Re the Finnish concept of sisu (Why we all need sisu – the Finnish concept of action and creativity in hard times, 10 February), Estonian, one of the Finno-Ugric languages, has the same word. In Estonian, sisu means something that is inside – as in a box, jar, luggage, or a letter, book, or in a fruit or vegetable.
With regard to humans, it is a quality or a characteristic, or even the absence of meaning to life if a person seems to be lacking sisu. In Estonian folklore, sisu is a source of strength. When living in Estonia recently, I often heard foreigners comment about “the strong Estonian woman”.
