Europe’s most content complainers

Never mind the kind of winter we are having in Finland, the weather is always either too cold or too warm. When it’s too warm, there is no white Christmas. When the temperature is below -15 degrees Celsius trains run late and even the dog needs to put on a winter coat. During an economic upswing we suffer from health problems relating to our high standard of living. When the economy crashes jobs run out, and so does money and patience. Look at it as you like, there is always something wrong with the picture. The Finns surely know how to complain.

Sometimes we moan about shortage of workforce and welcome immigrants to relieve the urgent need. When something negative happens, such as the Sello mall shooting, immigrants are the first ones to be sent right back to wherever they came from. No wonder even the sane ones begin to ponder what’s happening here. What are we actually looking for? Do we really need to whine about everything all the time?

Think of Denmark, which in European-wide research is often highlighted as the country of the world’s most content people. The social structure of Denmark is similar to that of Finland. But attitudes are different. The Finns are suspicious. Couldn’t things always be a bit better? So, there is a good point in complaining.

One should utilize the complaining potential of the Finns. If we know how to complain, we should also know how to come up with constructive solutions for making our lives better. So, our problem is not that we complain, but that we are not able to make the most out of our complaints. Critical feedback is generally justified. One has to learn to listen to it. And act upon it.
 
Actually, all is well around here. At least equally well as with the Danish. Besides, we are allowed to and know how to complain. And if we are able to channel our complaining in the correct way, we have a chance of affecting our living environment positively. And that means that things can only get better. So, there you go – what a sensible goal for the new year: to make sure that by the end of the year Europe’s most content complainers live in Finland.

Communications Officer, Finnfacts