What do Finns do that Americans don’t do?
For the 8th consecutive year, Finland, a country of 5.6 million people, holds first place on the World Happiness Report as the happiest country in the world, while the United States has fallen to an all-time low of 24th. Motivated by the mysterious, consistent happiness rating, along with her expertise in verbal, non-verbal, and multimodal communication, Dr. Candice Genine Simmons is determined to unpack the root of this alleged Finnish happiness, especially since the first Finn she ever met responded to the rating by saying, “I don’t think we’re that happy.”
In Finland, midsummer to them is like Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day, all packed into one holiday. Finns come out of the woodwork, or perhaps go back into the woodwork, a.k.a. the sauna. Even though their summer is short-lived, they know how to live a satisfying, content life. Finns are clearly doing something right. Even though other Scandinavian countries are close, Finland reigns supreme yet again. Since Finland has been consistently happy, it’s time to figure out not only what they do in their daily existence that gives them this deep life satisfaction and contentment, but also what we can do, to increase our overall happiness.
Hello Finland, my old friend, I’ve come to learn from you again
In 2025 alone, Dr. Simmons has traveled to Finland 3 times to get answers. Her happiness research, as well as her personal interest in positive psychology and her goals to study, understand, and share that happiness, are what drive her to offer workshops and coaching to establish best practices for continued happiness and sustainable life satisfaction for her students and clients. Dr. Shawn Achor, positive psychology expert, explains that we increase our “happiness advantage” and our productivity at work when our brains are wired in positivity, ultimately creating “positive genius.”
Since 2000, Simmons has been teaching a range of communication studies, rhetoric and writing, literature, public speaking, journalism, and film courses. Her teaching and research within multimodal communication, coupled with her interest in happiness and positive psychology, are what drive her personal and professional passion in pursuing a different lens to view and create happiness through meaningful communication. Having earned a doctorate in Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies, she is a comparativist by nature. Her research and current practices connect her interest in language and culture with a commitment to contributing positively to the cultural climate in which she finds herself as both a local and global citizen.
Self-proclaimed introverts
Simmons has noted some fundamental differences between Finns and Americans, and so much of this stems from interpersonal communication and the performativity of language:
- directness
- honesty
- small talk
- silence
- expressiveness
- superlatives
- digital communication
- nonverbal communication
- interpretation of being friendly
Culture. Connections. Community.
Simmons has noted the following so far about Finns vs. Americans. Comparatively less outward show of happiness, less small talk and eye contact, fewer immediate, more superficial friendships, more directness and honesty, understated and reserved minimal gestures, micro expressions, rather than enthusiastic, broad facial expressions.
Yet there is a quiet confidence, a modest presence, and an undercurrent of peace about Finns, however subtle and nuanced. And then, there are bird sounds piped into the public bathrooms to make it a more pleasant experience, abundant sweets, especially licorice and ice cream, considerably lower background music in restaurants and bars so that people can actually have a conversation without yelling at one another, an education system that promotes well-being, balance, student-centric methods, curiosity, autonomy, and equity, increased privacy, and all things considered, lifelong bonds within their communities.
The difference between happiness and contentment
Simmons has found that Finnish happiness looks more like life-satisfaction/contentment. While it is not the Disney level of happiness she expected it would be, that happiness rises like the steam in a sauna, and there are three factors that add to what she has come to recognize as the fundamentals of this happiness:
- Nature
- Sauna culture
- Meaningful communication
Interestingly, not one of those registered on the World Happiness Report, which uses the following criteria to determine which countries are the happiest overall: GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom to make life choices, generosity, perceptions of corruption. From there, the world happiness ranking is based on life evaluation questions, the Cantril Ladder, using data collected by the Gallup World Poll, from more than 140 countries. These introspective and reflective questions address life evaluation and life satisfaction:
- One question asks people to rate their life on a 0-10 scale, “from the worst possible life to the best possible” (0-10).
- Another question asks, “Overall, how satisfied are you with your life nowadays,” from not at all to completely (0-10).
- A telling question asks about Eudaemonia “the sense of meaning and purpose in a person’s life.” To that point, participants are asked, “Overall, to what extent do you feel the things you do in your life are worthwhile?” from not at all to completely (0-10).
Perception versus Reality
Ironically, the majority of Finns who Simmons has interviewed so far about happiness, don’t necessarily consider themselves to be outwardly happy, yet their life satisfaction questions are clear; Finns are organically, naturally happy/content.
Dr. Ruut Veenhoven, godfather of the World Happiness Report, argued that happiness trainings could help increase happiness. That is where Simmons comes in, offering workshops, mentoring, and coaching to offer best practices for sustainable happiness and life satisfaction. In her 2024 communication with Dr. Veenhoven, he told her that her research presents a novel comparison in the study of happiness through communication styles across cultures, labeling her research as a “new perspective in happiness studies” and that “communicative ability is part of social competence, which is a strong correlate of happiness.” Communication models can either hinder or help people connect, which applies to the business sector in so many ways. Life and job satisfaction are inextricably tied.
Nature. Sauna. Communication.
All of this translates directly into 3 distinct characteristics of Finnish life:
NATURE – no matter what the weather is doing, people are outside. The importance of cabin life, with outhouses, maybe the luxury of running water, limited cell service, and chores to contribute to the household
SAUNA CULTURE – being able to be truly present, to walk away from real life, to step away from technology, into a place that keeps politics, religion, and finances out of conversations. A large, wooden box or tent that detoxifies in more ways than one
MEANINGFUL COMMUNICATION – although seemingly reticent at first, Finns are very social with the people whom they know and trust, creating lifelong bonds. The conversations move away from the surface to reach deeper
Onnelinen or Iloinen?
In her first trip to Finland, Simmons learned the distinction between two words: Onnelinen, which aligns best with being satisfied and content and Iloinen, which aligns best with being overjoyed, blissful. Finns appear to align best with the concept of onnelinen.
If Americans can take a page out of Finland’s playbook, it would be their midsummer mindset, to spend more time in nature and the sauna (or another space that gives an opportunity to disconnect from technology and connect with other humans), and ultimately work on, nourish, and thrive within close communities that embody belongingness and connectedness, in order to create meaningful communication. What more important thing can there be other than that?
Connect with Dr. Candice Genine Simmons to continue the conversation, to explore happiness/life satisfaction coaching, and/or to discuss a fully immersive Finnish cabin opportunity.
Here is a look at Dr. Simmons’ TEDx talk on technology and communication:
