Finland is often considered to be a nation of introverts, and the Finnish people are usually the first to make fun of themselves about it. "An introverted Finn looks at his shoes when talking to you," goes a popular Finnish joke about their personality types. "An extroverted Finn looks at your shoes.”
You don't need to be from The Land of the Midnight Sun, however, to appreciate Finnish Nightmares, a series of funny comics created by Finnish artist Karoliina Korhonen. After all, who doesn't feel at least a tiny bit of social anxiety when standing in an elevator with a stranger? Or what about that awkward moment when you accidentally touch the salesperson while collecting your change? A real horror story for the anti-social Finn. See below for more examples of socially awkward situations that all Scandinavian people and introverts, no matter where they're from, will relate to.
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Finnish Nightmares
Finnish Nightmares
Finnish Nightmares
I can't take a compliment either for some reason... I just play it off and change the subject...
Finnish Nightmares
I'm usually the one who wants to move, but I don't want the person next to me to feel like this so I don't... :D
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But you're also happy that you can now look in a range of ~125 degrees
This makes my entire life. I get pissed when there IS space and someone still sits next to me
Actually, I'm the person who moves away... Just because I enjoy and rather being at the window seat... Listening to trance songs and thinking about life...
This is an extroverted person's nightmare. A true introvert will be relieved bcause we wouldve done the same.
Surely _this_ isn't a Finnish nightmare. The nightmare is when someone sits next to you even though there's an empty seat across the aisle.
BUT, if THEY sit themselves down right next to you AND there's a vacant seat away from you like that, you'll wonder what's wrong with THEM. LOL
I do that all the time, but when someone do that to me, I feel horrible :D
In an airplane, I would consider myself lucky and delighted to have 2 seats to myself!!!
Ok, so Finns don't understand that other Finns are Finns too. Lol? Remember "personal space"?
This is the only one I don't agree with. Getting more personal space is a welcome relief.
Descretly trying to detect any trace of coffee breath or BO. lol
I used to live in Plymouth and found people so standoffish they would cross the road as they approached you on the pavement whether acquaintance or stranger. At a water sports fair I went to every time I approached a stall to buy a wetsuit the girl minding the stall would disappear so I ended up buying a wetsuit from the only business exhibiting there that was minded by a the owner. Businesses tended to employ unqualified and inexperienced school leavers rather than more mature experienced people or qualified people and wondered why they had fourth rate staff.
Im the one who wants to move to the open seat but doesnt for fear itll make the person next to me think they are the reason I moved lol
happened to me last time and she sat next to another person ... I assumed it was because I accidently touched her with my elbow. lol
Finnish Nightmares
Finnish Nightmares
Finnish Nightmares
or just pray to all the gods that someone else has the same stop as you and wait for them to yell.
Finnish Nightmares
Also when you run into someone you know unexpectedly. Sometimes I pretend to not see them and get away.
Finnish Nightmares
Finnish Nightmares
Finnish Nightmares
Finnish Nightmares
Or 'tell me about yourself'. My mind immediately goes 'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'
Finnish Nightmares
That's me, I use to move a little bit further from the person so (s)he doesn't have to touch me but the person get closer... One day I'll get hit by a car or fall into the metro rails idk.
Finnish Nightmares
Finnish Nightmares
Lucky I'm not Finnish, I always just take food as soon as I see it :P
Finnish Nightmares
I know that feel! Sometimes I go away without being noticed, and sometimes I'm really not noticed. So sad x'D
Finnish Nightmares
haha.. exactly this a few days ago on my promotion... I was really happy and kept wondering why everyone said I didn't look happy...
Finnish Nightmares
Finnish Nightmares
Can't relate to this. Someone not accepting your generosity can be quite annoying.
Finnish Nightmares
The usual way is to start stirring, take out your gloves, cough. I hate it! Oh and of course there is the option of just getting suddenly up at your bus stop without saying anything and charging through.
Finnish Nightmares
Finnish Nightmares
I must have some Finnish blood in my veins. I have to check that out!
Finnish Nightmares
Finnish Nightmares
I'd rather catch pneumonia and die, than engage in idle chit chat with a complete stranger!
Finnish Nightmares
Finnish Nightmares
I hate it. It sounds for me like: "Do you want to buy something seriously or just make a mess here?" Somtimes I just look around to see what is available in that shop and when I really need it I just go in and buy it. If I need help, I can ask for help, you don't need to ask me.
Finnish Nightmares
Finnish Nightmares
Finnish Nightmares
OH MY GOD, THIS! The worst. These are all pretty dead on for us Finns, but this one really gets me.
Finnish Nightmares
Finnish Nightmares
Finnish Nightmares
I hate this so much! People trying to sell you something do it all the time - it's taught as a method of 'building rapport' - which will instantly kill my desire to buy whatever they are selling, even if I desperately need it!
Finnish Nightmares
Finnish Nightmares
Finnish Nightmares
Finnish Nightmares
Shaking inside. But it gets worse when I open my hands to get the change and they put it in the table... Sometimes it takes time to pick up the coins... They get stuck on the surface and there I am blushing as hell!
Finnish Nightmares
That damn bus that is always 10 minutes late... except when you are 5 minutes late yourself!
Finnish Nightmares
Yeah! Riding on polar bears and listening to metal. That's epic! I want to do that every day of my life. 😂😂😂
Finnish Nightmares
Finnish Nightmares
I let most strangers think I have a husband when in fact I have a wife cause I don't wanna embarass their assumptions or come out to a stranger I will never see again. We both do it!
Finnish Nightmares
Finnish Nightmares
I usually just tremble in the corner and keep the door triple locked ;_;
Finnish Nightmares
Nope, I like when it's a person totally grabbed to her/his phone. Muahahahah!
