An article in the New York Times by Lizette Alvarez relates how Turo Herala, a theater director, tried to bring "anger venting" classes to Helsinki but his efforts failed.
He said that Finland suffers from some of the world's highest rates of suicide, depression and alcoholism, and that anger in Finland is a bigger taboo than sex. Self-control in Finland is very important. You cannot show anger; it means that you can't cope. If a person is very temperamental and alive, expresses emotions like anger and happiness, the person is seen as infantile.
Some would say this taciturnity has served Finland well, particularly during the Cold War. Finns also cringe over compliments. They don't dole them out and they don't take them in. As part of a group therapy exercise, they were asked to name one thing they each could do well. No reply. When the people in the group were asked to give someone else a compliment, they couldn't.
Ingrained with modesty, Finns are almost physically unable to boast or show off. They cannot self-promote - it is considered a sin. Liisa Keltikangas-Jarvinen, a professor of psychology at the Univ. of Helsinki, said that she receives American resumés and cannot help but view them suspiciously. She said she feels shame when she reads those 'excellent' portfolios.
June
He said that Finland suffers from some of the world's highest rates of suicide, depression and alcoholism, and that anger in Finland is a bigger taboo than sex. Self-control in Finland is very important. You cannot show anger; it means that you can't cope. If a person is very temperamental and alive, expresses emotions like anger and happiness, the person is seen as infantile.
Some would say this taciturnity has served Finland well, particularly during the Cold War. Finns also cringe over compliments. They don't dole them out and they don't take them in. As part of a group therapy exercise, they were asked to name one thing they each could do well. No reply. When the people in the group were asked to give someone else a compliment, they couldn't.
Ingrained with modesty, Finns are almost physically unable to boast or show off. They cannot self-promote - it is considered a sin. Liisa Keltikangas-Jarvinen, a professor of psychology at the Univ. of Helsinki, said that she receives American resumés and cannot help but view them suspiciously. She said she feels shame when she reads those 'excellent' portfolios.
June
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