200k People Are Loving This Funny Instagram Page That Shares “Very Finnish Problems” (50 New Pics)
Interview With AuthorWhen you think of Finland, what things pop straight into your mind? If you pictured the Moomin valley or the Santa Claus village, it’s so much more than that. With their insanely complex language and world-class education system, there’s also the mesmerizing nature, clean air, and thousands of crystal clear lakes. Heck, it’s even been nominated as the happiest nation in the world for four consecutive years!
But like every country, it too has its own weird little quirks, even if they seem hilarious and silly. Enter the Very Finnish Problems, an Instagram account dedicated to highlighting Finland’s national identity with a pinch of fun.
From the Finns' burning love for saunas and coffee to their sacred personal space, we have collected some of the best memes the account had to offer. Continue scrolling and upvote the ones that made you laugh! And if you’re hungry for some more Finnish goodness, check out our previous posts about it right here and here.
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No, the rest of the world needs to imitate Finland! Bowing doesn't educate kids!
Load More Replies...It's not a coincidence that they have one of the best educational systems in the world
I moved to the U.S. from the United Kingdom due to work/family. The cost of University in the United States made me want to throw-up--what young person can afford that?
Load More Replies...I always wondered how Finland produced so many world class innovators and generated such a steady stream of startups to create new technologies and jobs!
Plus they have changed their social structure over time. The factory bosses son does not treat his employees like slaves because he went to school with them.
Load More Replies...EXACTLY why I HATE voucher programs! The U.S. not only makes private schools legal, it uses taxpayer money to SUBSIDIZE them. Bad idea!
I don’t quite get it! Isn’t this the case for almost every Central European country?
It is, but the difference is that in other Central European countries, e.g. Poland, the private schools exist beside public schools (i.e. many rich kids mix in with the public school kids, but e.g. the very top elites, like kids of politicians, are often separated in their own private bubble). In Finland there is basically no bubble that would be impenetrable for a poor family.
Load More Replies...Just my 2 pence. Soooooo many "let's do like Finland". Or Sweden. Or Norway. Yeah, right. Does anybody here KNOW what it means to live over there? Why don't you SIMPLY go to Wikipedia and search for Finland economy and the US economy. Finland is 42nd, US is 7th. Yes, there are differences. But the most important is that they have ONE government, not 50. They have ONE ministry of (whatever), not 50. The ministeries can IMPOSE rules and regulations. Taxes are higher (personal ~32%, business 30%) - and they basically tax everything. How do you think they can keep up free healthcare, schooling and so on? I get so worked up when I read comments from people who have zero knowledge about Europe, but they would like to bring all tose things here. Far from me to say no, but it is impossible.
Its easy when you are the size of a small state with a low pop lol. I mean my city has almost as many people as that entire country lol
Really? Best educational system in the world? Who said that, based in what? I would have expected many, MANY Finns working or being fought upon to be hired, but ... (cricket sounds)
Land of my people! My son's friend went over to get a free education.
Unlike in the US, there wasn’t a boatload of racist intent (plus greed) in Finland so that white people disinvested in public schools once black kids had access to the same schools white students went to after desegregation.
Whoop whoop!!! Well here in 'good ole boy' America, the motto is: KEEP EM DUMB, PREGNANT BUT WELL ARMED...
All Tuition or just childrens education? I cant believe its everything, what about knitting or cooking classes and such like.
No, it means there are some schools that are bette and the rich spend their money trying to get those kids in those schools. You little fool, it's all about the connections they make. The future business partners and politicians.
Bring this up in Australia - which has the highest levels of private school funding in the world (intentionally by religious extremists) - and wait to get piled onto. Well done Finland.
Which churches are the ones funding Australian education?
Load More Replies...Good job, Finland! I will other parts of the world would follow this example for education.