Finnish Nightmares
Ahhh, bottle recycling machines... Briliant thing to save up to 10 euros for bigger shopping or some night out ;)
Finnish Nightmares
Finnish Nightmares
It's not the lack of milk that's nightmarish, it's the fact that you just asked for something thwy don't have.
Finnish Nightmares
Finnish Nightmares
When someone is speaking close to you that you can smell their body odor, but you can't step back because that would be rude. So you hold your breath, fake a smile and wish to die...
For a Finn smelling someone's bad odor is just a reminder, that you too might smell bad when close to others. One more reason to keep 3 meter gap in future. While close to someone smelling bad, you would also hope it is not you that smell but the other guy. yep, I'm from Finland.
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You are not from Finland guys, you just have some kind of social anxiety :D
I think us autistic people and Finns would get along great, each with a cat in their lap. hehe! I think the author is dandy and I can relate. : )
I used to be like a lot of the examples above, but eventually you have to get over it. It just takes one tentative step at a time. No man/woman is an island - you eventually have to interact with other people some time.
We drink. And then we turn to a total mediterranean person.
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So bloody true! Yet for some reason the Finnish education system is claimed to be the best in the world. Though most of the people end up like this! Ha, funny! God sake, wanna shake them!
I don't think their personality has anything to do with their education system.
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If you guys can enjoy the Polar Nights, then you should move to Finland. Finland has very little sun and daylight during the winter, but we cope just fine, because we are introverts. When the sun doesn't shine, that's when we turn introvert and enjoy the light within ourselves. People who are used to get energy from sunlight, they don't feel happiness in Finland during the Polar Nights.
This totally makes me want to go to Finland now, these are my kind of people:)))
These are great! I'm an introvert so I can totally relate...except to the public transportation part, we don't have that in the part of the US where I live although I wish we did. & the bottle recycling machines sound like a really good idea too.
These are great! I'm an introvert and I can totally relate...except for the public transportation part, they don't have public transportation in the part of the US where I live. & the bottle recycling machine sounds like a great idea too.
When we lived in Finland, my sister would encounter strangers in the park by looking them in the eye, smiling, and greeting them cheerfully. It would get most Finns flustered and embarrassed!
I'm from Finland, and i can tell you that all of those examples are very accurate. :)
According to the 16 personality test I'm 81% introvert, but I can relate to only about 15% of this.
I'm an introvert, but this is extreme introversion. This person should look into working remotely and getting groceries delivered. :-/
I am a stay-at-home mom who avoids social interaction and I order most of what I need online. The Walmart here just started that grocery service where you do your shopping online and they have it ready for pickup. I use that. I don't even have to go into the store most of the time. My kids need some clothes this time, though, so I guess I'll have to go in since getting the right sizes in the first place is preferable to having to deal with people for returns if I get something that doesn't fit right. I think I might be Finnish.
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You must be kidding, right? Sounds more like your personal problem to me. Sunlight (or changing environment in general) can of course cheer you up but wont remove other problems in life.
Load More Replies... When someone is speaking close to you that you can smell their body odor, but you can't step back because that would be rude. So you hold your breath, fake a smile and wish to die...
For a Finn smelling someone's bad odor is just a reminder, that you too might smell bad when close to others. One more reason to keep 3 meter gap in future. While close to someone smelling bad, you would also hope it is not you that smell but the other guy. yep, I'm from Finland.
Load More Replies... You are not from Finland guys, you just have some kind of social anxiety :D
I think us autistic people and Finns would get along great, each with a cat in their lap. hehe! I think the author is dandy and I can relate. : )
I used to be like a lot of the examples above, but eventually you have to get over it. It just takes one tentative step at a time. No man/woman is an island - you eventually have to interact with other people some time.
We drink. And then we turn to a total mediterranean person.
Load More Replies... So bloody true! Yet for some reason the Finnish education system is claimed to be the best in the world. Though most of the people end up like this! Ha, funny! God sake, wanna shake them!
I don't think their personality has anything to do with their education system.
Load More Replies... If you guys can enjoy the Polar Nights, then you should move to Finland. Finland has very little sun and daylight during the winter, but we cope just fine, because we are introverts. When the sun doesn't shine, that's when we turn introvert and enjoy the light within ourselves. People who are used to get energy from sunlight, they don't feel happiness in Finland during the Polar Nights.
This totally makes me want to go to Finland now, these are my kind of people:)))
These are great! I'm an introvert so I can totally relate...except to the public transportation part, we don't have that in the part of the US where I live although I wish we did. & the bottle recycling machines sound like a really good idea too.
These are great! I'm an introvert and I can totally relate...except for the public transportation part, they don't have public transportation in the part of the US where I live. & the bottle recycling machine sounds like a great idea too.
When we lived in Finland, my sister would encounter strangers in the park by looking them in the eye, smiling, and greeting them cheerfully. It would get most Finns flustered and embarrassed!
I'm from Finland, and i can tell you that all of those examples are very accurate. :)
According to the 16 personality test I'm 81% introvert, but I can relate to only about 15% of this.
I'm an introvert, but this is extreme introversion. This person should look into working remotely and getting groceries delivered. :-/
I am a stay-at-home mom who avoids social interaction and I order most of what I need online. The Walmart here just started that grocery service where you do your shopping online and they have it ready for pickup. I use that. I don't even have to go into the store most of the time. My kids need some clothes this time, though, so I guess I'll have to go in since getting the right sizes in the first place is preferable to having to deal with people for returns if I get something that doesn't fit right. I think I might be Finnish.
Load More Replies... You must be kidding, right? Sounds more like your personal problem to me. Sunlight (or changing environment in general) can of course cheer you up but wont remove other problems in life.
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