare type of people with a godly talent who just liked driving a car really really fast, and didn't give a single fuck about any of the glamour and politics of the F1 world. Youtube has plenty of compilations of him
jeejeejerrycotton
The one on the left is the late musician and "comedian" in TV and film (extremely popular in his day but also extremely unfunny) Heikki Silvennoinen; the one on the right is Kimi Räikkönen, one of the foremost Formula 1 (it's like Indycar racing only less boring but still really fucking boring) drivers ever.
alt86er
TBH, it was kinda interesting for as long as stuff still happened on the tracks. But teams strategizing/optimizing their asses off, leading to a shit load of things being basically decided by when to do a pit stop or how much fuel to take and then seeing the same drivers win basically almost all races kinda killed my interest entirely. If nothing ever happens on the track any more, it really becomes like the infamous description: 22 guys drive in circles and at the end always the same guy wins.
NotoriousBadassWhoLovesMusicals
How dare you say the late Heikki Silvennoinen is unfunny, he’s a national treasure!
terronium12
Unexpected Iceman was unexpected. God, I miss Kimi.
DoktorFist
"Well, you know this is just sort of a hobby for me so if I don't want to do it anymore I can just stop"
100PercentOrganicCringe
The Nordics do really well in the World happiness reports. All of them are consistently in the top 10 - in fact they've consistently held most or all of the top 5 in the last ten years. (There are five Nordic countries: Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland)
TheFastpaws
You win the lottery being born in the Nordics. You lose the lottery being born in the US.
Haemaelaeinen
The thing is, everything is going to utter shit here in Finland. I don't know who they ask these questions because most of us are pretty miserable or at least have vapid feelings about anything. Although that is the one unique trait Finnish have, I think, to be able to be content when we have barely the basics to live. Has been that way always, no matter who rules or what happens we just keep on trucking.
DarthAndy
Yeah, but each and every one of you are happy compared to other Finns though...
freezingpilot
How do I get a green card for any of the Nordic countries?
ExTechOp
In the last few years, right-wing parties have made it quite hard, but it is possible: https://migri.fi/en/i-want-to-apply
emu314159127001
Finland is different, though. Little bit
TripleDane
could it be that we value support to vulnerably in our society ? could it be we invest in the eduation of our future kids. could it be strong regulations to protect consumers...
No hard individuealisme and unregulated capitalism is best - us conservatives
JustinArnold
I....wish i lived there. Sadly, with my health issues and lack of funds...im gonna be lucky to ever move one town over, let alone to the other side of the globe....
Skuggen
And in a definitely freak coincidence, we also rank high in how socialist and progressive we are
Sebastopol140
But you know "sOCiaLiSM bAD!", heh?
Skuggen
I mean, yes, obviously we're all brainwashed by bolshevik agents and are living in squalor and misery while parasite immigrants steal both our jobs and our social services. On the other hand I'm not one broken leg away from bankruptcy, and if my employer starts being too unreasonable my union offers free legal assistance.
ricpaul
Can you imagine how happy they'd be in a corporate dictatorship like the USA!!!
pgdave
Both the Left and the Right in the US point to their success as evidence for their policies. The Left says that it's because of the high rates of socialized wealth distribution, the Right says it's because of the homogenously white society enabling better economic outcomes. The Left is correct, but I suspect that if the Nordic countries experienced the kind of diversity that the US has, they'd likely shut down the socialism (evidence suggests that to be true).
Haemaelaeinen
US's problem is that it was founded on slavery and racism. Not diverse population. If that country wasn't so fucking systematically racist it would be a fucking utopia. But the whole premise of the country is flawed and these past years have just taken off the veneer of civilisation.
junkgoof
Swedes tend to be patronizing toward immigrants, not murderous.
damogen
1/3 people in Sweden has at least one parent from another country.
pgdave
And how many of those parents from other countries are from nordic countries, or EU countries?
damogen
How many foreigners in USA are from Mexico and Canada?
I'm pretty sure the cultural differences between Spain and Sweden is bigger than between Mexico and Texas. Texas was once part of Mexico after all.