They also banned all religious/private schools and your child has to attend the public school in their residential district. Wealthy parents therefore invest in their child's school and the benefits of school sports grounds pools and libraries benefit all children equally. Also student to teacher ratio is alot smaller and university education is also free.
But school choice and free markets are inherently better....(sarcasm)
In the US I don't want my kids going to school with poor kids tell there parents to work harder and pay for there education
Which means the people who actually work for a living pay for the people who don't through taxes. Nothing is free, if the school doesn't charge you money the government will. And at least when the school charges you money, you can willingly choose not to give your money to a particular place.
Private schools are not banned in Finland, but we don't need so called elite schools because the level of education is so high in public schools. Private schools usually are of special pedagogy like Steiner or Freinet schools and international schools where they teach in other language including cultural education.
Load More Replies...Very Finnish Problems is one of the biggest projects celebrating the Finnish lifestyle online. Tens of thousands of followers enjoy its content on Instagram, but it's just the tip of the iceberg. People can also stumble across such hilarious memes and jokes on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Plus, there’s even a whole website dedicated to honoring the Finnish charm.
The founder of this project, Joel Willans, is a British Helsinki resident who created the account in 2016. A year later, he published a best-selling book 101 Very Finnish Problems: A Foreigner's Guide to Surviving Finland, and then a sequel More Very Finnish Problems: An Even More Essential Guide to Surviving Finland. These books are full of humor and essential insights into the highs and lows of fantastic Finland to help people deal with all this country can throw at them.
"I’m the Creative Director at a digital marketing agency, Ink Tank Media, and I bet one of my clients that I could create a Facebook page of 10K fans in a month without spending a penny," Joel explained the origins of Very Finnish Problems in a previous interview with Bored Panda last year. "The bet was made during Finnish winter, which was typically dark and very, very cold. The pavements were super slippery and it was taking me ages to walk to work, and I remember thinking how winter is trying to kill me, and what a very Finnish problem that is."
He then realized it was one of the very many Finnish quirks "faced by an Englishman in the far north. That was how it all began, and it clearly resonated with lots of people, because I won the bet and got nearly 20K fans in a month."
When asked about his followers, he said they’re extremely active. "The biggest demographic is Finnish women between 25-54. But there’s lots of other nationalities and age groups too," he explained. "Besides Finns who enjoy hearing about Finland from a British man’s perspective, there’s foreigners who love Finland and foreigners who might have a Nordic background."
Well, Joel was once a foreigner too. While he quickly fell in love with the Finnish lifestyle, he told Bored Panda he’s still getting used to it, even after living there for over 18 years. "Of course, the culture shock isn’t as hardcore as it was, and I do a lot of Finnish things now without even noticing it. For example, if somebody had told me 20 years ago I’d learn to love saunas, I’d have laughed at them," he revealed jokingly.
The 4 guys in the front arguing about who's generic black middle class car it actually is.
Most of the VFP memes showcase a slice of Finnish life. From the harsh yet beautiful weather to the deep introversion of this country’s citizens, there are plenty of clichés that fuel such hilarious content. "Like all stereotypes, there’s an element of truth," Joel said. "But also like all stereotypes, it’s exaggerated."
The creator of this project personally thinks Finns are just more straightforward and honest than many other nationalities. "Rather than being polite and pretending to be interested in chatting like we do in the UK, if Finns don’t want to talk to you, they won’t."
He continued: "Living in the EU’s least densely populated country, I think they’re also more comfortable being alone or with family in the wilderness. That’s another thing I’ve certainly learned to love."
actually, i learned this interesting fact from a park ranger. apparently, squirrels can fall from amazingly high heights and be perfectly fine. for some reason, only if they are starving will they die from falling.
When shoveling is utterly futile and you say, f**k it, stab the snow with the shovel, and go inside to start binge drinking
While some beliefs people have about the Finns are inaccurate, they can still be a great source of entertainment. "Needless to say, for all the horrors of COVID-19, there was lots of talk about how self-isolating and maintaining distance suited Finns. Even in difficult times, I think it helps to try to laugh, so at times we had some fun with that." Also, research that highlights unexpected characteristics about this country helps him think of new memes. To illustrate, he mentioned a study that found pineapple was Finland’s most popular pizza topping.
