After our conversation about sisu, the distinctively Finnish term for “intestinal fortitude,” a listener of Finnish heritage from northern Wisconsin emails to illustrate the Finns’ understanding the word. Sisu, he says, requires more than just endurance; it requires overcoming strong external resistance to your effort. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “More About “Sisu””
We had a conversation a few weeks ago about the Finnish term sisu, meaning intestinal fortitude.
That’s right. The Finns all have fantastic fortitude.
Yes, yes. And we got further elucidation about that word from Benjamin Marne.
He’s a print artist in northern Wisconsin who actually operates under the name Sisu Press.
And he says, I’m from a Finnish immigrant community, and I’ve heard the word my whole life.
One thing worth mentioning is that what makes Sisu different than grit is that Sisu does not exist in a vacuum.
In order to invoke your Sisu, there must be resistance.
It doesn’t take Sisu to climb Mount Everest.
It takes Sisu to climb Mount Everest with a pack of hungry wolves on your tail and you have no weapon.
But you climb, you fight anyway.
I see. So you have to have a challenge.
Yeah.
Not a challenge you made for yourself, but a challenge the world threw at you.
Yeah, just extra, extra.
Yeah, gotcha.
