Origin of the project name (Sisu)

Sisu: a synonym for the spirit of challenging

Sisu is the favourite word of Finns. It comes from “sisus”, which stands for "internal organs" or "intestines" in Finnish. In 1745, Finnish Bishop Daniel Juslenius defined the word "sisucunda" as the source of strong emotions in the human body in his dictionary.

SISU represents not only a kind of tenacious "Finnish spirit", but also the significance of positive psychology: courage, tenacity, perseverance and optimism enable people in adversary to face the challenges of life and overcome difficulties with greater courage.

On June 29, 2013, on the Third World Congress on Positive Psychology held in Los Angeles, Sisu was for the first time introduced as a potential psychological strength to be studied. In the discussion, Sisu was described as a crucial psychological ability that enables one to overcome psychological or physical challenges with extraordinary actions. Sisu also contributes to the so-called action mentality: A consistent and courageous way to face challenges, even if it seems to be beyond our ability at first.