From what I've gathered so far, both counts as a threat in Finland.
Moreover, Joel sees many more opportunities to brighten people’s dull days by celebrating the relatively odd and charming Finnish habits. "I’ve plans to relaunch the Very Finnish Problems podcast very soon. We originally launched it four years ago and, for a while, it was one of Finland’s top five podcasts, but then work and life got in the way. We only did 19 episodes, so there’s plenty left to talk about."
"I’m also looking at getting into the world of Finnish-themed NFTs and considering a third Very Finnish Problems themed book, although it would take a different angle to the previous two. So, plenty of things in the pipeline!"
They should have included the box since it can be used as a baby bed and isn't just there to hold the contents.
Finn here! Finnish is indeed not related to the Indo-European family of languages, it belongs to the family of Finno-Ugric languages. Therefore the grammar is completely different from most European languages. We actually have borrowed a lot of words from German, Swedish, and Russian due to historical reasons, but their spelling has been adjusted to fit Finnish pronunciation. We also have a layer of ancient words which are based on a language (Proto-Uralic) spoken 7000–2000 BCE. It's especially those words that nobody else gets.
Looks like it has seen some sh!t and spontaneously grown hair that even more spontaneously turned white.
For sex to occur, that would mean that two Finnish people would have to interact.
Luckily in Finland the forest to people ratio is ideal for lots of remote cabins in the woods.
Note: this post originally had 102 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
Enjoyed this post and am glad the Finns were nominated for the happiest nation. Yet, somehow I can't get snow, cold and months of darkness to jive with happiness. Has anyone checked their water for drugs? If they find any I want some.
H-i-l-a-r-i-o-u-s! A toast, at a very long distance, to the Finns.
I had a Finnish roommate in college. She invited me to come home with her one weekend for some family party. I am 5'1". I felt exceptionally small that weekend.
How do you know if a Finn is extrovert or introvert. if he/she looks at yours or his'/hers own feet
The only thing missing is the classic "sun rises, sun goes down in different cities" -report in a paper which says something like "sun rises the next time at Feb 18th."
Finnish is a superlogical language. It's difficult for other Europeans to learn because it's not indoeuropean.
so what im getting from this post is finnish people are introverts /lh
Think I was born in the wrong country, the lack of social interaction sounds ideal!!! Cant be dealing with that snow tho so I guess I'll trade off some convos about the weather for a bit more sunshine
It's a stereotype, because we don't do small talk. Small talk is just not a part of our culture. We are definitely not all introverts, but many of us are.
Load More Replies...Enjoyed this post and am glad the Finns were nominated for the happiest nation. Yet, somehow I can't get snow, cold and months of darkness to jive with happiness. Has anyone checked their water for drugs? If they find any I want some.
H-i-l-a-r-i-o-u-s! A toast, at a very long distance, to the Finns.
I had a Finnish roommate in college. She invited me to come home with her one weekend for some family party. I am 5'1". I felt exceptionally small that weekend.
How do you know if a Finn is extrovert or introvert. if he/she looks at yours or his'/hers own feet
The only thing missing is the classic "sun rises, sun goes down in different cities" -report in a paper which says something like "sun rises the next time at Feb 18th."
Finnish is a superlogical language. It's difficult for other Europeans to learn because it's not indoeuropean.
so what im getting from this post is finnish people are introverts /lh
Think I was born in the wrong country, the lack of social interaction sounds ideal!!! Cant be dealing with that snow tho so I guess I'll trade off some convos about the weather for a bit more sunshine
It's a stereotype, because we don't do small talk. Small talk is just not a part of our culture. We are definitely not all introverts, but many of us are.
Load More Replies...