The Almost Nearly Perfect People: Behind the Myth of the Scandinavian Utopia

by Michael Booth

The Finns are also the most courteous of all the Nordic people. Admittedly this is a close call, a little like saying that the orangutans have the best table manners of all non-human primates, but as an Englishman living in this region you come to appreciate politeness wherever you find it. They are hardly David Niven, but Finns do wait for you to disembark from trains, stand aside to let you through doorways, and rarely ask how on earth you make a living from writing. The more I got to know about them, and in particular their country’s harrowing, conflict-riven history, the more my affection and respect for the Finns grew to the point where, these days, I am an unashamed groupie and cheerleader for all things Finnish. In conversations regarding the relative merits of any two countries—the vast majority of which, by definition, tend not to concern Finland—I will be heard to say, “Ah, but you see, that never happens in Finland,” (if it’s something bad), or “They have far more of them in Finland” (if it’s something good, like holidays, for instance).