Sisu is an unique Finnish concept. It's hard to translate it into one word: "perserverance" doesn't quite cover it all, "stubborness" is too radical because it implies a bloody-minded lack of thought, "determination" is pretty close but doesn't really include the reflective portion of the concept, an almost-zen moment of overcoming that last hesitation...or not.
It's literal translation is "having guts". It's courage of concept, in other words.
Earlier this week, I mentioned how Finland might be the spanard in the works for the reconciliation of the European Union's economic disparities: Greece, Ireland, Spain, Portugal and Italy and their flailing economies versus, well, the rest of the EU. The True Finns party won a surprising number of parliamentary seats, and could have put a damper on Finland's participation in any bailout (thus effectively ending the bailout).
Well, I'm pleased to say, sisu prevailed.
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